Bachelor Thesis

中央财经大学本科毕业论文

A Study of Emma from the Perspective of Bildungsroman

姓名：廖粤

系别：外国语学院

专业：英语

年级：四

学号： 2011312177

指导教师：李丹玲

最终成绩：

日期： 2015.5.12


Acknowledgements

With great respect, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has offered me

kind-hearted help with this thesis because without them, this thesis would not be completed

successfully as it is now.

My deepest gratitude goes to my academic advisor Ms. Li. She has walked me through

every stage of writing this thesis and has been as helpful as she can to give me instructions

about determining the theme. Moreover, she has made every effort to revise my drafts over

and over again. I really appreciate her time and help.

Second, I am also deeply grateful to teachers of School of Foreign Studies, CUFE. My

progress in English learning during the past three years cannot be made in the absence of their

selfless help.

Last but not least, I would love to thank my classmates who have given me suggestions

and assistance whenever I need. They are always generous enough to share information with

me. I would never complete this thesis without their support.


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内容摘要

简·奥斯丁的《爱玛》是一部女性成长小说，女主人公爱玛的成长是小说的

主题。本文从成长小说的轨迹出发，从成长的三个阶段：天真，受挫，成熟论述

女主人公爱玛的成长。从分析可见，爱玛在家庭和社会的影响下，主要获得了自

身个性和婚姻观两方面的成熟。

关键词: 爱玛女性成长个性婚姻

Abstract

Jane Austen’s Emma is a Bildungsroman about female growth, and its theme is the

growth of the heroine Emma Woodhouse. From the perspective of the course of a

person’s growth, this thesis analyzes Emma’s growth from three phases: innocence,

thwarted attempts and maturity. From the analysis, we can see that, due to the

influence of her family and the community, Emma has achieved her growth in two

aspects: her personality and her view of marriage

Key Words: Emma Female Growth Personality Marriage


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Contents

Acknowledgements ………………………………………………….i

Abstract (Chinese) ............................................................................ 1

Abstract (English) …………………………………………………..1

Introduction …………………………………………………..3

Chapter One: First Phase: Emma’s Innocence …………………...8

Chapter Two: Second Phase: Emma’s Thwarted Attempts ………..17

Chapter Three: Third Phase: Emma’s Maturity ……………………26

Conclusion ……………………………………………………….34

Bibliography ………………………………………………………35


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Introduction

Jane Austen is one of the greatest female novelists in British literature. All her

six novels are romantic fictions set among the landed gentry. Nancy Armstrong claims

that, “like Burney and the other lady novelists, Austen appeared more than willing to

leave the rest of the world alone and deal only with matters of courtship and marriage”

(135).

Emma’s opening sentence invites speculation about the protagonist’s perfection,

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich…seemed to unite some of the best

blessings of existence” (Austen 4). Nevertheless, in spite of brilliant qualities that a

young lady could ever dream of, Emma is claimed to be “a heroine whom no one but

herself would much like” (Austen-Leigh 157) by Austen. According to this

contradiction, readers gradually find that Emma is actually a novel of education—a

Bildungsroman, more precisely, a Bildungsroman about female growth, in which

Austen depicts Emma’s upgrading from innocence to maturity through the

accomplishment of Emma’s marriage with Mr. Knightley.

A Bildungsroman simply means a novel of the development of a young man.

Based on the definition and main features of Bildungsroman, some critics do not

categorize Emma as a Bildungsroman. Jerome Buckley makes great contributions to

defining English Bildungsroman; however, he does not claim Emma as a


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Bildungsroman because one of its recurrent themes is always the making of a

gentleman, but in the case of Emma, it is about the making of a lady (118-20).

Moreover, in a typical Bildungsroman, a hero “sets out his way through the world,”

“meets with reverses…due to his own temperament,” finds “various guider and

counselors,” “makes many false starts,” and “finally adjusts himself” to his

environment (Howe 4), while physical travel is absent in Emma, because Emma has

never left home to confront with conflicts outside Highbury. Based on these two

aspects, viewing Emma as a Bildungsroman is questionable.

Nevertheless, Jerome’s opinion on Emma has been criticized to be patriarchal by

feminist critics. Nowadays, even the definition of Bildungsroman is confronted with

challenges, especially in terms of its confined scope about “male characters” but

excluding female ones. Denise Kohn writes in her essay that one of Austen's greatest

achievements in Emma is that she writes a novel of education—Bildungsroman—that

instructs her readers to deconstruct the pervasive images of "ladyhood" created by her

period's conduct-book writers (1). According to Denise, Austen resists the view of a

“lady” as passive and selfless and redefines the highest ideals of “ladyhood” as

self-assurance, strength and compassion through the depiction of her heroine, Emma

(1). Kohn continues to point out that Emma is a Bildungsroman.

