Maria Bertram is the eldest daughter and third child in a wealthy family that owns the large country estate, Mansfield Park.

She grows up treated with stern distance by her father, kindly ignored by her indolent, self-centered mother, but spoiled and indulged by her Aunt Norris (who seeks to remain ingratiated with the Bertrams).

When Sir Thomas goes to Antigua to attend to problems on his sugar plantation, Maria, being at the age to marry, is introduced by Aunt Norris to a young man named Mr. Rushworth.

Although Mr. Rushworth is neither intelligent nor handsome, he does have a large estate of 700 acres and is worth about 12,000 pounds per annum, a very substantial income for the time.

Maria, eager to escape her parental home, agrees to his proposal (subject to Sir Thomas' approval when he returns to England).