Analysis Of Jane Austen s Emma - 2163 Words

Jane Austen’s Emma follows the life of an overindulged, upper class young woman who, after enduring a crisis brought on by her own pride, is transformed from callow and vain, to a state of mental and emotional maturity. On first reading, the audience may perceive Emma’s actions as a repression of feelings, but upon closer inspection one can see that she is not suppressing her emotions but simply does not have the level of self-awareness that would allow her to clarify the difference between right and wrong. It is important to bring to light the connections between self and society, which Austen has embedded into narrative, as they raise the question of who is to blame for Emma’s harmful conduct. She struggles with shedding her arrogance, and the fear she has of facing her feelings causes her to misunderstand those around her, wreaking havoc in the lives of others. Her immaturity is not confined to contextual milieu – Austen’s examination of characte r and society has universality in its comment on our sense of self and culture, and is as relevant today as it was in the 19th century. The novel opens by introducing the main character, Emma, who has been endowed with â€Å"some of the best blessings of existence†p3. It is suggested that this is a character flaw of such significance that it is revealed in the opening chapter, and foreshadows the novel’s structure - â€Å"The real evils indeed of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Emma s Appropriation Of Jane Austen s 19thc Emma1262 Words   |  6 PagesComparisons of Emma and Clueless pose critical explorations into the importance of context and its role in shaping social values. Heckerling’s appropriation of Jane Austen’s 19thC Emma, provides contrasting social ideals regarding gender and class which can be accredited as a result of their differing contextual settings. Values surrounding the importance of social hierarchy, gender disparities and education are prevalent themes addressed within eac h text. Due to shifts in social standards duringRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Emma By Jane Austen1648 Words   |  7 PagesLiterary Analysis of Emma by Jane Austen In Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, protagonist Emma avoids her own transformation by her attempts to transform others. However, Emma experiences her coming-of-age through the stable characters of those around her. Austen reveals how self-transformation is necessary in maturing and establishing self-awareness. Emma Woodhouse possesses qualities that many would envy: beauty, intelligence, wealth, and youth. 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Her matchmaking leads only to near-disasters and her expressions of remorse following these mistakes are sincere and resolute. Jane Au stens Emma concerns the social milieu of a sympathetic, but flawed youngRead MoreCivilized, Sense And Sensibility, By Jane Austen1455 Words   |  6 PagesEnjoyable, civilized Sense and Sensibility was the first and one of Jane Austen s novels; she wrote it in 1795, but it was not published for 16 years. It was written by a young woman who ostensibly had little experience of the world - although her fiction proves she missed the little that occurred on her domestic stage - and the story reflects that orientation, as a mother and her three daughters wait passively while all the interesting men in the vicinity disappear on unexplained missions toRead MoreMr Benett and the Failures of Fatherhood8365 Words   |  34 PagesMr. Bennet and the Failures of Fatherhood in Jane Austens Novels Author(s): Mary A. Burgan Reviewed work(s): Source: The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 74, No. 4 (Oct., 1975), pp. 536552 Published by: University of Illinois Press Stable URL: http://w ww.jstor.org/stable/27707956 . Accessed: 29/08/2012 00:55 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR isRead More An Analysis of Characters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice1662 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Characters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice An author will often give his or her work a title that reflects the overall theme or meaning of the piece-this is certainly the case in Jane Austens novel Pride and Prejudice. A title may set the mood or describe a situation which otherwise might require several paragraphs to develop. Pride and Prejudice is a combination of humor, irony, and twists of events. Austen entitles her work Pride and Prejudice to emphasize subtly theRead MoreJane Austen’s Novels and the Contemporary Social and Literary Conventions.12979 Words   |  52 Pages2.3 The Gothic Romance. 13 3. Jane Austen and Her Novels in relation to the Contemporary Literature. 15 3.1. Austen’s Criticism about the Contemporary Fiction. 15 3.2. Jane Austen as a Conservative Writer and as a Social Critic. 16 3.3. Austen’s writing in her own perception. 17 4. Pride and Prejudice. 20 4.1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy – the Reversed Ideals. 20 22 5. Emma 23 5.1. Emma the heroine. 23 5.2. Men of sense and silly wives 26 5.3. Emma as the unusual learning. 28 ConclusionsRead MoreThe Formation of Jane Austens Marriage Concept and the Reflection in Pride and Prejudice3822 Words   |  16 PagesTHE FORMATION OF JANE AUSTEN S MARRIAGE CONCEPT AND THE REFLECTION IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Nie Zuyuan December,2010 College of Technology,Xiaogan University Abstract â€Å"It is a true universally acknowledged,that a single man in possession of a good fortune,must be in want of a wife.†Almost two centuries later,the deep impression on readers left by the opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice has not decreased because of their changing literary taste.As the author of Pride and PrejudiceRead More The Basic Elements of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice4010 Words   |  17 Pagesa very complicated but simple play and for a new learner of Jane Austens this work, one should have to know the basics of this novel. Under are discussed the same basics for the help of the new readers. BACKGROUND INFORMATION - BIOGRAPHY Jane Austen was born in 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire in southern England, where her father was a minister. She was the sixth child in a family of seven children. The family was very close, and Jane had a particular closeness to her sister Cassandra. Although