Fanny's Coming Out

At the end of chapter five, Ms. Crawford and Edmund have a conversation about whether Fanny is “out” or not. Based on Fanny’s class, age, dress, and sense of propriety, Mary Crawford seems to be confused about Fanny’s status in the family and society. The fact that Fanny has never been to a ball affirms to Ms. Crawford that she clearly is not.

The question of what it means to come out seems to be strongly related to social class, since it implies that the young lady is marketable for marriage or at least independent enough to make her own decisions about her behavior in public. For Fanny this is more complicated since, on one hand, she must always see herself as lower than her cousins, and on the other hand, she attracts the attentions of upper class men like Henry Crawford and eventually Edmund Bertram. The narrator also neglects to ever specifically tell us whether Fanny is officially “out” or not and at what point she makes that shift.

Historically, what does it mean to be “out” or not? Does it only apply to women? As long as you’re out does that put you on equal footing with other women who are out? Is Fanny even qualified to be out given her poor background? Ms. Crawford is often very flippant about her opinions and so far, we only have her opinion. Knowing the context would help explain the gender politics active throughout the novel and shed light on where exactly Fanny fits in her community. Can the novel be read as Austen’s critique on “coming out” as societal norm?