Across the entirety of Passage Two, Austen explores the defilement of social intercourse through the characterisation of the gauche Mrs. Elton. The ironic certainty of Mrs. Elton’s appraisal of Maple Grove’s alleged beauty in “yes, I am quite aware of that” elucidates the overbearing nature of her persona; unlike the gentle Emma’s consideration for Mr Woodhouse in the third passage, Mrs. Elton is seen by the reader as aggressive in enforcing her beliefs upon the greater world around her, a behaviour clearly constructed by Austen as comical and incongruent with the expectations of gentility within 19th century society. Repetitious allusions to “the Maple Grove” and “The laurels at Maple Grove” furthermore signify the socially distortive
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Elton indicates the merits of character which Emma appraises. In describing Emma as making “as slight a reply as she could”, in contrast to Mrs. Elton’s lengthy ramblings, the reader understands that Emma is in fact taking the superior position in the conversation by exercising a tactful moderation in her effort to ease the tension of the situation. And it is this sort of behaviour which Austen depicts as integral to well-roundedness of being, with the simplicity of the statement “Emma doubted the truth of this sentiment” expressing an insightfulness mirroring that which permeates Passage Three, in the form of the sagacious Knightley. Indeed, Emma’s balanced consideration “Many counties, I believe, are called the garden of England” invokes not only an imagery of intellect, but also a landscape beyond the confines of the immediate setting: Emma, in acknowledging the beauty of not only Highbury, but also of England as a whole, brings herself to a closer alignment with the civil unity which Austen portrays as so intrinsic to individuals in the framework of such a rich, flourishing society. This is essentially the acknowledgement which acts as Emma’s eventual completion, with the happiness of marriage alluded to within the third passage not merely being the union of romance, but also the resplendent union between Emma’s creative independence and her recognition of the ties of her relationships in the world of …show more content…
With the declaration “I believe few married women are half as much mistress…as I am”, the reader recognises that Emma stands as exceptional within the context of Regency England; even within the context of Emma as a whole, she is the only single woman capable withstanding the pressures of a life without marriage, and it is in crafting Emma’s character thus that Austen allows for Emma’s creativity to surface, overcoming the barriers of her gender’s seeming impotence. Of course, there is an irony to be found in Emma’s articulating “if I were to marry, I must expect to repent it”; with the ultimate conclusion of marriage in the third passage, it is clear that this resolution will be broken, reflecting that Austen is not wholeheartedly supporting an isolated, necessarily unmarried vision of her heroine, whose statement “it is poverty only which makes celibacy contemptible” seems as out of touch as her realisation for Knightley’s love. Instead, within the course of Emma, what appears to be celebrated is a heroine capable of exercising her free will, whose disdain for societal expectations allows her the true liberty which human existence
Elton indicates the merits of character which Emma appraises. In describing Emma as making “as slight a reply as she could”, in contrast to Mrs. Elton’s lengthy ramblings, the reader understands that Emma is in fact taking the superior position in the conversation by exercising a tactful moderation in her effort to ease the tension of the situation. And it is this sort of behaviour which Austen depicts as integral to well-roundedness of being, with the simplicity of the statement “Emma doubted the truth of this sentiment” expressing an insightfulness mirroring that which permeates Passage Three, in the form of the sagacious Knightley. Indeed, Emma’s balanced consideration “Many counties, I believe, are called the garden of England” invokes not only an imagery of intellect, but also a landscape beyond the confines of the immediate setting: Emma, in acknowledging the beauty of not only Highbury, but also of England as a whole, brings herself to a closer alignment with the civil unity which Austen portrays as so intrinsic to individuals in the framework of such a rich, flourishing society. This is essentially the acknowledgement which acts as Emma’s eventual completion, with the happiness of marriage alluded to within the third passage not merely being the union of romance, but also the resplendent union between Emma’s creative independence and her recognition of the ties of her relationships in the world of …show more content…
With the declaration “I believe few married women are half as much mistress…as I am”, the reader recognises that Emma stands as exceptional within the context of Regency England; even within the context of Emma as a whole, she is the only single woman capable withstanding the pressures of a life without marriage, and it is in crafting Emma’s character thus that Austen allows for Emma’s creativity to surface, overcoming the barriers of her gender’s seeming impotence. Of course, there is an irony to be found in Emma’s articulating “if I were to marry, I must expect to repent it”; with the ultimate conclusion of marriage in the third passage, it is clear that this resolution will be broken, reflecting that Austen is not wholeheartedly supporting an isolated, necessarily unmarried vision of her heroine, whose statement “it is poverty only which makes celibacy contemptible” seems as out of touch as her realisation for Knightley’s love. Instead, within the course of Emma, what appears to be celebrated is a heroine capable of exercising her free will, whose disdain for societal expectations allows her the true liberty which human existence