EMMA

CONCEPTS

FATHERS & LOVERS

 Role of Mr Knightley – Emma became less powerful in marrying him.

 Paternal function of men – but could also be seen as Emma in this role for Harriet.
 Emma yearning for Mr Knightley as he is a paternal figure – link to idea of father and protection and
guidance – highly patriarchal society.
 Emma mocks the patriarchal idea of marriage and exposes it when she tells Mr Knightley that Harriet
would be the perfect wife as she is beautiful, submissive, inferior intellect, seeks to please, willing to be
shaped/changed
o Irony/satirical comment here by Austen to challenge/critique the values of society where
women are seemingly valued for these types of traits.
o Consider effect on Regency responders + contemporary responders to this.

WOMEN & PROTOFEMINISM

 Men of low status e.g. Mr Martin – but always women who were lower.
o Martin was still able to provide – juxtapose with Miss Taylor who had to live with the
Woodhouse family until she was able to marry someone who was able to provide.
o Mr Elton – still able to afford some choice in terms of who he marries but Jane Fairfax had no
choice in the matter.
 Within high society – Emma shows that male dominance is upheld but women of that same class can
sometimes subvert this through choice think of link here between gender and social status contrast
with women of lower class e.g. Miss Bates.
o Choice of marriage is closely linked with financial stability.
 Knightley = moral compass, although there are instances where he confines to social conventions in
terms of age & gender.
o "I have still the advantage of you by sixteen years' experience, and by not being a pretty young
woman and a spoiled child.”

MANNERS, MOBILITY, CLASS AND CONNECTION

 Manners can be learnt but also can be lacking.

 Social mobility – moving of upper and lower classes through the gaining of manners – lower classes
gaining manners to appear as the higher classes e.g. Coles attempting to ‘rise above’ their class.
 Higher social classes were desired + people wanted to escape their ‘lot’ were they could.
 Emma as a character didn’t like this social mobility – indicative of broader thoughts in society at the
time – snobbery i.e. rank + class.
o Impact in text – Coles  responders empathise.
o Why? Nice people e.g. attitude toward Mr. Woodhouse + they can’t even play the piano they
bought – satirical.
 False manners – if they are not sincere they should not hold any merit in society – seen through the
characterisation of Mr. Elton  responders dislike him – Austen’s purpose of having him embody these
vapid values + thus prompting critique.
 Anomalies in the text:
o Mr Martin (lower class + kind), Mr Knightley (upper class + kind)
AIDING IMPOVERISHED GENTLEWOMEN: POWER AND CLASS IN EMMA

 Miss Bates, Jane Fairfax – impoverished women, Austen encourages the responder to condemn Emma’s
behaviour towards them.
 Transformation of Emma – speaks to many audiences; irrespective of context – Particularly relevant to
Austen’s audience though, as it is the dislike for Emma’s values that responders would feel which, along
with her eventual transformation, would encourage them to rethink their own views  Realism +
Satire
 Emma ignores moral obligation to be kind to those of lower classes – particularly evident at Box Hill.
o Effect: makes audience critique this – reinforced through juxtaposition between her
characterisation and Mr Knightley’s and encourages people to strive for the values he espouses.

THE LABOR OF THE LEISURED IN EMMA

 Marriages at end of the text:

o Reinforcing social codes – patriarchal values.
o Love trumping social class – positive.
 E.g. Harriet’s growth – juxtaposition between early chapters and Emma’s disdain for Mr.
Martin and Harriet’s acceptance of this  challenged through Mr. Knightley’s view of
Mr. Martin + Harriet’s marriage to him – responders feel happy about this therefore
encouraging marriage for love and not to be aligned to social stratification.
 Social class is reinforced through the marriages – like marries like e.g. Harriet + Martin  Emma +
Knightley.
 Frank Churchill – rude to Mr. Woodhouse  his behaviour prompts Emma and therefore responders
judge/critique his ‘manners’.
 Society values ‘rules’  satire and parody – seen to be quite funny and prompts question on these e.g.
rules for dances + proper manners  realism (picnics, dances, marriage).

HOW DID EMMA CHANGE THE FACE OF FICTION?

