Emma
The novel begins with Emma Woodhouse's distress that her governess has just married a Mr. Weston, leaving her alone with little company. Emma is a young woman, just over twenty years old, and beautiful and smart, and is not particularly pleased that she will have only her father for company now. Her father, a silly old hypochondriac, is not pleased at the loss either. Mr. Knightley, Emma's brother-in-law (her sister Isabella is married to his younger brother, Robert Knightley), comes to console the two.
Emma thinks that she was responsible for the match between the Westons, and begins to take up matchmaking in earnest. Because she is rich and content to live at home, she believes that she will never marry. She thinks that she does not need the companionship-- that she will never meet the man to suit her. Emma meets Harriet Smith, a girl a few years younger who, by all appearances, is an illegitimate child left at a boarding school. Harriet is simple and rather vapid, but pretty and good-tempered, and Emma is quite taken with her. She decides to groom her to be able to move about and marry in the upper classes. Emma even chooses a husband for Harriet, the handsome and well-spoken Mr. Elton, the young pastor that lives nearby. Harriet is being wooed by Robert Martin, a farmer, but Emma helps to break that relationship off almost immediately. Mr. Knightley, who likes Robert Martin, is angry at Emma for this.
I don't like Emma much-- she's always seemed nasty and selfish to me. She's also, for all of her claims to be an astute observer of human behavior, a little thick-headed at times. Emma doesn't realize that Mr. Elton means to court her, as she tries to set up the courtship between him and Harriet Smith. When she sketches a portrait of Harriet, Emma believes that Mr. Elton admires Harriet's beauty, but he actually just admires Emma's talent (or variation thereof). Harriet and Emma assemble a book of riddles. Mr. Elton composes a riddle about courtship, which Emma easily solves. She doesn't, however, realize that the riddle is intended for her, not Harriet. After a dinner party at Christmas, Mr. Elton corners Emma alone in a carriage and declares his love for her. Emma is shocked and tells him that she thought that he was pursuing Harriet. Mr. Elton, perhaps understandably, is also shocked. He has, indeed, been PERFECTLY OBVIOUS in his pursuit of Emma rather than Harriet. He cannot understand Emma's disregard of his class. He would never pursue a penniless, probably illegitimate unknown.
Mr. Elton takes off for Bath and woos a vulgar but rich young woman there, marries her, and eventually brings her home. In the country, Emma has met Frank Churchill, the son of Mr. Weston and his deceased first wife. Frank was raised by the Churchills, relations of Mr. Weston's, because of their wealth and security. While Frank was growing up, Mr. Weston amassed his fortune. Frank is a dandified young man, perhaps a trifle scandalous, but not like Willoughby or Wickham. He is handsome, smart, and gossipy: a perfect match for Emma. He starts paying her respects to her. Jane Fairfax, the beautiful and accomplished niece of Emma's silly cousin, Miss Bates, comes to visit her aunt. This becomes a pretty complicated love triangle. Jane and Frank are engaged, but no one else knows. Emma believes that Frank is interested in her, but he is using her to mask his real engagement. Emma dislikes Jane Fairfax, for, what seems to me, the most petty and catty reasons. She thinks that Jane is too cool and distant, but the impression I get is more that she resents the presence of another beautiful, accomplished, intelligent woman, and is annoyed that Jane seems more refined than she. Emma also thinks that Jane is running from an adulterous relationship she had brewing back home.
Frank receives news that his aunt (or adopted mother, more like) is sick and goes to visit her. He tells Emma that he needs to speak to her, but he doesn't. Emma thinks that he wants to propose. She tries to decide how she feels about that. She also thinks that Mr. Knightley is interested in Jane, and gets jealous, but believes that there are other reasons that Knightley should not pursue Jane. Of course, Harriet is still on the sidelines: she should be married to Robert Martin, of course, but has been prevented from doing so by Emma. Elton has married and hurt Harriet's feelings. One day, Harriet is walking alone and is threatened by some gypsies, from whom Frank saves her. Emma thinks that the two must be falling in love, but Harriet aludes to her growing love for none other than Mr. Knightley. The group of people go on summer outings, and when Emma sees Harriet and Mr. Knightley walking alone during a strawberry party, her suspicions seems confirmed. During a picnic, Emma and Frank make fun of Miss Bates, hurting her feelings. Mr. Knightley chastises Emma for her cruelty and Emma cries on the way home.
But all is happy in the end.
Frank inherits his money and reveals his engagement to Jane Fairfax. Harriet tells Emma that she loves Mr. Knightley, which makes Emma realize that she loves Mr. Knightley (seriously, I hate you, Emma). Emma despairs, thinking that Harriet's beauty and goodness will win Knightley over, but then Knightley tells her that Robert Martin has proposed again and Harriet has accepted him. Emma rejoices. Knightley proposes to Emma and she accepts him, and everyone gets married.
