Emma Question 5 Answer and Final Thoughts

These are my thoughts on the fifth, and final, question I wished to explore when reading Emma:

It is often stated that good literature bears re-reading. In what ways is this particularly true of Emma?

To begin with, the descriptions of each social situation could have many different meanings, from many different points of view.  That is a main reason why this book should probably be read more than once in order to grasp the full meaning of the social aspects of this novel.

The same could be said of much of the dialogue of this novel.  It could be taken many different ways, that a second, or maybe even a third reading may be required.  It is even stated in the introduction to the novel that readers pick up something new with each reading of the novel, and I truly believe this to be the case.  I’m confident, that if I were to tackle this novel again, there are many other points that I missed  that I would pick up again.  Perhaps, one day,  I will return to Emma to discover new concepts that I missed in my first reading.

My final thoughts are, that this novel was definitely worth the time.  I had never tackled Jane Austen before, and I think Emma was a good introduction for me to the world of Jane Austen.

Emma Question 4 Answer

These are my thoughts on the fourth question I wished to look at from reading Emma:

Even Jane Austen’s most devoted fans agree that she does not deal with extreme passions, heroic tragedies, or world historical events.  What is it in her work that can appeal to street tough guys, jaded sophisticates, and over-educated academics?

This novel can appeal to street tough guys by showing that women in Emma are tough, and can handle a heck of a lot, injury, being jilted by men, etc.  It also shows how tough of a world, at least in the social arena, that Jane Austen’s world, culturally was.  It’s clear that both men and women needed to have thick skins in order to survive socially.

For jaded sophisticates, this novel shows that English high society keeps things fresh and upbeat.  You never know what can happen in Emma’s world from one day to the next.  It will keep those jaded sophisticates interested with the day-to-day activities.  From the secret engagement of Miss Fairfax and Mr. Churchill, and Emma’s daily activities.

For over-educated academics, this novel can appeal to people because it is displays so many aspects of culture that causes you to scratch your head.  From all the talking about parties, and the social norms, there is enough symbolically to keep one guessing.

It is amazing to me at how many different levels, this novel can be attractive to many different types of people, and how anyone could be pulled into the world of Emma.  This novel clearly demonstrates how it has stood the test of time and is enjoyed by many different types of readers.

Emma Question 3 Answer

These are my thoughts on the third question I wished to look at for my trip through Emma:

At the end of the novel, do Emma and Knightley deserve each other?  Why or why not?

Sure Emma and Knightley deserve each other.  Mr. Knightley deserves Emma because he is the only man who would be able to put up with all her character flaws.  He clearly has no problem pointing out her poor behavior, and Emma only allows Mr. Knightley to get away with those comments.  Mr. Knightley is also the only man willing to move into Emma and Mr. Woodhouse’s home and deal with Mr. Woodhouse and his rapid rise into old age, and his ever decreasing amount of patience.

Emma deserves Mr. Knightley because he is the only one that accepts her for who she truly is, flaws included.  This acceptance allows her to be herself at all times, without any fear of being ostracized.  As mentioned previously, Mr. Knightley is also amenable to accommodating Emma’s persistence in remaining in her father’s home so she can continue to care for her father.  She has also always looked up to Mr. Knightley, and respects him terribly.

They make a perfect match as they clearly understand each others’ points of view, and share a common vision of how their lives going forward should be.

Emma Question 2 Answer

Here are my thoughts on the second question I wish to address about Emma:

“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other,” says Emma.  Do gender differences constitute an important theme in Emma?  Beyond individual differences in personality among the characters, how do men and women differ in Emma?

Yes, I believe that gender differences do constitute and important theme in Emma.  To begin with, I would like to address this question from a social status point of view.  I get the distinct impression that women, in the world of Emma, view marriage more of a social status, than men do.  I believe this fact because Emma was looking for matches that would improve the social status of her circle.  Whether it was matching her nanny, the new Mrs. Weston, or Harriet to Mr. Elton, she was trying to improve their social statuses.

Men, on the other hand, and Mr. Elton exhibits this trait best, are looking for a woman who will increase their wealth.  Wealth is a very strong social aspect in Jane Austen’s world.  The more money and property men have, the better they are perceived, unlike with women, as I discussed in the previous paragraph.  Men also seem to be looking more long-term in Emma than the women are, between their business interests and their social activities.  The women seem to be looking for the short-term, and how certain activities may improve their standing with potential suitors.

Current day English society is clearly on display in Austen’s Emma, any reader, including myself, can clearly see how culture, and social interactions played a significant role in daily life, and it is so fascinating to me that this culture is something that I cannot experience today.  How fascinating it would’ve been to see this type of society in action!

Emma Question 1 Answer

I finished reading Emma on the plane ride to Paris earlier this month, and I will now be answering the questions that I wished to look at when I began reading Austen’s Emma.  The first question is:

Speaking of Emma, Jane Austen said “I am going to take a heroine whom nobody but myself will like much.”  What would you say is likeable and what is hard to like about the character Emma?

What I found to be likeable about Emma is the fact at how she tries to pleases people.  She tries to match make to see that her closest friends are happy.  She also wants to help people in other ways, and she demonstrates this trait when she meets Harriet and takes her under her wing to in order to introduce her into a higher class of society.  Later on though, as I will discuss, there were ulterior motives in this particular case.

Another significant thing I found likeable about Emma is how much she cares for her family, in particular her father.  She dotes on him and ensures that he isn’t placed in any situations that will cause him any discomfort.  She cares for him so much, that that’s part of the reason why she doesn’t foresee herself ever settling down and getting married.

Emma clearly demonstrating how much better her social status is than those “beneath” her is something that I really dislike about Emma.  She clearly demonstrates this trait in regard to Mr. Martin.  Emma clearly states to Harriet, early on in the novel, how if she were to marry Mr. Martin, Emma wouldn’t be able to visit with her anymore, because Mr. Martin was in such a lower social class than herself.  She wouldn’t be able to be seen in public with someone “perceived” to be beneath her, it would harm her reputation.

Another thing I dislike about Emma is how full of herself she actually is.  I could tell, very early on, that her judgment is clouded by her perception of her world, and that she believes she perceives things differently than anyone else.  This trait is shown when she tries to match Mr. Elton and Harriet.  Emma could not see that Mr. Elton was interested in her, but kept on pushing a match with Harriet.  Her ultimate goal clouded her judgment and didn’t allow her to see other alternatives.

Overall, I liked the character of Emma, and feel, that with a bit more maturing, and life experience, would improve herself to be a wonderful person, and someone I personally wouldn’t mind being friends with, if I happened to meet someone like her.