Misconception of Others in Jane Austen´s Emma

Abraham 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” (Good Reads). According to the President, people often mistake things for what they appear to be not for what they actually are, yet this quote also can be interpreted as to saying that people are too often judged by their reputation instead of their character. The misconception of others is a reoccurring theme in many works of literature as well as the themes of marriage and confinement of women, and society. In Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, the themes of appearance versus reality, marriage and confinement of women and social status are seen in her novel through characters such as Emma, Harriet, and Mr. Knightley.

Austen emphasizes the importance of appearance vs. reality through the characters Mr. Elton, Harriett, Mr. Knightley, and Frank through their relationships and disposition. When the reader first encounters Emma, Austen is quick to inform that Emma is wealthy and is quite often prejudice and superficial through her perspective and preconceived conjecture of people. After Emma decides to make Harriet her protégé, she discovers that her new friend is considering a proposal from a poor man, Mr. Martin, Emma takes matters into her own hands. She persuades Harriet that she deserves better than Mr. Martin, manipulates Harriet into rejecting the proposal, Emma then attempts to match Harriet with a man named Mr. Elton. Mr. Elton, according to Emma, is a gentlemen with impeccable manners says he is "most suitable, quite the gentleman himself, and without low connections" (Austen, Emma 29-30), but Emma’s prejudice proves to be completely inaccurate when Mr. Elton completely changes his gent...

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...two people together: it adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious, a trick of what ought to be simple. She was quite concerned, and ashamed, and resolved to do such things no more (Austen, Emma 122). Harriet also helps Emma realize that she is in love with Mr. Knightley and cannot imagine him with anyone else, “it darted through her with the speed of an arrow, that Mr. Knightley must marry no one but herself” (Austen, Emma 370) and she even also begins to regret meeting Harriet (Master). Austen portrays the theme of appearance vs. reality through the character Harriet and her friendship with Emma by making it appear as if Harriet benefits the most from their friendship since Emma is making her a more elegant, refined, and matching her up with a suitor of a higher status, while Emma is the one who is actually benefitting more.