Lorna Ellis argues that “While Emma does not travel physically…, the opening

of her story similarly symbolizes a setting out into the world”, allowing her “to make


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her own mistakes in ways that most Bildungsroman protagonists do…”(116-17) Also,

Emma “quite clearly shares the Bildungsheld’s penchant for getting into trouble due

to his own temperament” (117). Finally Emma has adjusted herself to the demand of

her time and environment (Howe 4). Therefore, Ellis defines Emma as a typical

female Bildungsromane.

In addition to a female Bildungsromane, Emma is also a novel imbued with

feminism spirit. Contemporary critics have found feminist elements in Emma.

Feminism demonstrates, without any possibility of doubt, that the social sciences are

sexist, biased and rotten with patriarchal values (Juliet 16-9). Also all feminists agree

that women’s oppression is not inevitable, but that it can and must be changed (Gillie

60-3). Feminism holds that women are as rational and intelligent as men. Women

have the right to decide for themselves and female identity should not be defined by

family or husband but by women themselves. In Emma, the heroine Emma’s aptitude

and intelligence are no less than most male characters in her community. She is not

merely handsome, smart and wealthy, but also has self-awareness and a spirit of

self-criticism. Different from her counterparts such as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and

Prejudice and Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, Emma belongs to the upper class of

Highbury, rational and intelligent. Unlike girls from lower class who are forced to

revolt under insufferable economic hardship, Emma pursues her independence and

stands for ladies’ equality when she lives a happy and cozy life without oppression,


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which therefore is even more valuable. Claudia Johnson, a contemporary scholar,

claims that “In its willingness to explore positive versions of female power, Emma

itself is an experimental production of authorial independence unlike any of Austen’s

other novels” (126).

From the perspective of Bildungsroman, this thesis intends to analyze Emma’s

growth from two aspects: the development of Emma’s view of marriage and the

maturity of Emma’s personality through three phases.

The first chapter deals with Emma’ innocence. At the outset, Emma is totally

immature and biased about marriage, interfering with others’ life so as to obtain her

personal pleasure. Meanwhile, she is arrogant, pretentious, snobbish and selfish. Her

immaturity in terms of marriage and personality implies dreadful consequences.

In the second chapter, the thesis deals with the second stage of Emma’s

development. In this stage, Emma has come across series of failures in her

matchmaking process and has made several wrong judgments about people.

The last phase is the climax of the novel. After all the failure and frustration she

has met with, Emma finally learns her lessons and obtains the mature view of

marriage. The story ends with Emma and Mr. Knightley’s marriage when Emma

finally acts as a truly mature, educated lady.

Apart from describing the track of Emma’s growth, this thesis will also analyze

how marriage helps to build the whole story. Marriage, one of the key features of


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female Bildungsromane, functions as the transfixion in Emma. The plot of marriage

runs through the whole story. Emma’s different attitudes toward marriage reflect

respectively her innocence, frustration and finally her maturity. The story begins with

a marriage within the frame of social standards—the Westons’ and ends with a

marriage more satisfactory both in mind and in situation—the Kinghtleys’.


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Chapter One The First Phase: Emma’s Innocence

At the outset, Emma’s view of marriage is biased and partial. On the one hand,

she is uncomfortable with marriage taking away women’s freedom and privacy and

confining women within the walls of households; she stands against getting married

completely because of economic conditions; and she wants to stay independent

materially and mentally because she is already a powerful woman in Highbury. She

cannot change for the better by marrying someone. However, her resolution not to

marry shows her immaturity and simple mindedness. She claims that she will never

marry because she firmly believes it will not bring her any benefit, without seeing that

marriage can be both delightful in situation and in mind.

Those immature ideas arise from both external and internal factors.

Technically, Emma starts with a marriage and ends with one. Shortly after the

story starts, Emma’s indulgent governess, Miss Taylor, who has played the role of a

mother in the family since Emma’s mother died when Emma was at a very young age

and her father has stayed unmarried since then, has married to Mr. Weston and moved

out of Hartfield. Emma has lost her closest friend and the only one she has been used

to talking with. Subconsciously, Miss Taylor’s marriage, as a typical marriage

approved by society, has shown Emma the negative side of marriage. After marriage,

Mrs. Weston becomes a submissive housewife who has little freedom and privacy.


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Even though a marriage like that is a promising happiness for Miss Taylor because

“Mr. Weston was a man of unexceptionable character, easy fortune, suitable age, and

pleasant manners” (Austen 2), it is not the ideal marriage for Emma. Intelligent as

Emma, she understands the great difference between a Mrs. Weston half a mile away

and a Miss Taylor in the house. The physical distance is not the only obstacle. What

really matters is the consequences of being married. Marriage keeps women at home,

busy with household chores, children, and husband so that Mrs. Weston will not have

much free time to walk half a mile to Emma’s companion; meanwhile, marriage takes

up woman’s privacy. Mr. Weston opens Mrs. Weston’s letter without her permission

and nobody considers it improper except Mrs. Weston herself. The Weston’s marriage,

like the typical marriage at their times makes Emma uncomfortable about losing

freedom and privacy after getting married.