Emma thinks that she was responsible for the match between the Westons, and begins to take up matchmaking in earnest. Because she is rich and content to live at home, she believes that she will never marry. She thinks that she does not need the companionship-- that she will never meet the man to suit her. Emma meets Harriet Smith, a girl a few years younger who, by all appearances, is an illegitimate child left at a boarding school. Harriet is simple and rather vapid, but pretty and good-tempered, and Emma is quite taken with her. She decides to groom her to be able to move about and marry in the upper classes. Emma even chooses a husband for Harriet, the handsome and well-spoken Mr. Elton, the young pastor that lives nearby. Harriet is being wooed by Robert Martin, a farmer, but Emma helps to break that relationship off almost immediately. Mr. Knightley, who likes Robert Martin, is angry at Emma for this.
I don't like Emma much-- she's always seemed nasty and selfish to me. She's also, for all of her claims to be an astute observer of human behavior, a little thick-headed at times. Emma doesn't realize that Mr. Elton means to court her, as she tries to set up the courtship between him and Harriet Smith. When she sketches a portrait of Harriet, Emma believes that Mr. Elton admires Harriet's beauty, but he actually just admires Emma's talent (or variation thereof). Harriet and Emma assemble a book of riddles. Mr. Elton composes a riddle about courtship, which Emma easily solves. She doesn't, however, realize that the riddle is intended for her, not Harriet. After a dinner party at Christmas, Mr. Elton corners Emma alone in a carriage and declares his love for her. Emma is shocked and tells him that she thought that he was pursuing Harriet. Mr. Elton, perhaps understandably, is also shocked. He has, indeed, been PERFECTLY OBVIOUS in his pursuit of Emma rather than Harriet. He cannot understand Emma's disregard of his class. He would never pursue a penniless, probably illegitimate unknown.
Mr. Elton takes off for Bath and woos a vulgar but rich young woman there, marries her, and eventually brings her home. In the country, Emma has met Frank Churchill, the son of Mr. Weston and his deceased first wife. Frank was raised by the Churchills, relations of Mr. Weston's, because of their wealth and security. While Frank was growing up, Mr. Weston amassed his fortune. Frank is a dandified young man, perhaps a trifle scandalous, but not like Willoughby or Wickham. He is handsome, smart, and gossipy: a perfect match for Emma. He starts paying her respects to her. Jane Fairfax, the beautiful and accomplished niece of Emma's silly cousin, Miss Bates, comes to visit her aunt. This becomes a pretty complicated love triangle. Jane and Frank are engaged, but no one else knows. Emma believes that Frank is interested in her, but he is using her to mask his real engagement. Emma dislikes Jane Fairfax, for, what seems to me, the most petty and catty reasons. She thinks that Jane is too cool and distant, but the impression I get is more that she resents the presence of another beautiful, accomplished, intelligent woman, and is annoyed that Jane seems more refined than she. Emma also thinks that Jane is running from an adulterous relationship she had brewing back home.
Frank receives news that his aunt (or adopted mother, more like) is sick and goes to visit her. He tells Emma that he needs to speak to her, but he doesn't. Emma thinks that he wants to propose. She tries to decide how she feels about that. She also thinks that Mr. Knightley is interested in Jane, and gets jealous, but believes that there are other reasons that Knightley should not pursue Jane. Of course, Harriet is still on the sidelines: she should be married to Robert Martin, of course, but has been prevented from doing so by Emma. Elton has married and hurt Harriet's feelings. One day, Harriet is walking alone and is threatened by some gypsies, from whom Frank saves her. Emma thinks that the two must be falling in love, but Harriet aludes to her growing love for none other than Mr. Knightley. The group of people go on summer outings, and when Emma sees Harriet and Mr. Knightley walking alone during a strawberry party, her suspicions seems confirmed. During a picnic, Emma and Frank make fun of Miss Bates, hurting her feelings. Mr. Knightley chastises Emma for her cruelty and Emma cries on the way home.
But all is happy in the end.
Frank inherits his money and reveals his engagement to Jane Fairfax. Harriet tells Emma that she loves Mr. Knightley, which makes Emma realize that she loves Mr. Knightley (seriously, I hate you, Emma). Emma despairs, thinking that Harriet's beauty and goodness will win Knightley over, but then Knightley tells her that Robert Martin has proposed again and Harriet has accepted him. Emma rejoices. Knightley proposes to Emma and she accepts him, and everyone gets married.
posted by Joey at 5:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home