A Discovery

In reading Emma by Jane Austen, I have discovered a few things; one is that I hate Emma and that Austen uses Emma to represent that self-centered and self-fulfilling in all of us, which I learned during our seminar. Three things; I have already said this but I really hate Emma, I hate her because she is a character that Austen has made so that no one likes. Emma is a gossip which I already don’t like, but what really makes me upset is that she does things, but they are not for the person she does it for, she does it for herself. When Emma decides that she is going to match Harriet with Mr. Elton, she does it because she wants to bring Harriet up in society and then she can take the credit for it. So basically she masks self- interest with a seemingly altruistic demeanor. He thinks that by setting them up Harriet will be raised in her social standings and then Mr. Elton will then receive a wife who is very impressionable.  Not only that but she told Harriet to end it with Mr. Martin, whom she really actually loved and wanted to be with but Emma thought that wouldn't be in good taste for her reputation. Emma wanted the credit of putting someone else together so that she could obtain some sort of creditability and some sort of accomplishment in Highbury other than she is one of the highest ranked people in the town and also has a lot of money. She wanted to be accomplished like Jane Fairfax , who even though is in a lower social rank because she is poor and was adopted, basically, by the Churchills is way more pleasant and talented. Jane caught the eye of Mr. Knightly, who admires her deeply and whoever it was that sent the piano. Which is actually weird when you think about it because if you were going to send a present to your secret admirer why would it be something as big as a piano? I was thinking that you but something that is easier for a person to be able to bring through their own doors. I also see a little bit of Emma in myself, which makes it hard to hate her because by admitting that I don’t like her because she is selfish is to admit that I hate the general population, and myself because of the fact that we are a little selfish. Emma is that person, the one who will do whatever it takes to make herself look accomplished, but then there will always be a Jane Fairfax, one who will always beat us by half an inch and we will never be on the same level as her. Emma represents that person who is always the runner up. Like on American Idol there are always two people in the finale, one of them will be the runner up and the other will actually win it all. One person is the person that you think will win it all; they have the look of a star, the voice, and the personality to make it there, then when they announce the winner it’s the other person and you’re confused as to how that person one because they didn’t seem nearly as good, but in some way they are better and they are obviously more appealing to a majority. That is Emma and Jane Fairfax.

The lovely people of Highbury

I like Emma by Jane Austen, I find myself awkwardly laughing to myself while other people just look at me funny. Emma is funny, because she’s kind of a smart ass. The only thing that is a little confusing to me is the wording which makes it a little hard to follow but then once you get it, it makes sense. I also get confused on how they explain people’s ages, for example Mr. Knightly is described as a ”sensible man about seven or eight-and –thirty” I’m pretty sure that means 37 or 38 but that is just such a weird way to express that. But I digress. It’s funny how everything is so handsome and favorable, like the letter that Frank wrote to his father was such a “handsome letter” and no one had ever seen such a handsome letter. That doesn’t make sense, is handsome a good thing or a bad thing? And if it is a good thing what could he have possibly written that would make it such a handsome letter? He probably just said congratulations on his wedding. It seems as if everyone in this town of Highbury are all just great and favorable people; Miss Taylor, The Woodhouses, Mr. Knightly, Captain Weston, and the Churchills.It is also interesting how in chapter 3 when they are describing how Mr. Woodhouse is in control of his small circle of friends and often they come over but how, in turn, he hates big events. The craziest thing about the statement of him being in control is that in the first chapter Austen describes Emma as having all the control, especially over her father who will basically do anything that she asks him to do because she is the lady of the house. All the women are natural or plain or beautiful which just makes you happy and makes you feel warm and fuzzy. All the women are great and plain and refined and beautiful and then the only person who seems to have experienced hurt and pain was Emma and that was only because Miss. Taylor when she left and got married. But there are no problems everyone is happy in Highbury. Then there is Harriet Smith who is nice to look like that, once again fair, light, and plump, but then she is also has nice manners, such as everyone else in the story so far, but she has nothing important to say. I have noticed that while people are very nice looking in the story and have really nice manners they don’t have anything important to say. It’s kind of like tea time is all the time. The tea time is where they have pleasant conversations and make small talk but there isn’t any in depth conversation, because everyone is pleasant and frothy and light. Mostly yellows and pinks without the reds and blacks. Because it is all about appearances and the better the appearance the more superior you are and in Highbury it’s all about superior and upper class and the froth.