Besides, the newly-wed couple, the Eltons, do not give her much hope as well

about marriage. Mrs. Elton, who makes a showy point of taking marital deference to

the extreme, does not want even to direct her servants without her husband’s

approbation (Ellis 120-21).

Those two marriages represent the mainstream view of marriage—people get

married mainly because of economic security or wealth. Affection may be involved

but it comes after economic benefit or financial consideration. However, Emma does

not want this kind of marriage in which women become passive and submissive. In


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short, Emma is subconsciously affected by marriages around her. They have blocked

her horizon. As a result, it hardly comes to her that there is marriage in which she can

stay free and respectable as well as having a partner.

Moreover, Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father hates every kind of changes in his

life after losing his wife and having his elder daughter Elizabeth move out of home

because of marriage. He is now old, weak and unnecessarily nervous about everything.

And he is not quite happy about Emma going out and feels extremely anxious about

trips. Now Emma is his only and dearest companion so that he cannot bear to see

Emma get married and leave home. Emma loves his father as much as he loves her.

She will never do even one thing that will hurt her father’s feelings. So she is

determined to make sure that her father will have her companion and service for the

rest of his life. Those are the influence from her community and family.

Apart from external influence, Emma is happy in nature, satisfied with her

present living style so that she could stay single as long as she wants to. According

to Emma, she will only be tempted by someone superior to any one else she has ever

seen. Since she has not found such a person yet, she would rather stay single when she

is fully satisfied with her current situation—independent and powerful in her

community. Harriet’s objection that she could be an “old maid” does not bother Emma

because Emma thinks that the public only makes fun of unmarried woman if she is

poor. And only a single woman with extremely narrow income can be labeled as a


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“disagreeable old maid” (Austen 63). She has no fear of becoming narrow-minded

because of her material circumstance.

Emma is different from other women of her age who are consistently eager for

a wealthy husband so as to step into the upper-class society. Those girls use marriage

as a springboard for higher status. Emma stands against the mainstream view of

marriage that first and mainly stands on social status and economic security. For

Emma, her “being charming… is not quite enough to induce” (Austen 62) her to

marry, she “must find other people charming, one other person at least” (Austen 62).

Or she will have little intention to marry. That is to say, Emma is unwilling to marry

for settlement and she does not need to be forced to because of her material situation.

She will not sacrifice her independence and power as a rich single young lady for

marriage unless she finds the one who is superior to any other man she has met. This

is the internal factor.

Undoubtedly, Emma’s view of marriage is unconventional in the early nineteenth

century. According to Denise, such a reading of the novel, however, not only shows

how Emma redefines female ideals but also how the novel redefines the

Bildungsroman within the context of early nineteenth-century domestic values (1).

But it is also clear that at the beginning of the novel, Emma’s view of marriage lacks

serious consideration. She is scared by the idea of marriage taking away her freedom

and power. As Ellis states, newly married women around her have not offered much


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hope of maintaining independence in marriage (120). Emma has not realized then that

marriage could have another layout. Ellis notices the central tension of Emma is

between the protagonist’s belief that her class status should take precedence over

marital considerations, and the community’s belief that for women marital status is

even more important than class (118-19). Ellis states more precisely in her book:

This position of affluence and power paradoxically places Emma in a

position of alienation from her society—not the alienation of economic

hardship, but of false expectations. While society expects Emma to give

up the power she has in order to marry, she has contrary

expectations…Emma wants to keep all the financial and social power

that she has as the mistress of her father’s house. She realizes that

marriage would inevitably place her in a subordinate role to her husband

while she wants to maintain preeminence in all her interactions. (119-20)

When faced with the mainstream ideology, Emma chooses to escape rather than

to search for a solution. Emma claims that she will never be in love because it is not

in her nature. She makes such a statement because she has never fallen in love before.

It is reckless to say so before she even tries. Her intention to maintain preeminence is

reasonable and unconventional; however, she should have figured out the whole


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picture of marriage before she makes the decision not to marry. All of these behaviors

have revealed Emma’s immature view of marriage.

The second aspect is Emma’s immature personality. Emma starts with a depiction

of a young lady who is “handsome, clever, and rich” and “seemed to unite some of the

best blessings of existence” (Austen 1). Indeed, as the mistress of her father Mr.

Woodhouse’s estate Hartfield, Emma owns unusual power over the circle she

socializes. Because the Woodhouses have no equals in Highbury; they are “the first in

consequence there and all look up to them” (Austen 3). Emma is pretty and

kind-hearted and often offers help to the poor. So far Emma Woodhouse does seem

flawless and adorable. However, soon readers find out that Emma is actually far from

perfection.

