George W.

In Vol. I Chapter 15 Emma is accidentally forced to ride home alone in a carriage with Mr. Elton, which, as we know from reading the carriage scene in Evelina, places her in a very dangerous position. Of course, Mr. Elton makes a pass at her and Emma becomes very perturbed. Her discomfort and confusion at this situation, however, are not just because she's in an awkward and potentially dangerous situation with Elton. Emma has claimed in Chapter 1 that she is responsible for Mr. Weston's marriage to Miss Taylor and thinks of herself as somewhat of a matchmaker declaring that "It is the

greatest amusement in the world!" although she promises her father that she will "make none for herself" (60). She has also told Harriet that she has "very little intention of ever marrying at all" (116). The greatest part of Emma's discomfort at the revelation that Elton is in love with her arises from the fact that Emma has felt that she is above the fray, so to speak, in the marriage market. She feels that she is a disinterested observer, rather than a participant, and her realization that others see her as "in the game" is as big of a part of why this upsets her as is anything else.

Questions:

On their way to the Weston's, John Knightley suggests to Emma that Mr. Elton is in love with her. On the way home from the Weston's, does he get into the wrong carriage on purpose in order to bring about the situation Emma finds herself in with Mr. Elton? Is this why he is so eager to talk about the scary weather in the drawing room at Randalls-to make Mr. Woodhouse eager to leave?

When Emma does finally arrive at home, Mr. Woodhouse is worried that she had been placed in a dangerous situation. Would Mr. Woodhouse be "trembling for the dangers of a solitary drive" (151) if Emma's companion had been George Knightley instead of Mr. Elton?

--David S.

Discussion starter

Emma

 

Many ‘new feminists’ believe that Jane Austen’s work is no longer valid to the modern feminist and therefore do not pay her work the attention that many believe it still richly deserves. Amongst the several problems they find with Emma they list the mistakes made by female authority figures as a problem for the feminist reader.

 

Although we are still early in the novel, we can clearly see that Emma’s medaling is going to create problems. Do you feel that the portrayal of the heroine in this novel as an imperfect sole is a problem for the feminist reader?