Discuss Emma from Jane Austen s’ ‘Emma’ Essay

Emma is a well know novel written by Jane Austen, it’s based on the woman`s status at that time period and on the concept of the Augustan era. Jane Austen wrote Emma in the time period of when she grew up, It Took Jane Austen 15 Months to Write Emma. This Novel helps us understand the status of a woman at that time when women weren’t allowed to vote, wasn`t entitled to substandard education and were limited to housework. Jane Austen is trying to explain to us that in those days women had two choices to get married or to become a governess, and by understanding the way society was at the time, it will help us appreciate Emma. Jane Austen only wrote 6 novels and 5 of them are based on young women whose chances of marriage were very dependent on their status in society. However, Emma was different; she was her own woman who didn’t see the need in having to marry. The Character of Emma â€Å"with an alacrity beyond the common impulse of a spirit†¦ with the real good-will of a mind delighted with its own ideas† (Chapter 3, Page 15) was different from other women at that time, Jane Fairfax & Harriet Smith Play a big part in The noel, they are used manipulatively as clever devices to show that Emma`s ideas were not only based on reality but her own ideas that she decided herself. Jane Austen makes it clear to us from beginning of the novel that Emma is not a character that compiles with the flaws of her century. Emma is Strong-witted and can be very arrogant towards other people, she is also patronizing and presumptuous. She isn’t a typical woman of her status at her time as women`s lives were very quite controlled and restricted at the time of Jane Austen. The Novel Emma gives us the insight on Jane Austen`s Feelings and point of view on women living in that era. It Changes Emma from being a typical young woman of her time to her own woman who makes her own decisions and isn’t worried about the consequences. Although these flaws make Emma unique and independent and can be praised, they can also be criticized â€Å"Was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the only one who ever told her of them, and tough this was not particularly agreeable to Emma† (Page 5) Emma seems very strong-witted, confident and proud of herself and doesn’t like to be criticized unlike most of the other woman of her time. Out of all Jane Austen’s Heroines, Emma is the most flawed and frustrating but in the end is the most endearing. As a character Emma matures towards the end and realises the folly and misguidance of her actions towards other people. At the beginning of the novel Emma Likes To Think Of Herself as independent and doesn’t want to marry this could be because she`s comfortable with her status in society. We are made to think that Emma is a selfish young woman who is proud of herself and feels no need to marry. Later on in the novel we begin to realize that Emma`s match-making and interfering is causing no good and Emma Realizes this too. She then comes to realize her feelings for Mr. Knightly and starts to see the possibility that she needs to marry. There`s a lot of irony in Emma`s beliefs as she is the centre of everyone`s attention and interferes in other peoples relationships so much that she doesn’t realize her feelings for Mr. Knightly. Mr. Knightly is the only person in the whole novel that criticizes Emma other characters don’t really talk much about Emma except chapter 5 were Mr. Knightly and Mrs. Weston Discuss Emma. Emma thinks of herself completely different what others think of her, this also makes the novel more ironic. Emma thinks so highly of herself she doesn’t take any notice of what others might think this is a very cleaver device that Jane Austen uses. Emma and Harriet become friends so Emma tries to fins Harriet a husband that she thinks will be suitable. Emma doesn’t take any notice that Harriet if from a different class to her and looks for a husband for Harriet of her own class. Emma also carelessly starts a rumour about Jane Fairfax whilst flirting with Frank Churchill. However, Emma doesn’t do this on purpose and towards the end of the play Jane Austen shows us that Emma learns from her mistakes. Emma has many weaknesses and one of them just as Mr. Knightly had predicted â€Å"She will never submit to anything requiring industry and patience and a subjection of the fancy to the understanding† (Volume 1, Chapter 5). Emma is the cleverest in her family and is idolized by a lot of Highbury, this may be why she is so confident and convinced that she`s always right. Emma always seems to see the need to reshape things to suit herself this shows that Emma`s imagination has too much impact on her actions. Jane Austen makes it clear to us that Emma has a lot of imagination and this causes a lot of problems. Mr. Knightly states that imagination is nonsense; this is ironic as it opposes â€Å"sense† against â€Å"imagination† Jane Austen lets poetic justice take place in the novel towards the disclosure at the end, as this shows the procedure Emma needs to go through and the developments that need to be made in order to get the ‘perfect ending’. There were quite a few times in the novel when Jane Austen made Emma go through emotional and frustrating situations, which had been caused by herself, in these situations Emma, had to look back on her actions and be remorseful. Jane Austen shows us that the greatest threat to achieving happiness is ourselves. Towards the ending of the novel, there are quite a few examples when Emma has to me sorry for her actions. Mr. Knightly rebukes Emma for her bad-mannered conduct towards Miss Bates and Box Hill, He says, â€Å"I will tell you truths while I can†, she was â€Å"vexed beyond what could have been expressed,† and then she weeps. â€Å"Emma felt the tears running down her cheeks almost all the way home, without being at any trouble to check them, extraordinary as they were† (Page 376)Because Emma is crying this shows that she is starting to realize her mistakes and that she is feeling pain. It is only when something bad happens when Emma reacts to her bad actions, and when she realizes that she may lose Mr. Knightly she changes â€Å"†¦My blindness to what was going on, led me to act in a way that I must always be ashamed of, and I was very foolishly tempted to say and do many things which may well lay me open to unpleasant conjectures†. This shows that Emma feels embarrassed and humiliated and realizes her faults and mistakes and tries to fix them. We begin to see that Emma is slowly changing from being strong-witted, proud of herself, patronizing and confident to a more compassionate and honest character. Jane Austen has Emma go on an emotional rollercoaster towards the ending to create the ‘perfect happiness’ through poetic justice. In the end Emma is rewarded with the ‘perfect happiness’ and not the punishment she is afraid to get. We admire Emma as a character because of her flaws at the beginning and how they were changing throughout the novel, towards the end of the play she realizes her faults and mistakes and tries to fix them and changes her ways. Towards the ending we begin to see the more compassionate and honest side of Emma that wants to help people rather than the patronizing and self absorbed Emma she was in the beginning. This helps us appreciate Emma and lets us see that she has learnt from her mistakes and that she is maturing. Emma isn’t a typical woman of her time and tha`s why we love her because of her imperfections and her mistakes and the way she is able to turn things around to get her ‘perfect happiness’ that she has being searching for.