Due to her family background, weak father and indulgent governess, Emma is

like a “spoiled child”, having shortcomings of aggressive egotism, vanity,

self-sufficiency, selfishness and snobbery. Austen reminds readers in the first chapter

that Emma thinks “a little too well of herself” (1). That is why Emma is unhappy

when people disagree with her. Her father gives Emma full custody of his estate

Hartfield and her governess Miss Taylor is indulgent. Other people in Highbury

respect her and never quarrel with her. The only one who would argue with Emma is

Mr. Knightley. But Emma always argues against him to prove her right. When she

feels lonely after Miss Taylor gets married, she tries to find a new friend for


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herself—Harriet Smith. However, her intimacy with Harriet is based on her lack of

companion instead of real friendship. As a matter of fact, Emma never thinks of

Harriet as a satisfactory friend. Harriet is too ordinary, too plain and too foolish to be

Emma’s equal. Rather, Emma gets acquainted with Harriet because “a Harriet Smith,

therefore, one whom she could summon at any time to a walk, would be a valuable

addition to her privileges” (Austen 15). Emma almost ignores Harriet’s feelings as an

independent person; her selfishness is fully displayed here. Moreover, Emma is vain.

She tries to look fancy and perfect in front of others. She enjoys listening to Frank

Churchill’s flattery and feels satisfied with it. The scene she talks about the poor with

Harriet shows her vanity. She announces her compassion for the poor to Harriet;

nevertheless, inward she thinks that the poor are ignorant and lack good virtues. Her

visits to the poor are to show people her compassion and kindness. Emma’s attitude

towards the poor reveals both her vanity and snobbery. On their trip to Box Hill,

Emma even makes fun of Miss Bates right in her face, completely out of her manner.

Mr. Knightley seriously scolds Emma for her being thoughtless and indifferent.

Were she [Miss Bates] your equal in situation—but, Emma, consider

how far this is from being the case. She is poor; she has sunk from the

comforts she was born to; and, if she live to old age, must probably sink

more. Her situation should secure your compassion. It was badly done,


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indeed!…This is not pleasant to you, Emma. (Austen 280)

Besides, since Emma holds power over her family and even Highbury, she

enjoys meddling, mainly by matchmaking. She persuades Harriet into refusing the

proposal of the yeomanry Robert Martin, a marriage which should be more than

proper, and misleads her to ambitiously aim at Mr. Elton who is out of Harriet’s

league. Harriet has spent the whole summer with the Martins and they have had a very

delightful time together in Abbey-Mill Farm. Harriet thinks highly of Robert Martin,

feels him agreeable, amiable and has “a great regard” for him, and Robert Martin is

deeply attached to Harriet as well. They also suit each other well in family

background—a sensible, respectable young farmer and illegitimate daughter of a

moderate merchant. It should be a happy connexion, before Emma interferes with

Harriet’s mind by saying that the Martins are vulgar and gross farmers and that Mr.

Elton is the appropriate suitor to her. It turns out that Emma, heir of three thousand

pounds, is the one Mr. Elton pleases. Emma puts aside the suitable connection and

runs for the wrong one. This action shows her snobbery and immaturity. Content with

her current life, Emma puts her energy and time to find the most proper suitors for her

friends. As a matter of fact, Emma’s interest in matchmaking reflects her curiosity

about marriage when she considers that she herself will never stand on the altar.

Even worse, Emma lacks the ability to make right judgment. In the first place,


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she labels Mr. Elton “good-humored, cheerful, obliging, and gentle” (Austen 23).

However, the fact is that Mr. Elton is an arrogant, conceited and snobbish young man

who will not even bother looking at an ill-bred girl like Harriet. Later in the story,

Emma falls blindly into Frank Churchill’s flattery and unjustly thinks there are sparks

between Mr. Knightley and Jane when Mr. Knightley merely makes a few

compliments on Jane’s manner and characteristics. She even wrongly guesses about

an improper affair between Jane Fairfax and Mr. Dixon which by no means exists at

all, making bad effect on Frank and Jane’s relationship.

To conclude, Emma is partial in her views of marriage and she is complacent,

vain, snobbish, and selfish. Her flaws now may seem “unperceived”, but they “rank as

misfortunes with her” (Austen 1).


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Chapter Two The Second Phase: Emma’s Thwarted Attempts

As mentioned, Emma flaws now may seem “unperceived”, but they “rank as

misfortunes with her” (Austen 1). In the outset of the story, Emma is seemingly

perfect whose flaws are neglected by her father and people around her except for Mr.

Knightley. When Emma and Harriet are getting too close, Mr. Knightley has given his

warnings to Mrs. Weston about the bad consequence of this kind of intimacy, while

Mrs. Weston thinks of it as a good thing for Emma to have a new friend. Mrs. Weston

feels relieved to see Emma busy with her new friend since it reduces her sense of guilt

for Emma’s loss of her company after she gets married. Nevertheless, in this novel Mr.

Knightley almost always predicts the right thing. Emma’s immaturity about marriage

and her personality flaws will inevitably bring her troubles and frustrations. This

chapter focuses on Emma’s thwarted attempts.


