Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Woodhouse Analysis

Both Emma Woodhouse and her father have a good deal of sway everyplace the lives and affairs of the early(a) members of their community. In the first scene of the book, we learn that Mr. Woodhouse finds homes for maids in other households, while Emma does essenti tout ensembley the same for her casualnesss, in attempting to pair them off with husbands and wives. The narrator presents this overzealous concern for other peoples well being as an entirely harmless suitistic, in Mr. Woodhouse at least. While his intrusions into the personal lives of even non-family relations and frequent effusions of worry are peevish to readers and characters alike, Mr. Woodhouse never actually does any genius the slightest bit of satisfying or lasting harm.Read also Analysis of Characters in Flannery OConnors The Life You Save whitethorn Be Your Own veritable(a) Mr. John Knightley can non stay mad at him for very long. Emma, on the other hand, is receptive of doing real personal damage, and her w ilful intrusions into the lives of her acquaintance are presented as arrogant presumption her characters major flaw The real evils of Emmas situation are the post of having rather too much of her own way, and a magnetic inclination to think a little too well of herself. (4) The key difference between her acts of presumption and those of her father is that she has a stronger will and hear than he.Her actions are and then not only more harmful to others further also more conscious and deliberate. Though she may, like her father, be acting out of good intentions, she is to the near aware of the ways in which she manipulates. Emma not only searchs that she is molding Harriets weaker mind, she understands how best to do it. If awareness makes her more responsible for her actions than the fumbling Mr. Woodhouse, it also increases the distance she has to oarlock when she acts irresponsibly. Because Emmas station is the highest in her affable circle, her machinations go largely unchecked, but for the rebukes of Mr. Knightley. The standard of goodness in the book and its moral compass, Mr Knightleys criticism is the narrators way of alerting us to Emmas faults. After all, social protocol forbids anyone else from attempting such criticism. The fact that Knightley practices great forbearance with Mr. Woodhouse but takes exception to most of Emmas doings highlights the differences in each characters culpability. In short, Mr. Woodhouse is forgive because he cannot help his effrontery, while Emma is not because she can.The distinction is related to each characters flexibility Mr. Woodhouse is the most stagnant character of the book, while Emma is the one most capable of growth. Given Mr. Woodhouses profound fear of change, it seems pointless to try to mend his flaws at this late age. Emma however, possesses the mental and spiritual instruments, which, applied correctly, and could bring her to a near-perfect existence, elevating her actions and awareness to a p ar with her social status. The work of the novel, and of Mr. Knightley himself, is to instil in Emma the humility that she lacks and help her evolve so as to become worthy of him, not only socially but also morally.The books final happy union (448) is a sign that Emma has achieved that end. Unlike Emma, whose vibrancy of person and strength of intellect substantiate her claims to social prowess, Mr. Woodhouses business office derives solely from his landed status. In Emma and Knightleys first conversation, we are told that Mr. Woodhouse understands but in part (5) as a person and a character he is static, lack in awareness, and defined wholly by his limitations. People defer to Mr. Woodhouses fortune and subsequent social standing rather than his intellect or any whim in his being right.The hypochondriac worries that he imposes on others are rarely given any credence because Mr. Woodhouse is never perceived as capable of substantial reasoning. In fact, common sense almost always stands in opposition to Mr. Woodhouses concerns. The likelihood of anyone getting trapped at Randalls on Christmas Eve because of half an pass on of snow is not particularly high, yet the party is broken up early all the same. Everyone is quick to do Mr. Woodhouses bidding, no matter how silly the cause. much(prenominal) former, to make people act entirely counter to their own sense of reason, could be dangerous if put into more potent hands. Luckily Mr. Woodhouse would never deliberately manipulate anyone in fact, he is shown to be quite harmless. In expressing his personal displeasure at his daughter Isabellas going to a particular seaside resort, he actually twists the truth, attributing many of his own feelings and expressions (99) to Mr. Perry. However, the narrator