Emma Essay

An Emma essay on the works of Jane Austen, considered one of the greatest English novelists, can be an enriching experience. Emma Woodhouse is the main character in the novel Emma. She is rich and lives with her father at their estate. She is just one of the many characters in the novel woven with great care and passion. The story revolves around her but resonates with emotions with each passing chapter trying to make sense of the changes that occur in the lives of the different characters. Jane Austin is truly a master writer that allows the characters to slowly develop. Their vitality is infectious and blends with the central character of Emma, who evolves slowly into a powerful character. An essay writing exercise on how the character of Emma evolves would make interesting reading.

Emma’s mother had passed away and she was looked after by the governess, who later gets married and moves away. Emma’s father is concerned and wants her to get married too. This is where Jane Austin has built the story on Emma’s faults with great subtlety. She shows how Emma overcomes constant errors in behavior, judgment, and perception. Once she sees Mr. Elton looking at her friend Harriet and assumes he is in love with her. So she tells Harriet thinking she was doing something good. Mr. Knightley advises and warns her against matchmaking. Emma has this inbuilt superiority based on her inflated sense of social status and misguided intelligence, which could be highlighted in an Emma essay or a term paper. She is meddlesome and does not hesitate to interfere in other people’s lives. Once, while Emma was returning home accompanied by Mr. Elton, he confides that he actually likes her and not Harriet. Emma is enraged and returns home feeling guilty. She realizes she had give Harriet false hopes but honestly tells Harriet about what Mr. Elton told her.

The story takes a twist and Mr. Elton returns married to Augusta Hawkins, a rich and proud girl. Jane Fairfax, Emma’s cousin likes her though. Augusta has only two topics to talk about, Jane and herself. This distances her from Emma. She realizes that Emma doesn’t like her. When she learns that it was Emma who tried to play matchmaker between her husband and Harriet, the feeling is mutual. Harriet recovers from her pain and confides in Emma that she actually likes somebody. As usual Emma hushes her up and assumes it was Frank Churchill. Later, she finds out that Frank was engaged to Jane Fairfax and was to marry her. She again realizes her folly and remembers about Mr. Knightley’s warning.

Poor Harriet is in the middle of Emma’s misconceptions and assumptions. Emma feels very bad for Harriet and asks her what she felt about Jane marrying Frank. Harriet actually feels good about the match. The confusion ends when Harriet tells Emma that she likes Mr. Knightley and not Frank. A surprised Emma tells her that she was courting Mr. Knightley. All ends well as Harriet does not fall ill and instead decides to marry Mr. Martin instead. An Emma essay or a book essay on her snobbery and misplaced concern can show how it almost gets her into trouble and out of it.

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