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i. Thwarted Matchmaking of Harriet Smith & Mr. Elton

Emma’s first mistake is her molding over Harriet’s marriage. Here readers may

find Emma contradictory. On the one hand, she insists that women ought to be

independent and that women are as extraordinary, intelligent and brilliant as men. On

the other hand, she unintentionally takes away other’s right to be independent. Austen

uses her brilliant skills of irony to have successfully depicted a vivid heroine. Emma

is not willing to be forced and is always confident about her own judgment. However,

at the same time, she herself enjoys taking control of others’ happiness.

As an educated young lady born into upper-class landed gentry, Emma has

realized that it is improper to make decisions for Harriet; however, she cannot hold

back her desire to interfere with others’ happiness, which on her part is an obligation

she has for a girl like Harriet. From the scene where Emma persuades Harriet to

refuse Robert Martin’s proposal, Emma keeps saying “this letter had much better be

all your own”, “I shall not give you any advice, Harriet. I will have nothing to do with

it” (Austen 36). At the same time, she implies her objection against Harriet’s intention

to accept Robert Martin and deliberately leads Harriet’s attention to Mr. Elton. That is,

even though it seems that Harriet makes up her mind all on her own literally, it is

Emma who directly devastates this marriage which should have been more than

proper for Harriet.

Never been in love before, Emma, as a matter of fact, knows very little about


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affection between men and women; therefore, she neglects all the signals from Mr.

Elton and takes them wrong overall. When Mr. Elton passes the charade “courtship”

to her, she thinks that it is for Harriet. And when Mr. Elton offers to go to London

voluntarily to frame the portrait of Harriet Emma has painted in order to please her.

She wrongly views his motivation as his appreciation for Harriet. Here is another

shortcoming of Emma: she is actually young and reckless but thinks herself “a little

too well”. She is over-confident about herself to reach out for important matters that

she still lacks of the ability to control.

Furthermore, Emma disapproves the mainstream view of marriage, which in

return should have helped her build a mature view; however, Emma pushes her

disapproval to extreme. Knowing that Emma has influenced Harriet’s decision on

refusing Robert Martin’s proposal, Mr. Knightley is strongly irritated. He blames

Emma for messing up an appropriate marriage, but Emma reacts like she is extremely

offended. “Oh! to be sure,” cried Emma, “it is always incomprehensible to a man that

a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to

be ready for anybody who asks her.” (Austen 43) A woman has no obligation to

accept any proposal she has been offered. However, in this case, Harriet and Robert

Martin have affections for each other. Emma’s words come from her spontaneous

resistance to masculine power over female rather than careful consideration about

Harriet’s situation. Between Emma and Mr. Knightley, there is a sharp contrast


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between their respective opinions of Harriet and Robert. Emma’s snobbery

overthrows her approval of Robert Martin’s letter so that she persuades Harriet to

refuse him and run for Mr. Elton. While for Mr. Knightley, he listens to Robert’s

feelings and plans, then rationally analyzes for him, gives him reasonable advice but

leaves the decision to Robert himself. He does not let his opinion about Harriet

influence Robert’s decision. Ironically, Emma “still thought herself a better judge of

such a point of female right and refinement than” (Austen 47) Mr. Knightley could be.

The difference of their behaviors and thoughts shows Emma’s immaturity and Mr.

Knightley’s superiority.

Due to her aggressive egotism, snobbery and selfishness, Emma has messed up

Harriet’s mind, dragging her to a position she does not belong to. Mr. Knightley is

right about Emma’s being friends with Harriet.

She desired nothing better herself. Till you chose to turn her into a friend,

her mind had no distaste for her own set, nor any ambition beyond it.

She was as happy as possible with the Martins in the summer. She had

no sense of superiority then. If she has it now, you have given it. You

have been no friend to Harriet Smith, Emma. (Austen 45)

Emma has realized her ridiculous mistake when she is astonished to know that


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it is herself that Elton has been pleasing instead of Harriet and that arrogant priest will

never choose a girl far lower in status than him. Before she knows that truth, John

Knightley has pointed out that Elton has “a great deal of good-will” towards Emma

and Emma’s actions seem “encouraging” to him. Emma is not pleased with what John

has said because it makes her a “blind and ignorant” girl who is in need of advice.

Emma has torn down a lovely couple and a marriage which should be both delightful

and promisingly happy. Robert Martin and Harriet have paid the price for Emma’s

mistake. Mr. Knightley tells Emma that he has never seen a man so devastated. And

Harriet has been brought to a position she does not belong to. If Harriet dares to fancy

herself the chosen of such a real gentleman far from her reach as George Knightley, it

is Emma who has given her this improper confidence, “If Harriet, from being humble,

were grown vain, it was her doing too” (Austen 308). Emma’s selfishness to turn

Harriet into her friends due to her own joy has now caused severe consequences.

Emma’s first failure enables her to think about her actions, which foreshadows her

transformation later.


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ii. Thwarted Judgment of Frank Churchill & Jane Fairfax

Emma becomes a bit cautious after her first waterloo and tries to stay away

from matchmaking. But she is still complacent and vain. She has fallen for Frank’s

flattery and thinks that if she will ever marry, it would be Frank Churchill. If Emma

interferes with Harriet’s life out of her desire to manipulate others’ life, then Emma

does harm to Frank and Jane’s relationship mainly due to her jealousy.

