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1. Jane Austen
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Jane Austen was born on December 16th in 1775 in a vicarage in Steventon, Hampshire. There, her father worked as a clergyman.
Jane Austen had six brothers and one older sister, named Cassandra, to whom she had a very close relationship. Her two brothers Frank and Charles entered into the navy, where one of them even reach the rank of an Admiral of sea. After the death of her father in 1805 Jane Austen, her mother and her sister Cassandra moved to her brother Frank and his wife to Southampton; and stayed there till 1809.
After that her brother Edward, who was adopted by a rich uncle, let them stay in a little cottage at his estate (nowadays this cottage is a museum).
Jane Austen was a woman, who never married. She even quitted an engagement with Harris Bigg- Wither; a man, who was much younger than Jane Austen.
In her later days she lived relatively secluded - despite she was an established novel - author. Perhaps the cause for this seclusion was her heavy illness - she had the, in German called, "Addison - Krankheit". In search for cure she made a journey to Winchester; but she died there on July 28th in 1817. Jane Austen was buried in the local cathedral.
Nowadays Jane Austen is one of the best English novel - authors. She got famous with her comedies of mistakes/confusions, which had always a social background. With irony she described the desperate situation of young, single upper - class women in the early 19th century in England. And above all she ridiculed with her sharp sense of observation the nature of human - beings and the social interaction. In this time the main purpose was to make a good match; it was the only mean to get social security.
It is also important to list some works:
novels: - Sense and Sensibility (1811)
- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
- Mansfield Park (1814)
- Emma (1816)
- Persuasion (1817, posthumous)
- Northanger Abbey (1817, posthumous)
shorter works: - Lady Susan
- The Watsons (1804, unfinished)
- Sanditon (1817, unfinished)
2. short summary
The book "Emma" is written by Jane Austen at the beginning of the 19th century and is a novel.
It tells about a young, single, clever woman, named Emma, in the 18th century, who belongs to the upper - class in the village of Highbury.
At the beginning the author describes that Emma Woodhouse lives alone with her simple - minded, old father at their resident in Highbury, because her sister moved with her husband to London and her governess married. So she is a little bit bored of her live at Highbury and she search for new challenges. For this purpose she trys to make good matches for her new friend Harriet Smith - which always failed.
The story reaches its climax when Harriet Smith falls in love with a man, named George Knightley (after the failed matches), whom Emma loves.
The novel ends with the marriage of Harriet and a farmer and that of Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley.
3. general aspects
Before writing "Emma", Jane Austen once expressed: "I am going to take a heroine whom no - one but myself will much like." But with this saying she was mistaken, because her novel "Emma" is considered to be one of her greatest works. All the more because in this book there are different elements to please anybody: a part romance, a part comedy, a part drama and even a part "detective novel".
In this novel there are many riddles (especially the charades or it is striking that major events take place on seasonal, folk or religious festivals); but nowadays I am not able to solve these riddles.
Equally important is the fact that this novel is written in Victorian English.
So, they use for exaple "thee" and "thou" for inferiour people or for informal situations. But in most cases they used "you" to be more polite.
Also Jane Austen used the old form from morning (morrow) and tomorrow (to - morrow).
Furthermore I have found in one study that Emma Woodhouse in this novel talks more than any other character from Jane Austen: about 42,800 words!
Besides I want to mention that Jane Austen wrote almost only about women because she did not know how men behave without women in their company.
She only knew how women talk among each other.
Jane Austen wrote this novel with a big creativity - for telling her story she used about 80 different characters.
4. structure
As I wrote before, the book "Emma" is a novel. A novel is a long fictional text, written in prose. Novels often have a large number of characters, different settings and a complex story.
This book is divided into three volumes and has all in all 55 chapters.
It is important to mention that Jane Austen`s novel has almost just one setting - the area in and around the village of Highbury. There are just little changes when the characters visit each other.
The novel is narrated in using free indirect discourse, which means that, although the omniscient narrator speaks in the third person, Jane Austen often relates things from Emma`s point of view and describes things in language, one might imagine, Emma using.
This style of narration creates a complex mixture of sympathy with Emma and ironic judgment of her behaviour.
So, Jane Austen shows with this omniscient third - person narrator on the one side the feelings and thoughts from the inside of Emma Woodhouse and on the other side she can comment on the events and the characters.
5. main characters
5.1 Emma Woodhouse
In the novel Emma Woodhouse is introduced as: " handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty - one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.(page 7)".
From her former governess she is described as a beautiful young woman of "such a pretty height and size! such a firm and upright figure!.and elegance."
But on the other side the narrator warns us by saying: "The real evils indeed of Emma`s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself. (page 7)".
This warning is written because Emma is very stubborn and vain. May be the cause for this is that since the age of twelve, Emma has led a life largely under her own authority - she lost her mother very early; and her simple - minded father and her neurotic sister could not keep pace with her cleverness.
Emma is a meddler, who is well intentioned, but in most cases her interference failed because she seems to be inable to understand the world and community around her. Despite her attempts in match - making end in disaster, she is a positive heroine. Or as Mr. Knightley says: "faultless in spite of her faults" because Emma is intelligent and sweet.
Throughout the novel Emma makes three major mistakes: first, she trys to make a match for Harriet Smith in which she should become the wife of a gentleman - despite Harriet is not in such social position.
