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.

Emma Volume I – Chapter II

This chapter is strictly an introductory chapter for Mr. Weston and his son Frank Churchill.  Obviously, the Churchills didn’t approve of Mr. Weston’s and Miss Churchills’ union.  The most likely reason dealt with status.  Based on my knowledge of British history from the 19th century, status played a very large role in potential unions amongst families.  Since I get the impression that Mr. Weston was not of high social status, it ultimately caused problems for him.  Since Miss Churchill died early, they did raise Mr. Weston’s son as their own, and adopted him so the family name could continue.

What is curious about this chapter comes at toward the end when the new Mrs. Weston received a “handsome” letter from Frank Churchill on how thrilled he was with his father’s choice for a second wife.  At this juncture, that indicates to me that Frank may have an ulterior motive to wanting to form a cordial relationship with his new step-mother.  Since there isn’t any evidence, at this point in the novel, that Mrs. Weston was blessed with wealth, that the only thing of value Frank could covet would be the handsome Emma.  Knowing full well that Emma is single, and at her age, could very well have many suitors available for her to choose from.  This relationship will definitely be one to keep a close eye on as it develops during the course of the novel.

Questions for Emma

For my journey through Emma, I thought it would be nice to take a look at some questions so I can definitely get more out of the book.  Since I am reading the Barnes and Noble Classics version of Emma, and it comes with some questions, I will look at addressing those for the book.  At the conclusion of Emma, I hope to answer these 5 questions:

1. 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?
2. “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?
3. At the end of the novel, do Emma and Knightley deserve each other?  Why or why not?
4. 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?
5. It is often stated that good literature bears re-reading. In what ways is this particularly true of Emma?

Emma Volume I – Chapter I

During the course of reading Emma, by Jane Austen, I will endeavor to blog about my experience and impressions of this novel.  Emma is my first foray into the world of Jane Austen.  The book opens with the following quote:

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

This introduction for Emma tells me a few things about how the book will evolve.  I get the distinct impression that up to this point in time, Emma Woodhouse has led a very trouble free life, but that all of that will change as the story evolves.  I believe that Emma is already in for drastic changes in her life because she starts talking about how much she’s going to miss her governess, the former Miss Taylor, since she recently wed Mr. Weston.

It seems to me that Miss Taylor was simply more than a governess to Emma, but a close personal friend.  Emma has already stated how she misses Mrs. Weston, and seems to inquire as to how she’s going to cope.  Emma loves her father very much, but she can’t have the same type of relationship with him.

She (Emma) dearly loved her father, but he was no companion for her.  he could not meet her in conversation, rational or playful.

The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years; and though every where beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper, his talents could not have recommended him at any time.

To me, it appears that Emma, even though at this point I don’t have a lot of knowledge of her character, will definitely miss the intellectual companionship of her departed friend, and will need to find a way to keep herself intellectually in check.  Since she is very much a social woman, she will attempt, in my opinion, to do accomplish this goal by being even more involved in the social comings and goings of Surrey and will attempt to perhaps setup another marriage.

It is also interesting to note that Mr. Knightley is also introduced very early on as a close family friend.  What I found particularly interesting was the fact that he is the only one that has the ability, or courage, to tell Emma about her faults.  The narrator made that perfectly clear, and it appears that Emma will only allow her weaknesses to be openly discussed with him.  Mr. Knightley even states to Mr. Woodhouse that he doesn’t flatter Emma.  Even though he is much older than Emma, I can tell their relationship is a very special one that I look forward to seeing fully developed.

I have found the first chapter to be a good introduction to several of the main characters.  Hopefully I will be able to see a very complex Emma, one that will fascinate me throughout the novel.  I am looking forward to seeing how the plot, and character development will play out.

On a side note, I also discovered a word in this chapter that I had never seen before, valetudinarian, being used to describe Mr. Woodhouse.  According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary:

Noun:  a person of a weak or sickly constitution; especially : one whose chief concern is his or her ill health
Adjective:  of, relating to, or characteristic of a valetudinarian : sickly, weak

Now that I understand the definition of valetudinarian, it will be interesting to see how Mr. Woodhouse’s physical condition affects Emma in her social life, and any future decisions she makes.  I also wonder if Mr. Woodhouse has some sort of physical ailment, or sickness that will affect Emma.  It will be interesting to see how that relationship evolves during the story.

