Fanny's banishment to Portsmouth is characterised as a punishment by a vengeful Sir Thomas rather than as a much more subtle and manipulative ploy expressed partly as a respite from stress following Henry Crawford's unwelcome attentions. In the novel, Fanny is never tempted to accept Mr. Crawford's proposals, whereas in the film, Fanny accepts, then repudiates, Henry Crawford's offer of marriage, and her family has full knowledge of it. (This is taken from Austen's own history when she accepted a proposal of marriage from a man she had known since childhood, only to retract her acceptance the next day.)