Constancy and the Ethics of Jane Austen's 'Mansfield Park'

Acknowledgments

xiii xiii Acknowledgments y Suggestions that helped this project in its early stages came from Janet Smith, who recommended Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue, and Scott Crider, who recommended the focus on a single novel. I also thank Theresa Kenney for her support and advice and John Alvis for his encouragement to publish and his recommendation that I submit the manuscript to the Catholic University of America Press. To Mary Ann Taylor, who took the time to read or listen to and comment on many early revisions of individual chapters or sections (or the entire manuscript), I owe my thanks. To a small group of invaluable friends always ready with support and encouragement over the span of time during which this project unfolded, I also owe a debt of gratitude: Catherine (Cookie) Mackenroth, Carrie Coy, Patty Woodard, Martha Range, and my sister, Kayran Logan. A very special thanks to two people without whom the project might not have been completed: Melanie Daglian, whose excellent yet restrained editing suggestions marked a turning point in my revision process and helped me to move the manuscript closer to a publishable form; and Anthony Cunningham, a reviewer selected by the publisher, for his careful reading of the manuscript, his excellent suggestions to improve it, but most of all, his generous and enthusiastic response to its basic premise. Librarians Toby Baldwin and Nancy Cabell recommended two important sources for my research: the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center search site and Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, respectively. xiv xiv Acknowledgments I am also grateful for the sabbatical awarded to me by the Dallas County Community College district, which allowed me the time I needed for revision. For the opportunity to conduct a seminar entitled “The Ethics of Mansfield Park” at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, I thank its visionary founder, Louise Cowan. Most important of all during this process has been my husband, James. Although he has made the most sacrifices, he remains my most reliable and invariable source of human support. I cannot thank him enough. xv Constancy & the Ethics of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park xvi ...