Change often spurs maturity, and such is the case in Jane Austen’s Emma. Emma’s life undergoes many changes, and Emma finds herself with new roles and responsibilities. Because of the new roles, Emma matures throughout the course of the novel.
Emma increases in humility throughout the novel. In Volume 1, Emma is saddened that her friend Miss Taylor has recently gotten married, because now she will have no one to talk to. She is happy that she made a match for Miss Taylor but admits that “the want of Miss Taylor would be felt every hour of every day” (2-3) . This attitude of selfishness diminishes as Emma matures, and by the end of the novel Emma’s focus is more on others than herself. Emma’s newfound selflessness is evident in Volume 3 when she is trying to decide if she should accept Mr. Knightley’s proposal. She carefully considers the effects of her decision on her father as well as Harriet, wanting to “guard the comfort of both to the utmost” (285). Emma does not want to hurt her relationship with Harriet any more than she already has and wishes only to “spare her from any unne...
Miss Emma is the godmother of Jefferson. “’They called my boy a hog, Mr. Henri,” Miss Emma said. “I didn’t raise no hog, and I don’t want no hog to go set in that chair. I want a man to go set in that chair, Mr. Henri.’” Miss Emma became obsessed with making sure that Jefferson dies “like a man” after hearing Jefferson’s lawyer call him a “hog”. She wanted the best for Jefferson and ensured that he would die “like a man” therefore bringing Grant to teach him how to be a man. Emma put Jefferson before herself and made sure that he would die properly. Constantly throughout the beginning of the novel Miss Emma expresses how she “…don’t want them to kill no hog” (Gaines 26). She stands up for Jefferson to Mr. Henri about how Jefferson is not a “hog”, by doing this she is trying to send a message to the community how he is not a “hog” as well. Unfortunately the community believes that Jefferson will die a “hog” but Miss Emma along with Tante Lou pushes Grant to help Jefferson. Even when she knew that Jefferson would die she still wanted to help him. Whether she believed the accusation or not she still stood by Jefferson and helped him any way possible. She always wanted the best for Jefferson and never gave up on him. Relating this book to the present time, Miss. Emma shows how she does not give up on family. This reminded me of the popular lyric from the song “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa. The lyric says “How can we not talk about family when family’s all that we got?” I believe this quote shows what Miss Emma is doing for Jefferson. Jefferson is her family, and it is obvious that she will not give up on
Emma's arrogance shines through when she brags that she is exceptionally skillful at matching couples. She believes that she is in control of fate and must play matchmaker in order for couples to discover their true love. Austen confirms, "The real evils indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself" (Austen 1). Although Emma is so spoiled and overbearing, she truly doesn't realize this fact.
The 2009 miniseries adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, directed by Jim O’Hanlon and adapted for the screen by Sandy Welch, pulls themes of travel, community, and homecoming from the novel and presents them in a way that offers new insight and perspective on the novel itself. This adaptation stars Romola Garai as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley and, unlike other adaptations of Austen novels focuses less on the romance between the hero and heroine, and more on the circumstances and themes that link Emma, Jane Fairfax (Laura Pyper), and Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans). Through the use of opening backstory and dialogue, the film highlights this link in a way that offers new and interesting insight not only into the relationship between
Adolescence and its impact on a character is a common theme throughout literature. Adolescence describes the period after childhood and before adulthood in one’s life. Childhood can impact one’s future course in life, whilst adulthood will receive the lasting effects of adolescence. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre it is possible to see Jane’s adolescence as shaped by her childhood and impacting her adulthood. Jane’s difficult childhood leaves her with warped ideas of love and power. Jane’s adolescence is the first time she receives any love and learns how to love. Lastly, Jane’s adulthood decisions are influenced by her ideas on love and power that have been shaped by her childhood and adolescence.
Jane Fairfax plays a significant role as a rival towards Emma in terms of intelligence and beauty in the novel Emma by Jane Austen. Jane Fairfax is born to Mrs. Bates youngest daughter and Lieut. Fairfax. Jane’s father Lieut. Fairfax died and Jane was left with a widow mother who also died when Jane was three years old. After the death of Jane’s parents, Jane was took care by Colonel Campbell who was a good friend to Mr. Fairfax where Mr. Campbell believed that Mr. Fairfax has saved his life (p.128). Jane was loved by Mrs. and Miss Bates but if she lived with them, she would have had limited opportunities through her education and her social level. From Campbells kindness Jane was educated at high standards in London by Campbells support taught by the first-rate masters. However, because Campbells could not financially support Jane forever as their fortune belonged to their daughter and from Miss Campbell’s marriage with Mr. Dixon, Jane finally comes back to Highbury where her relatives Mrs. and Miss Bates live. Jane is a character in the book Emma as an only character who could be contrasted to Emma through many natures. This essay will discuss the role of Jane Fairfax through issues such as Jane and Emma’s relationship, Jane’s relationship with Mrs. Elton in contrast to Emma’s relationship with Harriet Smith, Jane’s love relationship with Mr. Frank Churchill and discuss why Jane is the conventional heroine where Emma is not.