Emma has made two mistakes in this period. First of all, she has confused

Frank’s feeling for her and takes it wrongly as love and passion. Frank admits in his

letter to Emma that he chooses Emma as his “ostensible object” (Austen 326). He

believes that Emma is smart enough to figure out the truth. As he states in his letter,

She may not have surmised the whole, but her quickness must have

penetrated a part. I cannot doubt it. You will find, whenever the subject

becomes freed from its present restraints, that it did not take her wholly

by surprize. She frequently gave me hints of it. (Austen 326)

It is obvious that Frank’s behaviors to Emma have gone beyond the border but

Frank claims that he would not continue his behavior if he had not been convinced of

Emma’s indifference. And he believes that Emma understands him because she is so

intelligent. However, Emma does not think the same with Frank; instead, she takes his


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flattery delightfully and misunderstands it as his love. Her seeming “indifference” is

no more than a result of her pride and vanity. No matter what they think it is between

them, they have impressed people around that they will make a cute couple. Even the

Westons think that there is a romance between Emma and Frank. Emma will not listen

to Mr. Knightley’s advice that she should be more sensible about her intimacy with

Frank. Intelligent as Emma, she should have noticed some hints. For instance, Frank

Churchill fails to keep his promise to visit his biological father Mr. Weston for several

times until Jane Fairfax out of sudden comes back to Highbury. Or she should have

observed Frank’s concern and attention to Jane in the ball. He seems to care about

Jane more than he says. However, Emma has lost her ability to think rationally due to

Frank’s compliments and flattery towards her. Vanity blinds her from the reality.

Emma makes false judgment on Frank Churchill. She lets Frank be her close

companion right in front of his fiancée Jane, making Jane suffer for a long time.

Second, Emma fails to make the right friend because of her jealousy. Jane

Fairfax is a pretty, talented and graceful young lady. Everyone in Highbury thinks

highly of her. Emma also admits Jane’s beauty and accomplishment, thinking that no

one in Highbury can be her equal. However, before Jane returns to Highbury, Emma

feels uncomfortable listening to Jane’s aunt, the garrulous Miss Bates, keeps reading

Jane’s letter repeatedly to her. And when Jane comes back, even Mr. Knightley thinks

very highly of this young lady. Emma is more unpleasant that Jane Fairfax has


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become the focus of people’s attention in Highbury instead of her, so she talks with

Frank Churchill about her thoughts of Jane, saying that she is too reserved and cold in

nature, and even guesses there is an affair between Jane and Mr. Dixon which by no

means exists at all. As it turns out, Jane is indeed a very decent and respectable young

lady who has made the right choice for everybody’s sake. It is Emma’s jealousy that

has led her to a wrong position, taking a girl as mindless as Harriet as her friend

instead of Jane, who is the one that is ought to be her equal.

Emma’s wrong judgment of Jane and Frank illustrates that she has not fully

learnt her lesson. But her mistake about Frank and Jane strikes her much more than

the chaos she has caused for Harriet. If Harriet’s unstable mind should take part of the

responsibility, Jane is nothing more than the victim of Emma’s vanity. Jane is a

strong-willed young lady who keeps her secret engagement to herself. Even if she is

unpleased with Frank’s apparent devotion to Emma, she puts up with it in decent

manner. Jane carries the secret all by herself with no one to talk with when Emma

happily accepts Frank’s adulation and enjoys Frank’s intimate company. Emma’s

vanity and jealousy have hurt and tortured Miss Jane Fairfax, endangered her

relationship with Frank Churchill and almost ruined it.

Going through two bad consequences caused by her actions, Emma gradually

starts to reflect on herself and think over her misbehaviors. Fortunately, Emma has

self-awareness in her nature. For instance, when she accompanies Harriet to visit the


25

Martins, she convinces Harriet to stay for fifteen minutes in case Harriet changes her

mind. But after that she thinks to herself whether it is too ungrateful to do so because

after all Harriet has spent six weeks there. Thanks to her self-scrutiny, Emma

gradually becomes careful and cautious about her hobby of matchmaking even though

she sometimes still gives a thought about Harriet and her probable suitors; She also

feels terribly sorry for her impolite manners towards Miss Bates, crying all the way

back from Box Hill.