 Revolutionary – Austen allows responders to share in the thoughts of the characters to get an
understanding of the issues they face  through free indirect discourse.
 Different to other novels of the time which allowed responders to ‘escape’ e.g. the gothic novel – this
was different in that it was grounded in the day to day and forced readers to confront their own reality
 through realism.
 Protagonist is a dominant woman – self-assured and confident, providing a point of difference to the
characters is literature at this time, challenging patriarchal values?  through characterisation.
 Text that has universal appeal, varied critical reception to it at the time, a text which is now valued 
through exploration of universal themes e.g. gossip and judgement.
 Austen concerns herself with the moral development of characters, which was quite a new focus 
through satirical style, and exploration of the growth and development of Emma’s character, contrast
between the beginning, middle and end of Emma’s character arc, characterisation of Mr. Knightley and
his ‘moral advice’.
 Multi-faceted characters, not just ‘good’ or ‘evil’ characters – complex like life itself and human nature.
More relatable – easier for the messages to be conveyed.
 ‘Show not tell’ style – allows readers to develop various opinions about the characters and events
during the novel.

GENDER POLITICS
1. Emma Woodhouse’s and Mr Knightley’s marriage is a uniting of social and economic equals, a defiance
of social constraints. The equality between Emma and Knightley in their relationship allows Emma to
maintain a certain degree of independence and power in comparison to the relationships that Jane and
Harriet end up in.
 2. Jane Fairfax’s and Frank Churchill’s marriage → reflective of upward social mobility.
3. Harriet Smith’s and Robert Martin’s marriage → her attempts at upward mobility are unsuccessful as
she ultimately marries a man of her own social class.

CHARACTERISATION OF EMMA

 Responders don’t pity Emma – contradictory to the usual gothic heroine.

 Austen’s use of realism allows responders to relate to Emma – she has good intentions but executes
them poorly.
 Jane Austen wants her audience to dislike Emma in the beginning of the novel as it encourages them to
dislike her values e.g. class.
 Austen creates Emma to be relatable – something which can transcend time – aspects of Emma are in
many people irrespective of context (fallible) – exposes her failings – makes her someone that people
can empathise with
o The positive change/growth encourages audiences to mirror this.
 Complexity of a character – they don’t have to be just ‘good’ or ‘bad’  Emma has been influenced by
her context, a product of her time.
o Her positive traits once could say are linked to the influence of Knightley whilst it could be
argued that some of her less favourable qualities are a result of the society within which she
found herself.
o Not just a one dimensional character – reinforced by her positive growth.
 Multi-faceted aspects of her character makes her someone who intrigues readers, irrespective of
context.
o Prompts question, debate, likeability, dislike etc. Not someone who ‘has to belong’ to only the
Regency society.
 A reaction against the ‘perfect woman’ as depicted in the Gothic novels of her time – moving away from
‘tropes’ of literature which existed in her society where the woman was depicted as a femme fatale,
needing the protection and support of a man and who fit into a ‘neat mould’.
o Challenging conventions of existing literature and allowing this to be a ‘substantial’ text.
 Audience sees themselves in Emma – like parts of her but also the idea of the guilty pleasures of seeing
their own inadequacies and failings in Emma and perhaps thus realising the need for their own
transformation of sorts.
 Emma subverts reader preference – does not conform to archetypical characters of the time e.g. ‘damsel
in distress’.

REALISM

 Working out their own moral problems and dilemmas through the activities of others.
 The ordinary morality of life is weaved throughout the novel.
 Strips away the improbability – concentrated on the ordinary people.
 Very little plot elements – realistic plotlines mirroring the ordinary activities of everyday life.
o Revolutionary style for the time – ambitious
 Her novels are not a string of adventures – the adventures take place inside the space of the heroines
mind rather than in the plot.
 Her novels don’t provide an escape from society.
 Introduction of conversation into the novel – realistic exchanges between people.
o E.g. interrupting each other, mimicking one another, stumbling over words
o Brings a natural, relatable element to the novel.
 People could see people that they knew within her characters.
QUOTES

