# William Price — Mansfield Park character guide

> William Price in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** William, Poor William, Mr. Price, XXVI William, Mr. William Price, Price

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

Fanny's sailor brother, whose warm visits and hard-won prospects give her a glimpse of home and hope amid Mansfield's chill.

## Who they are

William Price is the brother Fanny loves best among the Portsmouth siblings, a young midshipman whose letters and rare visits are the brightest events of her life at Mansfield. His affection is uncalculating and his prospects uncertain, and his presence reminds Fanny of the family she was taken from and the world of honest effort she still belongs to. When his career and his friendship with the Bertrams intersect, he becomes a link between Fanny's two lives and a quiet test of how Mansfield values those without fortune.

## Relationships

### [Fanny Price](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/characters/fanny_price)

_family_

William is Fanny's beloved brother, a naval officer, and her closest emotional support and confidant.

### [Fanny Price](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/characters/fanny_price)

_family_

William is Fanny's beloved brother, a naval officer, and her closest emotional support and confidant.

### [Fanny Price](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/characters/fanny_price)

_family_

William is Fanny's beloved brother, a naval officer, and her closest emotional support and confidant.

## In the story

### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxiv)

Visits Mansfield Park after seven years at sea; shares his adventures and rekindles a close bond with Fanny.

### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxv)

William Price expresses his frustrations about his naval career and his desire to see Fanny dance. He recalls their childhood dancing together and feels the sting of social snobbery from Portsmouth girls.

### [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxvii)

William is delighted by Henry Crawford's offer to travel together to London, and Fanny is happy he will be spared a fatiguing journey.

### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxix)

Departs after the ball; his absence deeply affects Fanny.

### [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxxvii)

William is delighted about Fanny's visit to Portsmouth and looks forward to showing her his ship, the Thrush, before he sails.

### [Chapter XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxxviii)

William accompanies Fanny to Portsmouth, full of high spirits and talk of the Thrush, but leaves soon after to join his ship.

### [Chapter XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xxxix)

William has already sailed on the Thrush within days of Fanny's arrival, leaving her with only a brief farewell and a charge to their mother to care for her.

### [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/chapters/xli)

Meets the group in the High Street; his appearance is ungentlemanlike but his behavior to Crawford is passable and grateful.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/characters/william_price
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mansfield_park_se/characters