The fatal mistake Emma makes throughout the book is not listening to her friend and mentor Mr Knightley, the only one who has ever told her about her mistakes. Starting with questioning her skills as a match-maker he tries to explain to her there is no success in such a field as match-making. No matter how much Emma tries to prove him wrong and persuades him of her talent, Mr Knightley opposes by telling her she only “made a lucky guess” (E 8). The first serious fight between the two of them comes after the idea of the match between Harriet and Mr Elton. Harriet’s first suitor is Mr Martin who is not the person Emma imagines for Harriet. Although Harriet likes him, Emma manages to convince her about his low station and Harriet’s right for a
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He does not approve Emma’s friendship with Harriet as he believes “she is not the superior young woman which Emma’s friends ought to be” (E 27) and that she is “the very worst sort of companion that Emma could possibly have”, which he defends by saying “she knows nothing herself, and looks upon Emma as knowing everything.” (E 28). According to Mr Knightley, Harriet as a “natural daughter of nobody knows whom” (E 47) is not good enough to replace the position of Mrs Weston as Emma’s friend. Eventually, he admits Emma has a good influence on Harriet but he gets immediately angry with Emma when she tells him about Harriet’s refusal of Martin’s proposal. Emma is angry, she does not understand Mr Knightley’s reasons and she is sure he has not “the skill of such an observer on such a question as herself” (E …show more content…
However, when the blunders are made and it is too late for her to take them back, she realizes Mr Knightley was right with her. He means well and as angry as he sometimes is, he wants Emma to draw a lesson from her errors. He has a special influence on Emma. His authority causes that Emma feels bad about her previous behaviour and makes her think about it. While she expects to be scolded again for her mistakes, he leaves her to her “own reflections” (E 266). Acknowledging her mistakes Emma finally admits “it was […] a series of strange blunders” (E
He does not approve Emma’s friendship with Harriet as he believes “she is not the superior young woman which Emma’s friends ought to be” (E 27) and that she is “the very worst sort of companion that Emma could possibly have”, which he defends by saying “she knows nothing herself, and looks upon Emma as knowing everything.” (E 28). According to Mr Knightley, Harriet as a “natural daughter of nobody knows whom” (E 47) is not good enough to replace the position of Mrs Weston as Emma’s friend. Eventually, he admits Emma has a good influence on Harriet but he gets immediately angry with Emma when she tells him about Harriet’s refusal of Martin’s proposal. Emma is angry, she does not understand Mr Knightley’s reasons and she is sure he has not “the skill of such an observer on such a question as herself” (E …show more content…
However, when the blunders are made and it is too late for her to take them back, she realizes Mr Knightley was right with her. He means well and as angry as he sometimes is, he wants Emma to draw a lesson from her errors. He has a special influence on Emma. His authority causes that Emma feels bad about her previous behaviour and makes her think about it. While she expects to be scolded again for her mistakes, he leaves her to her “own reflections” (E 266). Acknowledging her mistakes Emma finally admits “it was […] a series of strange blunders” (E