Hello! Welcome to today's post about Jane Austen's Emma in relation to Module B.
Jane Austen
- She finished six novels
- She was born and raised in the English countryside village of Stevenson
- The narrative voice employed within her works are familiar, wry, amused, and all-knowing
- She was one of eight children.
- Her family was highly educated and highly literary. Her mother even wrote comic verse in personal letters.
- The backdrop for many of her books is the English countryside.
Background Information to the Novel
- Austen began writing the novel on January 21, 1814, and finished the novel on March 29, 1815
- Emma was published at Austen's own expense, and 10% of her profits went to Murray, the publisher
- Publication was initially anonymous
- There are 3 volumes
DID YOU KNOW!?
The 1995 film Clueless directed by Amy Heckerling, is based upon Jane Austen's Emma. Iconic.
The Story – A Kind of Synopsis
- Emma is the only daughter of an ageing windowed hypochondriac, Mr Woodhouse. She is wealthy, beautiful, and spoiled.
- A hypochondriac is someone who has anxiety about their health.
- Emma is convinced that she will never marry AND takes it upon herself to find THE PERFECT GUY for her new BFF, Harriet Smith. How sweet.
- Harriet's potential new beau = Mr Elton
- The problem? Mr Elton has eyes for Emma.
- Mr Knightley (Emma's brother-in-law + guy friend) watches Emma attempt to make this work.
- Mr Elton ditches the whole situation. (YEET)
- Harriet's sad, obviously.
- A new duo (ish) comes to town – Frank & Jane
- Emma dislikes Jane
- She flirts with Frank
- Frank could potentially be Harriet's new beau??
- Betrayal!? Frank's feelings for Emma were all a façade
- Harriet is in love with Mr Knightley, but he doesn't reciprocate because he loves Emma!! Woah!!
- Harriet gets proposed to by Mr Martin
- Couples get married. THE END.
- Third-person omniscient narrator (though this changes throughout. You must read the novel closely to develop your own understanding and appreciation of this novel).
Reception
Jane Austen's Emma is a "lived experience" (Klemann, 2012). This "lived experience" could perhaps relate to the fact that the novel is a beautiful picture of 18th century England and still manages to capture audiences in contemporary society.
Themes
This list is not exhaustive, and there are many more. Use this as a jumping-off point for your analysis of the text!
Social Class
What function does socioeconomic class in Emma?
How does social class impact the behaviour of the characters in the novel?
Poverty / Wealth
How is poverty portrayed in the novel?
Harriet is cornered by "gipsies" in Emma. What does this scene show about poverty?
Community
What is the function of the Highbury community in the novel?
Marriage
Think about the idea of matchmaking within the novel and how it relates to marriage.
The Oppression of Women
The function of gender within the novel to portray or comment on a specific aspect of society.
References
Austen, Jane. Emma. Edited by R. W. Chapman. The Novels of Jane Austen. 3d ed. Vol. 4. Reprint. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.
Klemann, H. M. (2012). Ethos in jane austen's emma. Studies in Romanticism, 51(4), 503-532,633. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/24247231
