Matchmaking Soulmates and Dancing Through The Drama

Reading “Emma” is a sure trip through refinement, passion and fine intelligence. She is the matchmaker who foresaw everyone’s soulmate, but not her own. It’s a butterfly effect which turns lives upside down, starting scandals and pushing pure love up front. This novel is an emotional adventure, with long friendships, irreplaceable loyalty, carefully hidden secrets and burning passion.

“Emma” is the story of a fancy world from a long passed century. When love was undying, manners were a “law” and the tea was the climax of the day. Some may call it finding your soulmate, but I’ll call it finding your “knight”.

The Narration

The 3rd person story-telling is detailful and complex. The action is narrated objectively, offering the readers a broader view upon the setting and the general view overall. “Emma” is a very feminine novel, in perspective and essence; it’s a promising authentic Jane Ausen classic.

I found it quite difficult to comprehend all the information which is mentioned along the story. The several names, properties and connections represented an obstacle in my reading pace. However, I think that this aspect is easily passed by once the readers dive deeper into the story and become used to the amalgam of names.

“Emma” by Jane Austen	My experience	Online sources
Age rating	+14	+13 – Common Sense Media
Star rating	4.7/5	4.04/5 – Goodreads
Reading time	13h	8h 32m – Reading Length
Book length	–	422 (full version) – Barnes & Noble
Narrative pace	slow to medium	–
Genre	–	novel of manners, comedy, romance, fiction, reference work
Romance trope	–	friends to lovers

Social Typologies

One of the most impressive aspects regarding this reading consists of the numerous human typologies, constantly present in society regardless the century. Times have changed, names did as well, but people didn’t. I actually believe that this is one of the many reasons the classics are everlasting stories: they continue telling a general truth to each new generation, while the facts keep themselves unchanged.

Mr. Woodhouse

Mr. Woodhouse was a true gentleman; with irreproachable manners, he became a role model for the young generation. Regardless of his high education and his respected high social status, I can’t help but express my indignance regarding his ways as a single father.

No matter the circumstances and the times, Mr. Woodhouse presented himself being selfish, or, at least, definitely neglecting his little daughter’s own wishes. She was more than reticent, actually completely refusing the idea of ever getting married – all due to her “duty” to stay with her father. Isn’t the child’s responsibility to find their happiness, and this therefore the parents’ greatest goal? I think Mr. Woodhouse was selfish to consider everyone’s weddings pitiful. He thought about himself – his loneliness, his need for company and being taken care of – , and never about the others’ thoughts or feelings.

Two Protagonists

Emma and Jane’s friendship is the most reprehensive in showing the way women’s mind and attitude work. While Emma took very much care of her social life as a monden and open person, Jane exceled in keeping a reserved and discreet air – an undecipherable enigma for everyone who met her, stranger or inner circle.

Due to their opposite natures, Emma couldn’t stand the other girl, nor consider her a pleasant company. Even though she didn’t express clearly her feelings regarding Jane, the readers are able to deduce them.

Neither did Emma know an exact reason for that antipathy … maybe because there were none. Her hate was due to the differences between them. Naturally, people are “programmed” to hate what’s different or unknown to them. Jane was the exception from the rule: reserved and discreet, she kept her secrets and moments of happiness for herself.

Possible spoilers Jane was, as well, “eaten alive” by her hard unexpressed feelings. She detested Emma’s company due to her closeness to Frank Churchill. While the two girls were both close to Frank, who was responsible for “ruining the connections”? Emma, whose company and friendship Jane ended up despising, or Frank, who gave both of them mixed signals? Girls often forget who’s to blame.

Two Gentlemen and a “Puppet”

Mr. Weston and Mr. Knightley were not only gentlemanlike, but also honorable and of word. Regarding the first, there’s one sequence which keeps playing rent free in my mind: coming exhausted from London, he preferred his friends’ company over the one of his own bed. He promised he would try to make it to the party and he did. Not only did I remark his exceptional gesture, but the other characters did as well.

“𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.”

“Emma”, Jane Austen

I can’t help but highlight Mr. Elton’s impertinence and lack of manners or respect, in comparison to the two gentlemen previously mentioned. One obvious event which shows his true colors is the ball itself.

Possible spoilers While Miss Harriet Smith was the only young lady without a dancing partner, Mr. Elton declared to be in his very mood for dancing. Being proposed to ask the young lady, his mood suddenly decreased, leaving Harriett deeply ashamed with herself. Mr. Knightley was her knight in shiny armor, asking her to dance with him – a perfect salvation from the shameful moment and Mrs. Elton’s mockery. Therefore, we clearly found out where Knight(ley)’s name came from.

Better Than a Sister

“Emma” has always been seen by literary critics and readers as an impressive story about the powerful sisterhood which exists beyond blood. I loved the blind trust between Emma and Miss Taylor (current Mrs. Weston). It was a bond that began with a tragedy, a dear mother loss, but continued as a pure friendship.

It’s really nice to think how Emma’s matchmaker experience started with Miss Taylor. She was determined to find her good friend a right match and see her happily married. In those times, as the narration made me consider, it was more normal for a girl, when she got married, to stop spending so much time with her unmarried friends – she wouldn’t have had her own friends anymore, but family ones, whom the newly married couple would get acquainted to. Nevertheless, Emma and Miss Taylor’s friendship did not obey this irrelevant unwritten “rule”.

In contrast, Emma and Harriett’s seemed to follow the course of a friendship conditioned by external influence. There was an inequality in terms of social status and education between the two. Emma took care of Harriett’s connections, education and manners, but they couldn’t ever be equal in elegance. What’s learnt is not as promising as what’s given by nature.

Once both girls proved to be in love with the same man, Emma admitted her true feelings for the girl: she considered Harriett inferior and thought the girl deluded. Well, the man came in between and friendship disappeared instantly?!

Emma

The girl was seen perfect by everyone, no person refusing any of her requests. She was a little spoilt young woman. The very thing which I loved was that, in spite of everyone’s forgiving attitude regarding Emma, Mr. Knightley called her out every time. In some way, he educated her and contributed, at least a little, to her personal development as the current mannered and refined young lady she became. I think an excessive forgiving nature must be toxic in a young person’s character-in-forming.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟”

“Emma”, Jane Austen

Emma was positioned in the role of a matchmaker, since her dear friend Miss Taylor married. This role ends up deciding her fate; while she foresaw everyone’s perfect match, she remained blind regarding her soulmate. Too busy to take care of the others’ love life, she neglected hers. Therefore, her “matchmaker” role proved to be defining in the course of her destiny.

“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.”

“Emma”, Jane Austen

Churchill and Jane

It’s incredible the way this story had two female protagonists, as contrasting to each other as possible. Therefore, the two love stories were presented, from a point on, simultaneously.

Possible spoilers The timing was ideal, so Frank’s sudden leaving for Randals was not surprising considering that Jane was already at Maple Groves – the two cities being very close to each other. Every detail suggested the characters’ secrets, but I should’ve known what exactly to look for to actually expect their long acquaintance.

Jane Fairfax was a complex enigma for her family and friends as well; nobody knew her thoughts, intentions, nor feelings. She might’ve not been that different to Emma in the end.

Have you read “Emma” by Jane Austen? Share your experience with us.

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More Information

• A broader analysis of the narrative techniques, with examples, used in “Emma” by Jane Austen
• The plot summary and the writting process of “Emma”
• Chapter summaries and analysis
• The characters list and their brief moral presentation
• The “Emma” quotes from Goodreads
• Top 40 most popular quotes from “Emma”
• Jane Austen’s biography