Emma, a novel by Jane Austen, is the story of a young woman, Emma, who is rich, stubborn, conniving, and occupies her time meddling into others' business. There are several recurring themes throughout the novel; the ideas of marriage, social class, women's confinement, and the power of imagination to blind the one from the truth, which all become delineated and reach a climax during the trip to Box Hill. The scene at Box Hill exposes many underlying emotions that have been built up throughout the novel, and sets the stage for the events that conclude it.
Emma also transforms into a proper woman through correcting her original neglect. Trollope states that “[i]n every passage of the book she is in fault for some folly, some vanity, some ignorance, or indeed for some meanness” (7)19. Because of her ignorance toward attitudes of her neighbors, Emma interferes through their lives in a way that makes them unhappy, for “she had often been negligent” (Austen 359)20. Mr. Knightley predicts the outcome of Emma’s plans in the beginning of the novel when he states that “[y]ou are more likely to have done harm to yourself, than good to them by interference” (Austen 8)21 and also that “[v]anity working on a weak head produces every sort of mischief” (Austen 53)22. Not only is Emma stubborn toward her actions, but she is also negligent to herself when she convinces herself “I cannot really change for the better” (Austen 73)23. On other matters about her plans for others, Emma’s consideration falls short through her own selfishness and withholding of her pride, for “[t]he longer she considered it, the greater was her sense of its expediency” (Austen 27)24.
In the term of realism, Emma’s society value view represented the problematic old society. Austen was very suspicious to sustain the significance of social class construction in “Emma.” The exi...
... But in fact her powers and beauty cannot change the foundation of her society. Emma’s circumscription within the boundaries of her class kept her world under control. This prevents her from considering another society beyond her existence. The confusion from her failed attempts with Harriet due to her guidance, allows her to embrace reality. Jane Austen uses Emma’s character to reveal the quality in the structures of the nineteenth century society. Based on the conclusion of the novel, when Emma is forced to look beyond the limited power and beauty she has and acknowledge the existing order and structure of the early nineteenth century English society.
As President Lincoln once said, “Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing,” too often mankind are too quick to judge others by their appearance rather than who they truly are (Good Reads). Often times, people judge one another not solely by their character that is the true indicator of who they are but by their reputation or appearance. Throughout the novel, Emma, by Jane Austen the themes of appearance vs. reality, marriage and confinement of women, and social status are portrayed through characters such as Emma, Harriet, and Mr. Knightley.
Emma Woodhouse tries to use her influence to manipulate everyone around to her likings, and she only accepts the advice of mentors who agree with her. Emma knows that she is clever, and, having grown up as the smartest person among in Hartfield, she is continually being praised for her wit. As Mr. Knightley told Mrs. Weston, “Considering how very handsome she is, appears to be little occupied with it; her vanity lies another way” (33). She believes herself to be in the right without considering any other possibilities, or she rationalizes those possibilities away. More often than not, she is wrong.
In Jane Austen’s social class and coming of age novel, Emma, the relationships between irony, insight and education are based upon the premise of the character of Emma Woodhouse herself. The persona of Emma is portrayed through her ironic and naive tone as she is perceived as a character that seems to know everything, which brings out the comedic disparities of ironies within the narrative. Emma is seen as a little fish in a larger pond, a subject of manipulating people in order to reflect her own perceptions and judgments. Her education is her moral recognition to love outside her own sheltered fancies and her understandings of her society as a whole.
In the novel, Emma, Austen introduced her audience to a new idea of patriarchy. While she is known to satirize society for the “faulty education of female children, limited expectations for girls and women, and the perils of the marriage market” (“Austen, Jane”). Austen expresses the irony of the men of her patriarchal society and proposes the ideal gentleman in Mr. Knightley. In Emma, Austen moves away from “a traditional idea of 'natural' male supremacy towards a 'modern' notion of gender equity” (Marsh). Jane Austen is a revolutionary in the way she transforms the idea of Nineteenth Century patriarchy by not “reinforcing the traditional gender stereotypes” (Rosenbury) but instead challenging the status quo. While her characters still hold some ties to traditional ideals, Austen proves to be ahead of her time, influencing the way gender is regarded today.
In Jane Austen’s Emma, an emphasis is placed on the importance of female friendships. In particular, Austen places a great deal of emphasis on how Emma treats the women she calls her friends. In many ways, Emma manipulates the people in her life to fit her specific expectations for them. This can be seen in her matchmaking, especially Harriet’s relationship with Mr. Martin. Emma’s manipulation of various relationships serves as a way to control the friendships she has with the women in her life. By matching her friends with the men she has chosen for them, Emma can not only elevate their status but also keep these women in her life as well. It is only when her friendships are affected by marriage that Emma re-evaluates the role of marriage in her own life.
Emma is the main character in the novel. She is a beautiful, smart, and wealthy 21-year-old woman. Because of her admired qualities, Emma is a little conceited. She is the daughter of Henry Woodhouse. Since her mother died, Emma has taken the role of taking care of her father, who is old and often sick.