Second, she flirts with Mr. Frank Churchill, even she does not care for him and makes unfair comments about his secretly fiancé Jane Fairfax.
Third, she does not realize that she is in love with Mr. Knightley; and for this reason she nearly loses him.
But at the end of the novel she turns into a sensible young woman because she have learned her lessons.
5.2 Mr. George Knightley
Mr. George Knightley is a tall, sensible man of thirty - seven years; and is of a firm, upright figure. He is an old friend of the Woodhouses because his younger brother John had married Emma`s elder sister, Isabella.
All in all he has cheerful manners, is mature, intelligent, self - controlled, tactful and kindhearted.
Mr. Knightley, in fact, is one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse. He is the only person, who reach that Emma comes to understand the immaturity of her behaviour.
The most important thing is that he is madly in love with Emma - but he can not show his real feelings for her. One example is at page 362 - Mr. Knightley wants to say goodbye to Emma because he wants to make a trip to London and he takes her hand and wants to kiss it but he leaves suddenly.
Besides one time in the novel he loses his usual self - control: when Emma flirts with Frank Churchill, he becomes jealous because in Mr. Churchill he sees a potential rival; and so imulsivly he runs away to his brother to London.
5.3 Mr. John Knightley
Mr. John Knightley is a tall, gentleman - like and very clever man.
With his wife and his five children he lived in London. He is respectable in his manners but also a little bit reserved; so he is sometimes considered of being out of humor.
Sometimes it is not easy for him with his neurotic wife and his father - in - law. Also Emma, as his sister - in - law is sometimes reserved towards him because nothing wrong in him escaped her.
5.4 Isabella Knightley
Mrs. Isabella Knightley is the elder sister of Emma. She had married several years ago and so moved away from Highbury.
She is very soft - hearted, not very clever, neurotic and she cares for her children a little bit too much. All in all she is stereo - typically femine.
When she and her husband make a visit at Highbury it is striking that she is like her father - she always complains of her problems. Nevertheless one have to say that she is a positive character.
5.5 Harriet Smith
Harriet Smith is a seventeen years old, beautiful girl. She is described as short, plump and fair, with a fine bloom, blue eyes, light hair, regular features and a look of great sweetness.
Harriet Smith is the natural daughter of somebody - somebody had abandoned her several years ago at Mrs. Goddard`s school. This is a school for girls only. Later in the book her origins are solved (she is the daughter of a tradesman).
In the novel Emma decides to make a good match for Harriet because she wants to improve her - she attempts to make matches with Harriet and Mr. Elton (a young vicar at Highbury) and Harriet and Mr. Frank Churchill (the son of her former governess). For this Emma even influences Harriet to turn down a proposal of marriage from the farmer Mr. Martin because she thinks he is not good enough for Harriet. So one can see that Harriet Smith is not as clever as Emma and she is dependent on Emma`s opinion because she turns down the proposal despite she has a crush on Mr. Martin.
Throughout the book Emma gives her advises, which are not always in Harriet`s benefit.
But at the end it comes right again and Harriet marries Mr. Martin.
5.6 Mr. Elton
Mr. Elton is a young vicar at the church of Highbury whom Emma chooses as a potential husband for Harriet Smith. But he is just interested in his social status and wants to marry Emma because she is sweet and belongs to the richest people of Highbury.
After her rejection he quickly marries the rude Augusta Hawkins.
5.7 Mr. Frank Churchill
Mr. Frank Churchill, who is the son of the former governess from Emma, is an attractive young man of good manners. He is about twenty - three years old.
Furthermore he is dynamic and use his intelligence to hide his real feelings and invent clever compliments to please those around him.
He was adopted by his uncles and so he is very dependent on them - he have to do what his ill - tempered aunt want.
Secretely he has a fiancé, named Jane Fairfax. But they have to conceal this secret because his aunt would not tolerate this connection.
After his aunt, Mrs. Churchill, had died he could marry his love Jane Fairfax.
5.8 Jane Fairfax
Jane Fairfax is similar to Emma - they have the same age, they are equally talented and charming. This is something that quite vexes Emma because she is jealous of her.
But there is also a big difference between them: Jane does not have Emma`s financial independence. She is an orphan and so always dependent on the goodwill of others.
Jane was taken in by Colonel Campbell; a man who served with her father in the army.
She is secretely engaged with Frank Churchill, but could not marry him because of his situation.
Moreover the tragic in her life is that if she does not marry she have to become a governess because she lacks no money of her own; and in this society it is a big step downwards.
At the end of the novel Emma and Jane make it up and she can marry Frank Churchill because his aunt died.
6. comparison to other works/ film versions
"Emm" is a different character than the other heroines from Jane Austen - because of her financial independence it is not absolutly necessary to marry.
But like the others she matures throughout the story and so she finds her peace with herself and those who are around her (and even marries her love Mr. Knightley).
The story of "Emma" was used for different film version. There are film version, which deal directly with this story; e.g. the film "Emma" (1997) with Gwyneth Paltrow in the leading part. But I have never seen this film.
Some parts of the story were used for another film, named "Clueless". There are a lot of similarities in story, but it is a very modern version of "Emma".
A Highschool - girl, named Cher, tries to make matches for her good friend. But her friend falls in love with her stepbrother, whom Cher loves (and later will marry). It is also similar that Cher lives alone with her father, who is very rich; and her mother had died very early.
Like "Emma" she is lovely despite her faults.
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