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Chapter Three The Third Phase: Emma’s Transformation

18th century is the age of enlightenment in England. The society upholds

rationality in their daily life. Jane Austen lived between the late 18th and the early 19th,

when Romanticism was gradually prevailing. The intertwining of rationalism and

romanticism contributes to Austen’s writing. But in the particular case of Emma,

Austen creates a heroine more of the rational than the romantic. Emma has “none of

the usual inducements of women to marry” (Austen 62). According to Frank

Churchill,

Amiable and delightful as Miss Woodhouse is, she never gave me the

idea of a young woman likely to be attached; and that she was perfectly

free from any tendency to being attached to me, was as much my

conviction as my wish…She received my attentions with an easy,

friendly, goodhumoured playfulness…We seemed to understand each

other. (Austen 327)

A sensible lady knows how to confess. Mr. Knightley once says to Emma: “Nature

gave you understanding; Miss Taylor gave you principles” (Austen 344). Emma is

always intelligent though immature and has the courage to admit her mistakes. Every

time she makes a mistake, it pushes her forward, to name some, the false


27

matchmaking of Harriet and Mr. Elton, her rude manner to Miss Bates in Box Hill,

and the harm she has done to Frank and Jane’s relationship. For the first time she

realizes her affection for Mr. Knightley. It comes to her that “in persuading herself, in

fancying, in acting to the contrary, she had been entirely under a delusion, totally

ignorant of her own heart … and that she had never really cared for Frank Churchill at

all” (Austen 307).

Besides Emma’s nature, the openness of Emma’s family also contributes to her

transformation. It enables Emma to meet people, make mistakes due to her

temperament and finally learn her lesson. Though she is handsome, rich and clever,

Emma is lonely. She grows up in the environment absent from the love of a mother,

only with the companion of her weak father and indulgent governess. Therefore, she

has to learn how to handle emotions all on her own. She does not tell her father about

what has happened in Box Hill in order not to make him worried. More fortunately,

Emma has Mr. Knightley, a perfect moral tutor and a real friend who walks her

through all the frustrations and mistakes, guiding her on the right track.

The first transformation is that Emma has finally established a mature view of

marriage. Emma’s view of marriage used to be partial and biased. Even though on the

one hand, Emma values the importance of mental independence in marriage besides

material conditions. It means that husband and wife must agree with each other in

mind and in situation. For instance, she regards Miss Taylor’s marriage with Mr.


28

Weston a happy match for her friend because Mr. Weston has the suitable condition

to offer Miss Taylor, a governess without much income and any estate, a stable family

and proper respect. In the case of the Eltons, Emma considers the lady Miss Hawkins

“good enough for Mr. Elton, no doubt” (Austen 134). Because as pretentious,

snobbish and vain as Mr. Elton, heir of ten thousand pounds, youngest daughter of a

moderate merchant in Bristol who “brought no name, no blood, no alliance” (Austen

134) and wears no elegance at all, is a wife suiting him very well. On the other hand,

Emma is afraid that marriage will take away a woman’s mental independence, social

status and financial power, inevitably placing her in a subordinate role to her husband

so that she claims that she will never marry, which is simple-minded and immature.

Emma’s idea about marriage has been influenced by marriages around her, the

Weston’s and the Elton’s particularly, until she realizes her love for Mr. Knightley.

First of all, Emma realizes that marriage will not necessarily deprive her of

independence and power; on the contrary, she can maintain her preeminence in

marriage. Mr. Knightley proposes that he should move to Hartfield with Emma and

her father in order to keep her father’s company. It is an unusual action in Emma’s

age; or in other words, it is Mr. Knightley’s compromise for Emma’s sake, as a man.

Emma, as Mrs. Knightley, maintains not merely the mistress of Hartfield, but of

Donwell, even of Highbury. Meanwhile, she remains her mental independence with a

soul-mate, her mentor as well as her closest friend with whom she feels free to discuss


29

any topic.

Second, Emma understands that it is wrong to put class status ahead of marital

considerations and “slowly learns—that marriage is a defining factor for a woman’s

identity” (Ellis 118). Marrying Mr. Knightley does not deprive her of power as the

mistress of Hartfield and her significant position in Highbury, but gives her a new and

more respectable identity—Mrs. Knightley, the first lady in consequence in Highbury.

The combination of class status and marital consideration successfully accomplishes

Emma’s social integration.

Last but not least, Emma has known that love is based on feeling rather than

rational thinking. She used to firmly believe that she would never be in love because

no one would ever induce her and seems unattached to men who please her such as

Frank and Mr. Elton. However, Mr. Knightley’s proposal makes her more than happy,

heartily. Emma for the first time has realized that she can be attached by true love just

like other women. And her life can be even better than it is now by marrying him.

This proposal of his, this plan of marrying and continuing at

Hartfield—the more she contemplated it, the more pleasing it became.

His evils seemed to lessen, her own advantages to increase, their mutual

good to outweigh every drawback. Such a companion for herself in the

periods of anxiety and cheerlessness before her!—Such a partner in all


30

those duties and cares to which time must be giving increase of

melancholy. (Austen 335)

Emma’s second transformation is that she becomes clear about her own feelings

about love and friendship. Astonished with Harriet raising her thought to Mr.

