Analysis Of The Main Heroine In Emma
Do you agree that “Emma’s absurdities, snobberies and misdirected ingenuities are not meant to be taken seriously”?
Emma, the heroine of Jane Austen’s Emma, is not only “handsome and clever” but also suffers from self-deception and arrogance. Emma undergoes a psychological transformation, moving from arrogance to vanity and then humiliation, all the way to marriage and clarity. This is thanks in part, to Mr Knightley’s good judgment and her own self-examination. The tone in the novel, and the episodes when Emma deceives her self progresses from a light comedy with Mr Elton’s bravery and eventual mortification into the sombre depression Emma experiences because she believes that bringing Mr Knightley to Harriet has ruined all of her chances for happiness. The reader may laugh at the mistakes Emma makes, but as she grows in maturity and self-knowledge the reader takes her seriously. Like Mr Knightley. While her illogical and uninformed flights of fancy may ‘put us off’, they are the qualities that make her so endearing to us.
Emma’s only serious character is Mr Knightley. He is the moral center of the novel and Emma’s moral mentor. Emma’s moral development is important to him, and he has her best interests in mind. Mr Knightley does not let egotism and vanity blind him, but is always honest with Emma. This helps the reader to understand Emma’s faults. Emma becomes more mature and aware of her mistakes under Knightley’s influence. She is also able find fulfillment in marriage. She defies his judgment on several occasions but she does so with a “sort-of habitual respect” for it. Her willingness to follow good principles also helps her reform.
Emma is ‘put-off’ by Harriet taking Emma on as a mentor, because she’s simple-minded and ignorant. He doesn’t think much of her matchmaking ability, saying “you just made a good guess”. And tries discourage her further from matchmaking as he knows “Elton is not going to do”. He feels mortified for recommending that Mr Martin proposes to Harriet. Emma is also angry because she interfered. He tells Emma that Jane Fairfax is a much better match for Emma, as she matches or exceeds her in talent.
Emma’s inappropriate behavior with Frank Churchill in Box Hill also “puts off” Mr Knightley. Emma and Frank “flirted too much”, which is against social convention. Because Mr Knightley treats Emma seriously, he thinks that Emma loves Frank. Mr Knightley is very angry at Emma for her cruel comment to Miss Bates. This was partly prompted by Frank’s high spirits. His strong sense of responsibility and good judgment is evident. Miss Bates, too, is taking Emma’s words seriously at this stage, and has the ‘candor’ to forgive Emma. Emma claims to have done it in a joke, but she feels the rebuke of Mr Knightley “at heart” and visits Miss Bates to make amends the next day.
Frank Churchill doesn’t treat Emma seriously and uses Emma to hide his affair. He can tell she isn’t disposed to love him and so can make it appear that he’s pursuing her. He isn’t ‘put out’ by Jane’s snobbery. In fact, it’s the opposite. He says “Dixon” to Jane in order to provoke her. This is a secret that he and Emma share. She is unaware of his engagement to Jane Fairfax. He supports Emma’s suspicions and criticises Jane. This fuels Emma’s idea that Mr Dixon is in love with Jane.
The reader is privileged to be able see all the happenings: she may not realize her mistakes and we can laugh about her mischievous schemes. Austen is able to make us care about Emma’s character as the book progresses. Although we might be initially turned off by her snobbishness and her claim of omnipotence at first, Austen manages to win our sympathy. Emma isn’t so nice as to make her uninteresting or cruel enough to lose the reader’s sympathy. Emma is given the majority of the story, and the reader gets to know her feelings and inner thoughts. Austen claimed that no one would like Emma, but she. The reader is able to appreciate Emma’s ability to change.
Although she may be a comic figure, we are forced to take Emma seriously at some points. Emma’s concern about Harriet comes through when she admits to her blindness. She also apologises for encouraging Harriet’s love for Mr Elton.
Emma’s promotion of Mr Elton as a romantic partner for Harriet almost destroys Harriet’s marriage to Mr Martin. The match that is socially acceptable. Emma imagines that Harriet’s illegitimacy is due to her being the daughter a wealthy aristocrat. Like the narrator Mr Knightley also knows Harriet as the “natural child of Someone” and it is fortunate that Mr Martin doesn’t object. Emma’s happy ending, where Harriet is matched with Mr Martin, will be a genuine happiness for the reader. Emma has almost prevented the match from taking place.
Emma’s tears are evident as she rides back in the carriage after Mr Knightley has rebuked her in Box Hill. She decides to be more rational and confesses: “With my common sense, it seems I have not had much to accomplish”. This is the culmination of Emma’s moral education. She can now act with efficiency and judgment after realizing her “insufferable arrogance” and her “unpardonable vanity”. We are impressed by her candor and commitment to reform. We also value her self-reflection. Miss Bates’ and Jane’s attempts at repentance are not met as a matter of self-congratulation or complacency, but with a genuine sense of regret. We may have thought that Emma’s cruel remark was a lack of social caution and tenderness. But the reader is also moved by her contrition.
Emma dislikes Jane Fairfax primarily because of her coldness and reserve. Jane, however, does not possess the “open temper” that men would like in their wives. Emma’s mischievousness makes her more real than Jane Pharisaism. She has more serious faults than Emma, despite having fewer. Emma is “faultless even though she has faults”. She displays honesty after realising her mistakes which brings her together with Mr Knightley. Emma’s self-knowledge, her self-examination after every mistake and the consequences of her snobbery and misdirected mischievousness, along with Mr Knightley’s judgement are what lead her to a new morality. Emma and readers evaluate characters by Mr Knightley, who is the’moral compass’ of the book. Because Mr Knightley cares about Emma’s education and moral development, they too begin to take Emma seriously. Emma can sometimes be a turn-off because of her snobbery or vanity. But when forced to face reality, she transforms these qualities. They are the qualities that make her so interesting.
Emma is not a tragedy, but a comedy. Emma will suffer and be punished only for as long as she needs to realize her errors, both intellectually and emotionally. Austen shows how Emma, although she is a danger to the Highbury community, and also to herself in certain respects, finds her place and accepts it. Some people believe that Emma is not to be taken serious because she always turns out well. Emma’s moral failings and mistakes are shown, but they also involve human relationships and important social issues. Readers are inclined to trust Mr Knightley because he has a good reputation and is a respected person. The reader takes Emma seriously too, because Knightley is a serious person. While we may laugh at some her ridiculous plots and absurdities, we often feel a great deal of sympathy for Emma. Emma’s mistakes can have harmful consequences, so it is important to take her seriously. Her opinions and actions can’t be ignored. Emma’s less than desirable attributes are what make her so special as a heroine. By the end of the book, the readers also rejoice at the “perfect union” between Emma Knightley and herself.
