Thomas Bertram
Encyclopedia
Thomas Bertram is a protagonist
in Jane Austen
's 1814 novel
, Mansfield Park
. He is the elder son and heir of Sir Thomas Bertram, a baronet
and wealthy landowner in Northamptonshire
who also owns an estate in Antigua
.
, the poor ward of his parents when she comes to live with the family. Once he had grown up, he is only interested in amusing himself and is careless and extravagant with money. As a result his father has to sell the living
of the local parish to pay off his debts. This harms the prospects of his brother Edmund Bertram
who was intended to become a clergyman and live off the tithes of the parish. Tom was a bit ashamed of his actions, but he continued to seek his pleasures.
to deal with problems on his estate. Tom returns before his father and finds that while he has been away two new young wealthy people, Henry
and Mary Crawford
have moved to the area and are living in the parsonage with their half sister, the new clergyman's wife. Mary is romantically interested in Tom at first but he does not respond to her. Tom leaves home again to spend some time with his friends, he returns full of a thwarted project to put on an amateur production of a play. He proposes that the party at Mansfield Park should also do this. His brother, Edmund and Fanny are opposed but the rest of the group are excited. Tom arranges for a theatre to be built in the billiard room in Mansfield Park. The play was almost ready for production when Sir Thomas returns unexpectedly early having had a fast voyage across the Atlantic and puts a stop to the proceedings.
Tom leaves again to take part in a horse racing meet but has a fall and is injured which combined with his drinking causes him to become very ill. His friends abandon him and Edmund has to fetch him home where he is nursed by Fanny who has to be recalled from an enforced stay with her parents in Portsmouth
and his family. His illness is observed with interest by Mary Crawford who wants to marry Edmund as she hopes that he will die, leaving Edmund as the heir to the Bertram estates and title. Tom takes very little further part in the book but does recover, apparently becoming a more prudent man because of his sisters' disgrace.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's 1814 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park may mean:* Mansfield Park by Jane Austen* Mansfield Park , based on the novel, directed by Patricia Rozema, starring Frances O'Connor, Embeth Davidtz, and Sheila Gish in 1999...
. He is the elder son and heir of Sir Thomas Bertram, a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
and wealthy landowner in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
who also owns an estate in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
.
Character
Thomas Bertram, who is mainly called "Tom", is depicted as a person who is careless and extravagant. He is not kind to his cousin Fanny PriceFanny Price
Fanny Price is the heroine in Jane Austen's 1814 novel Mansfield Park. Austen describes Fanny Price as "extremely timid and shy, shrinking from notice", and repeatedly reinforces that Fanny is shy, timid, and afraid of everyone and everything....
, the poor ward of his parents when she comes to live with the family. Once he had grown up, he is only interested in amusing himself and is careless and extravagant with money. As a result his father has to sell the living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of the local parish to pay off his debts. This harms the prospects of his brother Edmund Bertram
Edmund Bertram
Edmund Bertram is a major protagonist in Jane Austen's 1814 novel Mansfield Park. He is Sir Thomas's second son and plans to be ordained as a clergyman.-Character:...
who was intended to become a clergyman and live off the tithes of the parish. Tom was a bit ashamed of his actions, but he continued to seek his pleasures.
Travel and return
Tom and his father had to go to AntiguaAntigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
to deal with problems on his estate. Tom returns before his father and finds that while he has been away two new young wealthy people, Henry
Henry Crawford
Henry Crawford is one of the main characters in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. He is depicted as a man who only attempts to amuse himself, and at the end is proven to be a reprobate.-First Arrival to Mansfield Park:...
and Mary Crawford
Mary Crawford (Mansfield Park)
Mary Crawford is an antagonist in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park.-First Appearance:Mary Crawford is introduced in the fourth chapter of the novel. She comes from London in company with her brother, Henry Crawford, and arrives in the country with urbane airs, tastes, and manners, with a...
have moved to the area and are living in the parsonage with their half sister, the new clergyman's wife. Mary is romantically interested in Tom at first but he does not respond to her. Tom leaves home again to spend some time with his friends, he returns full of a thwarted project to put on an amateur production of a play. He proposes that the party at Mansfield Park should also do this. His brother, Edmund and Fanny are opposed but the rest of the group are excited. Tom arranges for a theatre to be built in the billiard room in Mansfield Park. The play was almost ready for production when Sir Thomas returns unexpectedly early having had a fast voyage across the Atlantic and puts a stop to the proceedings.
Tom leaves again to take part in a horse racing meet but has a fall and is injured which combined with his drinking causes him to become very ill. His friends abandon him and Edmund has to fetch him home where he is nursed by Fanny who has to be recalled from an enforced stay with her parents in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and his family. His illness is observed with interest by Mary Crawford who wants to marry Edmund as she hopes that he will die, leaving Edmund as the heir to the Bertram estates and title. Tom takes very little further part in the book but does recover, apparently becoming a more prudent man because of his sisters' disgrace.
Portrayal
- Giles Ashton as the young Tom and Christopher VilliersChristopher VilliersChristopher Francis Villiers is an English actor.He is known for his part in the top rated ITV1 soap opera, Emmerdale in which he plays the role of the solicitor Grayson Sinclair. He also played the part of Captain Nigel Croker in Mile High from 2004 to 2005...
as the grown Tom in the 1983 British televisionBritish televisionPublic television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
drama serial Mansfield Park (1983 TV serial)Mansfield Park (1983 TV serial)Mansfield Park is a 1983 British television drama serial, made by the BBC, and adapted from Jane Austen's novel of the same name, originally published in 1814. The serial was the first screen adaptation of the novel...
.
- James PurefoyJames PurefoyJames Brian Mark Purefoy is an English actor best known for portraying Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome.-Early life and work:...
in the 1999 film Mansfield ParkMansfield Park (film)Mansfield Park is a 1999 British romantic comedy-drama film loosely based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name, written and directed by Patricia Rozema. The film differs sharply from the original novel in many respects. For example, the life of Jane Austen is incorporated into the film and the...
.
- Zachary Elliott-Hatton as the young Tom and James D'ArcyJames D'Arcy-Early life:James D'Arcy was born as Simon D'Arcy and grew up in Fulham, London, with his mother, Caroline and his younger sister Charlotte. His father died when he was young. After completing his education at Christ's Hospital in 1991, he went to Australia for a year and worked in the drama...
as the grown Tom in the 2007 BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production aired as The Complete Jane Austen (Mansfield Park (2007 TV drama)Mansfield Park (2007 TV drama)Mansfield Park, an adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name, premiered on 18 March 2007 on the UK network ITV at 9 p.m., as part of their Jane Austen Season. It was filmed at Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, England. It made its TV debut in Canada on 23 December 2007 and in the...
).