is emphatic in noting that this is done unconsciously. And even when Mr. Woodhouse is conscious of trying to prevail upon others, he affects no real damage. He is constantly trying to get other people to take a basin of gruel with him, but Isabella is the only one who ends up complying. When Mrs. Bates and Mrs. Goddard come to keep Mr. Woodhouse gild during the Coles party, his power as host is actually trumped by Emmas. Against his wishes, she sees to it that all of their guests are well fed, with as much cake as they desire. Emma, like her father, enjoys a social dominion of fortune and station but joins it with a real superiority of intellect.Situations like the gruel debate point up the inversion of the traditional family structure at Highbury, in which the daughters authority exceeds the parents. Emma takes care of her father, and the books only other mother-figure, Miss Taylor, has become more like a friend than a parent, at least at the point where the story picks up The shadow of authority being now long passed away, Emma does just what she likes, highly respectfulnessing Miss Taylors judgement, but directed chiefly by her own (1).Beyond the smaller family unit, there is no one but Knightley to challenge Emmas reign. She is at the highest spot on the social ladder, as indicated by the form of her estate, Highbury. Her peers are all inferior, in status as well as quickness and depth. Harriet is entirely vapid she can sit, without any idea of anything in the world, for full ten minutes. (163) And although Emma may mistake the direction of Eltons gallantry, she sees right through it there is a sort of parade in his speeches which was very apt to incline her to laugh. (46) Even in comparison to her sister, Emma has the stronger hand. (241) In truth, Emma is wholly worthy of most of the praise bestowed upon her throughout the book. The most unambiguous example would be her ready wit, (66) which Mr. Elton cites in his charade. The obvious problem with Emmas ready wit, though, and all her other powers, is that they are so often put to bad use. Where Mr. Woodhouses social power is always proved to be harmless, Emma is the one with the potent hands that can at times wreak havoc.At the party at Box Hill, Emma cannot resist (342) making a derisive stimulant to Miss Bates, simply because it is too clever to be kept in. The sole extenuating circumstance here (though it is one based on Emmas arrogance) is that she may not have anticipated its full effect I dare say she did not understand me. (346) But Emmas misuse of her own power of understanding is evident. The refer is both consciously derisive and deliberately aimed, and the evident pain it causes Miss Bates brings home the reality that Emmas understanding at that moment has become more restrain than Miss Bates.Moreover, the impact of the harm extends both beyond the present moment and beyond the single personal relationship, revealing that unlike her father, Emma has the power to do real lasting damage. Miss Bates tries to hide when Emma next comes to visit, and it will take a while to repair their rapport. The event also affects the larger public sphere. As Mr. Knightley notes in hi s later reprimand, Emmas comment was made in the presence of others, many of who would be entirely guided by your treatment of her. (346) In this social order, people who esteem the judgment of those superior in station use it as a model for their own. Not only has Emma spoken cruelly to Miss Bates, she has set up a standard of treatment which others may choose to follow. People cater to Mr. Woodhouse because they respect him, but they use Emma as a model because they take her intellection very seriously. Where until now Emma has been seeing power in terms only of its perks, the ripple effect of even a single lapse of judgment highlights the responsibilities that go with social power.The moment is an important turning point in Emmas progress of self-transformation. Knightleys earlier reprimand, Better to be without sense, than misapply it as you do (51) targets this larger duty that Emma has been both too young and too concealment to see. (As an interesting side note, the movie v ersion of Emma actually has Knightley and Emma shooting during this scene, and while Knightly delivers this comment his pointer hits a bulls-eye. ) The most striking example of Emmas misapplication of sense along with her most deliberate act of manipulation appears in her treatment of Harriet.Emma literally tries to cause Harriet, forging explanations of her parentage and painting portraits in which she alters Harriets body structure. The craftsmanship of this artistic aspect of her assumed role is highlighted by Knightleys recognition, she really does you credit. (53) As pointed out in lecture, Emma even plays the literal