In Austen's novels, birth order is an important aspect of one's identity, particularly in consideration of their expected fortune. One of the main issues a character who is not the eldest face is not being an inheritor of the fortune, which then affect their marriage prospect of freedom of choice. An example of such is Colonel Fitzwilliam in Pride and Prejudice, who is the youngest son of an earl without expectations of much inheritance and thus has to use marriage also to ensure his own financial security. This is also the case for Edmund in Mansfield Park who becomes a clergy to support himself.