Emma Character Analysis

Heroine or anti-heroine: the relevance of sympatico in the character of Austen's Emma

As a protagonist, Anna's complexity has raised questions about whether she is a heroine or an unsympathetic character, with the majority of criticism observing her relative lack of sympatico in her complexity (Reader Response, 2014, http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/austen/index.html). In short, Emma is difficult to understand as a heroine, or her qualities as heroine are elusive due to her complexity, raising questions about Austen's intention in her depiction of Emma, and the meaning of the character of Emma's character arc.

The challenge arises in a range of character traits, or flaws, which Austen depicts in Emma. Austen herself referred to Emma as "a heroine whom no one will like except myself (Trilling, 1965, p. 28)." Of course, this a conflicting statement, or oxy moron if you will, in and of itself. But the likeability of Emma is too often framed as a qualifier for her viability as a heroine. In a letter in 1937, John Henry Newman is quoted saying the most interesting of Jane Austen's heroines, and that he likes her, but confused the interpretation by saying, "I feel kind to her whenever I think of her (Trilling, 1965, p. 30)."

The question about Emma is does Newman like other audience members feel kind out of agreement, likeability, pity. Emma has been depicted as a means of conveying to the audience the sense that the difficulty of determining one's true feelings is a result of the author's own devices, and artistic intent. The popularization of the book, and the acclaim which the book received when it came out, is rooted in the need for Emma to be heroic, or seen as a heroine. There ...

... middle of paper ...

...g, Lionel. "Emma and the Legend of Jane Austen." In Beyond Culture: Essays on Literature and Learning. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1965.

This source is an updated study of the prevailing notion of Jane Austen, at a time in which the paradigms of classical literature were being challenged. This work points out the so-called bravado of Emma, and questions whether Austen intended to position Emma as likeable character or merely a strong and impressive character. The essay borders on Emma's apparent vindictiveness that brings into question key decisions and relationships which Emma displays in the book, all the while intonating that the fascination of Emma is not with who she is, but how she acts towards others. The question of whether Emma is virtuous and true to herself is raised, with a skeptic's eye that points out her frailties as a true heroine.