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| Author Sophia Alexander with Emma by Jane Austen on her well-loved e-reader |
Emma is the most idealistic and enjoyable of Jane
Austen’s novels, in my decided opinion. Emma Woodhouse is a sassy, classy,
clever young protagonist who becomes truly penitent upon realizing her
mistakes, her rudeness, and her presumptions. Nevertheless, to our relief, Emma
Woodhouse retains enough charming impudence to quip near the end of the book:
“Oh, I always deserve the best treatment, because I never put up with any other.”
Few novels have such delightful dialogue, such
perceptiveness into people’s characters. And though my heart sank a bit at the
end, as I hadn’t remembered quite how classist even this novel of hers seems, I
am reexamining that a bit here below.
The following does contain spoilers:
First, a caveat: I’ve watched film adaptations of Emma,
and Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1996 portrayal of Emma is indelible in my mind, despite
her physical description hardly matching how Jane wrote Emma! I have rewatched it more times than I’ve read
the novel, so it does influence my view of this work. It’s exceptionally true
to the sparkling wit in the story, and the filmmakers subdued less pleasant
aspects, such as where at the end of the novel Emma realizes that she must let
her friendship with Harriet fade, because Harriet is going to be a farmer’s wife,
despite Harriet always having been the truest of friends to Emma.
Meanwhile, it rankles that Emma plans to foster her
friendship with the wealthy young man, Frank Churchill, who deceived everyone,
including Emma, into thinking he was courting Emma. His soon-to-be wife, Jane
Fairfax, actually spurned Emma’s belated attempts at friendship, but she, too, will
be residing within Emma’s inner circle. In fact, Emma’s pivoted to regarding Frank
as being like a dear brother. However I might tut, though, this adjustment for
the sake of harmony is admirable, so I’m not saying that Emma should have sought
retribution. Her affection for Frank had always been sincere, and there was
much promise of good, enjoyable company for their future, rather than the sour
dynamics so many would have wound up perpetuating. Emma’s grace and good sense
win the day (and months and years ahead).
Despite her plans to gradually withdraw from Harriet, there
is much to learn from Emma. We could do worse than to emulate the delicacy and
grace with which she deals with her Highbury community (a ‘populous village,
almost amounting to a town’) and through life.
She winds up poised for a very comfortable future—and does her best to
be kind to everyone affected. In fact, she’ll still be Harriet’s friend to a
degree, even accompanying Harriet to her wedding.
Perhaps Jane Austen is simply pointing out the obvious. By
nature Emma and Harriet will begin moving in different circles. Harriet won’t
be at the balls Emma goes to, and Emma won’t be at the barn-raisings. Remember
that Emma’s initial efforts on Harriet’s behalf were largely meant to keep
Harriet within her immediate circle. Now Jane Austen simply observes, “Harriet
will be over there now, with those farmer folks, not over here with Emma.” Still,
it seems to undervalue the deep, intrinsic value of a true friend, precious
indeed; isn’t it worth going to some lengths to preserve such friendships? Yet perhaps
Emma is simply adjusting (more gracefully than I think myself capable of doing)
to how things simply are. In other words, she’s wisely planning not to overextend
herself.
I may not entirely buy into Jane’s worldview, but again, her
wisdom as to the human condition is far from piddling. Regarding Mrs. Churchill
of Enscombe, who was thrown off by her brother due to making an ‘unsuitable
connexion’, “She had resolution enough to pursue her own will in spite of her
brother, but not enough to refrain from unreasonable regrets at that brother’s
unreasonable anger.” Indeed, throughout this novel, Mrs. Churchill is a sickly
woman, dying by the end of the novel. Jane understands the complexity of the
human condition. She knows the importance of family ties and connections to our
mental and physical well-being, and I assume this character description was
written in anticipation of Mrs. Churchill’s eventual demise.
Emma teaches grace, poise, and adaptability—remorse,
too—and consideration of other people’s feelings, including people of all
classes. However, while Emma did have to live and function within her existing
society, it’s lamentable that Jane Austen does not use the power of her pen to
push boundaries whatsoever, maintaining a most conventional perspective on
social classes and even slavery (implicit in Mansfield Park) during a
time when many were demanding better. Yet in her own way, through creating such
a kind-hearted, well-meaning character as Emma, who really does her best, Jane
is setting a better-than-average example, isn’t she? Every little shift towards kindness helps.
Remember that conventional folks are reading and loving this novel, absorbing
its messages, when they wouldn’t so much as bother with some socialist or
abolitionist tract. Emma’s conventional devotion to her father is commendable
and inspiring—and then the scenario involving Miss Bates (spinster daughter of
Mrs. Bates, ‘a very old lady, almost past every thing but tea and quadrille’)
humbles Emma, making her ashamed of not being kinder to Miss Bates, especially
given her diminished circumstances.
So I’ll posit that Emma is still a masterpiece that
deserves to be widely read, as it’s not only entertaining but teaches poise,
grace, and kindness to the less fortunate. Well done, Jane!
*Here are a few quotations that I found interesting and/or
amusing:
In speaking of expensive schools that we might liken to so
many of today’s ever-more-costly universities, Jane describes them as being
“where young ladies for enormous pay might be screwed out of health and into
vanity.” Not entirely wrong, for all that they give tremendous value, too. Doesn’t
that expression, ‘screwed out of’ sound so modern?
Regarding Emma’s sister’s children who lived in London: “all
the holidays of this autumn had been given to sea-bathing for the
children”. Not only do I find the frequent
autumn (brr!) sea-bathing in the early 19th century of
interest, but it brings to mind the dire lack of sanitation systems in crowded
London at that time, so awful that Mr. Woodhouse’s assertion, “Nobody is
healthy in London, nobody can be,” was not at all baseless. Cholera was rampant
there, actually.
Emma’s father says, excusing himself, “We invalids think we
are privileged people.” Indeed, Emma has to accommodate to her father’s
limitations, wisely realizing that he isn’t very flexible, most of all in his
restrictive opinions. She nonetheless loves him unreservedly, much as we love
Jane Austen herself.
Read my blogs about Jane Austen's other novels at the links below:
*Northanger Abbey (1818, posthumous)