puppet-master, using a set of strings, her bootlaces, to direct the scene when she and Harriet run into Mr. Elton after visiting the poor family. Emma presses on with her schemes despite the many clues that deviate her understanding.Whenever circumstances displease her, she creates explanations in her head that run contrary to her own sense of reason, yet ac cepts them all the same. When Mr. Eltons behaviour does not fit that of a lover, Emma makes variant excuses for him, laughing at his description of what she presumes to be Harriets ready wit but attributing such an ill-judged compliment to the consequence of his being very much in love. (66) Even when Mr. Elton himself tries to clear up the confusion, in the scene in the carriage, Emma attempts to convince them both that he is hopelessly drunk.Perhaps Emmas most blatant self-deception is her recklessness of class and birth differences between Mr. Elton and Harriet You and Mr. Elton are by situation called together you belong to one another by every circumstance of your respective homes. (68) This dictation could not stand in starker contrast to the acute, even over-conscious sense of social standing, which Emma displays throughout the rest of the book. She revolts at the idea of a union between Jane Fairfax and Mr. Knightley, but wilfully ignores the same obstacles in her match making of Harriet and Mr. Elton.Emma presumes to know what is best for other people, and in pursuit of her slated end goal will even act contrary to her (often accurate) perceptions of their feelings. When she writes Harriets letter of refusal to Robert Martin, (an intrusion in itself,) Emma senses that if the young man had come in her way at that moment, he would have been accepted after all (50) yet she seals and sends it all the same. The comment testifies not only to Emmas consciousness of Harriets true feelings, but to her arrogance, in deferring to her own judgment of Harriets best interests rather than to Harriets.The fact that Harriet ends up happily, but in exactly the same place that she started, is the narrators way of putting Emma in her place. As in the encounter with Miss Bates, the gap between Emmas self knowledge and the place we are given on her suggests the conclusion that the proper sphere for exercising human judgment is on ones personal shortcomings instead of on anyone elses. What is most teetotal about Emmas many social blunders is that, apart from Mr. Knightley, she has the deepest social consciousness of anyone in the book.Emma has a truly devoted sense of responsibility to her father, cares deeply for her family and friends, and is constantly smoothing over various social rifts that only she can foresee and repair, like those between her father and John Knightley. Readers understand the great possibilities that come with Emmas characteristic awareness we see the possibilities for a perfection which goes beyond the mere appearance of perfection introduced in the first line of the book and it is this consciousness that makes Emmas blunders seem all the more blind and regrettable.The turning point of the book is when Emmas awareness begins to work to her advantage when she starts to become more aware of herself. Emmas ability to reflect and feel powerfully is what fuels her self-transformation once she directs that power inwards to observe her own heart instead of outwards to mold other people and events. It takes only the right catalyst, namely Mr. Knightley, for Emma to become able to fulfil her own wrongdoing. She responds to his reprimands about her treatment of Miss Bates, not with the defensiveness of someone truly arrogant but with anger against herself, mortification, and deep concern. (347) A similar moment of acknowledgement and self-chastisement comes at the first big climax of the book, when Emma learns of Harriets love for Mr. Knightley and realizes her own with insufferable vanity had she believed herself in the secret of everybodys feelings with unpardonable arrogance proposed to arrange everybodys destiny. (383) Emma proves herself capable of the character revolution which her father is not when she gives up her own pretensions to judge the best interests of others.The fact that it is Knightley who sparks Emma reformation of character might seem to give ultimate power to him rather than to Emma herself. After all, his intrusion into her personal life ends up being the most positive force of the book. But it is important to keep in mind that Knightley is only a catalyst, a stand-in for the authors criticism of Emmas flaws, while Emma shares something like the role of the author herself. Like the playwright or novelist, she learns through trial and erroneous belief the limitations of power exercised in trying to create and dictate the course of other peoples lives.