Role of Jane Fairfax in Jane Austen's Emma

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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.

Jane Fairfax is a minor character in Emma who is a Bates woman. After Miss Campbell’s marriage to Mr. Dixon, Jane returns to Highbury. Emma, who is the main heroine in the text, shows her dislike towards Jane in many ways. Emma thinks that Jane’s position in society is lower than hers and it is not expres...

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...ality in social status and fortune.

Jane Fairfax is placed in many of the important parts of Emma playing a significant role as a contrasting character to Emma who is the alternative heroine of the text. Jane Fairfax teaches Emma many moral lessons: not to interfere with other people’s life and also not to invent other people’s situations as Emma is a character that lives in her own imagination and writes stories in her mind. If Emma is a character living in a dream, Jane is a character who shows realism throughout the novel and reality to the audience. If Jane Fairfax was not included as one of the characters in the novel, the story would have been very dull with no surprise endings and resolution to Emma’s mistakes in interfering other people’s relationships. Jane is a character who makes Emma mature and also realise her mistakes and finally find her own lover.

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