Starting Emma by Jane Austen

As part of my summer reading list, I have decided to include Jane Austen’s Emma.  I will be reading the Barnes and Noble Classics version of the novel.

Here is what the back cover of the book states:

Emma Woodhouse is a wealthy, exquisite, and thoroughly self-deluded young woman who has “lived in the world with very little to distress or vex her.”

Jane Austen exercises her taste for cutting social observation and her talent for investing seemingly trivial events with profound moral significance as Emma traveres a gentle satire of provincial balls and drawing rooms, along the way encountering the sweet Harriet Smith, the chatty and tedious Miss Bates, and her absurd father Mr. Woodhouse – a memorable gallery of Austen’s finest personages.  Thinking herself impervious to romance of any kind, Emma tries to arrange a wealthy marriage for poor Harriet, but refuses to recognize her own feelings for the gallant Mr. Knightley.  What ensues is a delightful series of scheming escapades in which every social machination and bit of “tittle-tattle” is steeped in Austen’s delicious irony.  Ultimately, Emma discovers that “Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common.”  Emma is Jane Austen’s most cleverly woven, riotously comedic, and pleasing novel of manners.

So it begs the question:  “Why would I read Emma?”  That can be answered in a couple of different ways.  To begin with, my wife and I watched the movie from Netflix with Gwyneth Paltrow, and I enjoyed it.  Secondly, I have never attempted to read a Jane Austen book before.  Thirdly, my wife really enjoys her works, and I thought I would take a crack at it and see what she finds so awesomely entertaining about them.

During my journey with Emma, I will blog about what I’ve been reading and give my impressions as I make my way through the book.  I sincerely hope it’s going to be a great journey and an excellent choice for my summer 2009 reading list.

What Happened To The Concept of Personal Responsibility?

I’m a big fan of the concept of personal responsibility.  If I make poor decisions, I expect to be responsible enough to handle the consequences without the prospect of being insulated from them.  The recent string of government bailouts has convinced me that the government is not willing to allow anyone to fail or suffer from poor decisions, particularly in the business world.

But today, I’m not focusing on corporate responsibility, but that of personal responsibility, so I would like to concentrate on the home mortgage issue.  When the whole sub-prime mortgage mess blew up, I couldn’t help but ask myself the following questions:

1. Why would banks approve lending such risky loans to obviously risky individuals?
2. Why would people take out mortgages they clearly could not afford?

Banks share responsibility for this mess as much as those individuals who took out these mortgages.  I don’t understand why banks would even approve risky loans to risky people.  I also don’t understand why people would assume mortgage payments that they couldn’t afford.  And then, when a crisis emerges because of these terrible loans, banks and individuals expect to be bailed out for their poor decisions, and homeowners are encouraged to not leave their homes, even though they are delinquent on payments.

In this case, when individuals clearly have made poor financial decisions, why should the government be responsible for fixing their problems?  Why can’t they accept the consequences of making a poor decision?  Same thing with the banks, as they share equal blame here in my opinion.  Why, why, why, issue risky loans to risky borrowers?  It does not make sense to me.  And then to have the government provide the banks TARP money to avoid bank failures?  Now do I think that those who bank with these troubled institutions, that have met all their financial obligations, should lose their money because their bank didn’t make sound financial and business decisions, no!  However, I do feel that if banks make poor decisions that they should be allowed to fail.  As much as I think those who bought homes they couldn’t afford should not receive assistance from the government.

Plus, is it such a foreign concept to pay more for something than you can afford, especially when you’re talking about a large investment such as a home?  If I can only afford $1,000 a month for a mortgage, I’m not going to get a mortgage for $1,400 a month.  Why?  Because I won’t be living there for very long and I would expect to lose my home because I don’t make enough to satisfy the financial obligation.

But the government doesn’t believe in that.  They believe that people should not be held accountable for their poor decisions, that the government should serve as a safety net.  With that being said, my largest fear, going forward, is that everyone is going to feel entitled to government assistance no matter how much they fail.  Being responsible for one’s actions is what makes us adults.  I feel that with continued government bailouts, we are saying that the government won’t let you fail and learn from your mistakes, because you have a safety net, so let’s encourage poor decision making.

It frightens me so much that the government won’t allow people to be responsible for their actions and that it’s ok to be dependent on the government to bail out people.  It’s a scary precedent because the direction our country is moving is complete dependence on the government to solve all our problems, and that will result in big brother being involved in all our daily decisions because WE CAN’T BE TRUSTED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.