QUOTE ANALYSIS/EFFECT
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
“The acquaintance she had formed were unworthy of her. The  Fragmented Sentence
friends from whom she had just parted, though very good sort of  “though very good sorts of people’
people, must be doing her harm, They were a family of the name – interrupting herself  good
of Martin… - she knew Mr. Knightley thought highly of them – people is a secondary thought and
but they must be coarse and unpolished, and very unfit to be the thus of secondary importance to
intimates of [Harriet].” Emma.
 Modality of
unworthy/must/harm/unfit 
highlights social status as
paramount to Emma.
 The hyphen demonstrates
Emma’s dismissal of Knightley’s
opinion.
 Commenting on class
division/social hierarchy  how
the upper class views the lower
class.
 Encouraging audience to critique
Emma’s value of status over
character.
 Juxtaposition of Emma &
Knightley.
“The Coles were very respectable in their way, but they ought to  Assonance – “ought to be taught”.
be taught that it was not for them to arrange the terms on which  Highlights Emma’s value of social
the superior families would visit them. This lesson, she very status over character – glazes
much feared, they would receive only from herself.” over them being ‘respectable’.
 Arrogant tone – she feels as
though only she can teach them
this lesson.
GENDER
“It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should  Indicative of the social
ever refuse an offer of marriage.” conventions of marriage during
Austen’s time  controlled by
males.
 Expectation/normality of desire
to marry.
 Modality of ‘always
incomprehensible’ highlighting
Emma’s frustration with the
gender constraints.
“Upon my word, Emma, to hear you abusing the reason you have,  Women are encouraged to be
is almost enough to make me think so too. Better be without ignorant/unaware.
sense, than misapply as you do.”  Encouraged to play a complacent
Juxtaposed With: role in society.
 Irony of the juxtaposition  don’t
“Men of sense, whatever you may chuse to say, do not want silly want women to play an active role
wives.” in society but don’t want ‘silly’
wives.
“He was so much displeased, that it was longer than usual before 
he came to Hartfield again; and when they did meet, his grave
looks shewed that she was not forgiven. She was sorry, but
could not repent.”
“As far as good intentions went, we were both right and I must  Sense of equality between Emma
say that no effects on my side of the argument have yet proved & Knightley  challenging the
wrong.” status quo.
“Why was it so much worse that Harriet should be in love with  Emma’s realisation of love for Mr
Mr. Knightley than with Frank Churchill? Why was the evil so Knightley.
dreadfully increased by Harriet’s having some hope of a return?  Highlights the expectation of
It darted through her with the speed of an arrow that Mr. marriage yet subverts the context
Knightley must marry no one but herself!” in terms of marrying for love
rather than for financial security
or status.
 ‘The speed of an arrow’ – simile
 Rhetorical questions &
exclamation points – allows the
responder to follow the emotional
realisation Emma is undergoing.
EMMA’S GROWTH & TRANSFORMATION
“She had been often remiss, her conscience told her so; remiss,  Free indirect discourse – shows
perhaps, more in thought than fact; scornful, ungracious. But it the reader her development.
should be so no more. In the warmth of true contrition, she  Reflection leads to resolution –
would call upon her the very next morning, and it should be the indicative in the first quote with
beginning, on her side, of a regular, equal, kindly intercourse” the shift in attitude/tense.
 Repetition of remiss – showing
her growing self-awareness and
the fact that she is no longer
shifting blame.
 ‘Equal, kindly intercourse’ – wants
to try and establish a sense of
equality even though there is a
clear division between the social
groups.
 Accumulation of language to show
the flaws of her behaviour –
‘remiss, scornful, ungracious’
juxtaposed with ‘regular, equal,
kindly’.
 Truncated sentence – “But it
should be so no more” – structure
– Box Hill served as a turning
point for Emma – truncated
sentence demonstrating her
almost resolute decision to move
forward and solidifying her
growing self-awareness.
“With insufferable vanity had she believed herself in the secret  “Insufferable vanity “ – word
of everybody’s feelings; with unpardonable arrogance proposed choice here – sense of disdain –
to arrange everybody’s destiny. She was proved to have been reflective tone indicative of here
universally mistaken; and she had not quite done nothing–for flaws and her new, more
she had done mischief.” enlightened mindset upon
realizing her folly.
““The real evils indeed of Emma’s situation were the power of  Foreshadows the novel’s structure
having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think as a whole.
too well of herself”  The narrator’s commentary on
Emma seems merely part of a
standard character introduction.
“The first error, and the worst, lay at her door. It was foolish, it  ‘Lay at her door’  metaphor.
was wrong, to take so active a part in bringing any two people  This moment signifies a moment
together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making of realisation for Emma – that she
light of what ought to be serious—a trick of what ought to be is fallible.
simple. She was quite concerned and ashamed, and resolved to  She comes to this realisation of
do such things no more.” her own accord rather than the
issue with Miss Bates in which she
is scolded by Mr Knightley.
“She felt it at her heart. How could she have been so brutal, so  Free indirect discourse – allows
cruel to Miss Bates! How could she have exposed herself to such the readers insight into her
ill opinion in any one she valued! And how suffer him to leave thoughts, and Austen encourages
her without saying one word of gratitude, of concurrence, of the responder to critique Emma’s
common kindness!” actions as she herself is doing.
 Shows Emma as an unlikely
heroine for Austen’s context – self
aware and self-critical, and this
develops due to the input of
Knightley.