A city attached to a Royal Navy post that got its start in the twelfth century. It’s an area that is portrayed in Mansfield Park as a poor place, flowing with people, but not with people who are entirely wealthy. This is reflective of the Portsmouth she knew and had personally experienced, and this portrayal of Portsmouth had attracted her both praise and criticism from people. A Navy Vice Admiral, stationed mainly in Portsmouth, allegedly was surprised at how vivid her descriptions were and how effective they were at commanding the image of the city.
This portrayal is at odds with the current state of the area, which is one of the highest-populated cities in the United Kingdom, is fortified, and is one of the more expensive places to live if you were considering moving to the country. For a comparison, it could be said in some respects that Portsmouth, UK, is alike to New York City, NY. This comparison doesn’t map 1:1, though, of course.
Img Src: (Bangkok Bloke from Bangkok, Thailand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Katherine Frazier