Knightley, it occurs to Emma that if Mr. Knightley ever has to marry, it will be her. If

there is ever a Mrs. Knightley, it will be her, too. Flashing back to the ball: When

Mrs.Weston guesses it is Mr. Knightley who sends the pianoforte, Emma feels it

impossible to endure the single idea that Mr. Knightley will ever marry, not merely

with Jane Fairfax, but with anybody else. She has been so used to Mr. Knightley’s

companion and she always regards him as her best friend and the most respectable

gentleman that no one in Highbury can equal, a real gentleman with extraordinary

virtues. The only problem is that Emma has not realized her love for Mr. Knightley

then. She feels hurt by the idea of Mr. Knightley getting married because it will be “a

great disappointment” to Mr. John Knightley, “a real injury” to the children, and “a

very great deduction” from her father’s daily comfort. But the truth is that she is

always deeply in love with Mr. Knightley.

Meanwhile, Emma understands that Harriet has never been worthwhile to be

her friend, neither in mind nor in situation. That girl shifts her mind so fast and that

“could be in love with more than three men in one year” (Austen 335). She is easy


31

and good-tempered, but that is all, like Mr. Knightley once said. Now Emma wishes

she had never met her. She is aware that Jane Fairfax is the one she should be friends

with. Leaving a friend as mindless as Harriet and acquainting with another friend as

decent, respectable and graceful as Jane Fairfax, Emma understands what brilliant

qualities of a real lady are and who her equal in Highbury is, both in mind and in

manner. Also, when she hears from Frank Churchill about the whole story she has

been hidden from, she feels relieved. She “was obliged, in spite of her previous

determination to the contrary” (Austen 330). Frank Churchill

…was so grateful to Mrs. Weston, and so much in love with Miss

Fairfax, and she was so happy herself, that there was no being severe;

and could he have entered the room, she must have shaken hands with

him as heartily as ever. (Austen 331)

During her talking with Jane, she finds herself so joyful and delighted. She also

treats Miss Bates with respect, calling her friend sincerely. Emma sees it all clear

about Harriet, Jane and the Elton now gradually. She chooses right friends, sticks to

right principles and treats the poor people with equality. She heartily apologizes to

Miss Bates and lets her know that she will always be with her when there is any

difficulty. Instead of showing her kindness, she now visits the poor because she cares


32

about their sufferings and hardship and is willing to offer them help. She regards them

as her friends.

Emma’s last transformation is that she has built up a proper definition of herself.

Knowing Harriet’s attachment to Mr. Knightley, Emma comes to clear that she used to

have “insufferable vanity” that she knows the secret of everybody’s feelings, “with

unpardonable arrogance proposed to arrange everybody’s destiny” (Austen 307).

When Mr. Knightley tells her that Robert Martin is totally devastated, Emma feels

regretful and guilty. This stupid mistake gives Emma time to think before she leaps.

At the Eltons’ wedding, Mr. Elton’s looking gives her “except in a moral light, as a

penance, a lesson, a source of profitable humiliation to her own mind” (Austen 133).

Never has Emma felt so devastated and shameful seeing her bad behavior to Miss

Bates in the Box Hill and Jane. Mr. Knightley goes straightforward to the truth and

tears down Emma’s vanity, making Emma deeply confess her manners, “more in

thought than fact” (Austen 280).

Now she has finally ceased to interfere with others’ life because she is not the

master of Highbury and she has no right to decide for anyone but herself. Mr.

Knightley plays the role of Emma’s moral tutor. He lectures Emma when she behaves

badly. But Emma will always find excuses and argue against him. For instance, Mr.

Knigtley used to claim that Robert Martin is far superior to Harriet, in sense and in

situation while Emma disagrees with him by saying that Harriet deserves much better


33

than a yeomanry. Nevertheless, Emma changes her attitude towards Mr. Knightley in

the scene where they read Frank’s letter together. Emma disagrees with Mr. Knightley

at some point but she does not aggressively argue with him but calmly express her

own idea. Emma is now a humble, mature young lady with clarity of judgment and

proper self-definition and searches inward for happiness rather than captures the

trifling joy of molding others’ destiny.

From the analysis based on the novel, we can see that Emma has finally learnt her

lesson and gained maturity both in her personality and in her views of marriage.


34

Conclusion

To sum up, the heroine Emma Woodhouse has fulfilled her growth in two

aspects: her views of marriage and her personality under the influence of family and

community. The openness of her family gives her freedom to explore the outside

world by herself, make mistakes owning to her temperament and finally learn her

lessons. Meanwhile, Emma’s interactions with people in her community reflect her

flaws like a mirror. Represented by Mr. Knightley, the community’s attitudes and

comments on her encourage her to think about her behaviors and errors. During the

process, Emma gradually realizes her mistakes.

In view of marriage, Emma achieves a clear perception of her own feeling and

successful fulfillment in marriage. She understands that marriage is not always

oppression for women but a significant part of female identity; moreover, out of

inward searching for true love, women can keep their mental independence and social

power with the company of a soul-mate in marriage.

In personality, Emma turns from a snobbish, self-sufficient, and selfish “spoiled

child” who enjoys molding others’ life to obtain personal pleasure to a modest young

lady who has humility, clarity of judgment and proper self-definition.


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