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Emma Burgin
Mr. Oravec
AP Literature and Composition
29 November 2012
Analysis of Jane Austen’s Emma
Should one choose their spouse based on their love for one another or their love for high
social status? Jane Austen explores this theme in her novel Emma, the last novel she published
before her untimely death. In this novel, Emma Woodhouse, a young woman high in the ranks of
social class, is faced with several situations regarding this issue. She sees herself as a
matchmaker and advises a few of her female companions as to whom she feels possesses the
most appropriate social standing. The idea that people should marry for social status rather than
love is best depicted in Emma’s statement that “it is not every man's fate to marry the woman
who loves him best” (Austen 249).
The theme of marriage for love versus gaining social status is featured in several
relationships in this novel. Emma encourages her friend Harriet to choose one man over another
based on his social standing, but Harriet is later rejected by that man because he felt she was too
far below him. Austen uses point of view to highlight each character’s motivation for their
choice in suitor. Characterization is utilized to bring the narrative to life, and the language
Austen uses directly correlates to the description of the characters.
The narrator tells the story with a 3rd person omniscient point of view; sometimes
Emma’s thoughts are given but other times the situation is expressed through the eyes of other
characters. It is also through the narrator in which elements of irony are introduced to the story.
The narrator also emphasizes Austen’s satirical voice when writing this novel. During the course
of the novel, internal conflict arises within Emma as she is faced with life-altering decisions.
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Emma begins to resolve her conflict during the climax of the novel. Austen makes use of
foreshadowing over the course of the story. The story possessed limited setting, in which focus
could be drawn more to dialogues and conversations. The processes that the characters went
through to make these decisions are believable and therefore show verisimilitude. Although this
novel was written in the Victorian era, the characters and their lives could exist today.
For a woman living in the Victorian era, Jane Austen was well educated. At a young age,
she and her sister attended the various boarding schools of Oxford, Southampton, and Reading.
By the age of eleven, Jane was significantly more educated than women were expected to be
during this period (Harmen). Her upper-level education ultimately led to her career as an author.
Austen’s life was essentially based around her relationship with her sister, Cassandra. The two
girls were the only daughters in a family of eight children. They were born into a well-educated
family; their father was a scholarly reverend and their mother was a descendant of the
aristocracy.
Jane was known to be flirtatious, and in 1803, she received a marriage proposal, but she
withdrew her response the following day (Daleski). Neither woman married, as Cassandra’s only
engagement terminated when her fiancé passed away. It was then when the sisters decided to live
together. The solid role women played in Austen’s life is apparent in her stories. It was due to
her sisterly relationship that all of her novels centered around strong female characters. Austen’s
family situation also plays a key role in her literature.
After her father’s death in 1805, Jane, Cassandra, and their mother moved into the home
of Austen’s favorite and wealthiest brother Henry (P.B.S.) and it was within the walls of Henry’s
home in which Austen penned the majority of her notable literature. The events and family
situations Austen encountered in her life obviously shaped her literature as much as they shaped
her.
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Although several lesser themes are introduced throughout the course of the novel, the
central theme is that marriage should be based upon one’s social standing rather than love. This
theme is prevalent in the majority of the relationships that are discussed and is first witnessed in
the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Weston. Before the marriage, Mrs. Weston was Emma’s governess,
and although the Woodhouse family loved her dearly, she had to get married and leave them.
During this time period, to become a governess was a sign of marital unworthiness. If a
woman’s situation led her to employment as a governess, she had not proven herself desirable as
a wife and also did not possess the status or wealth to remain independent. She was forced to rely
on a family to provide for her. Emma knew this, and prompted her governess’s marriage to Mr.
Weston, a man with a sizeable fortune and elevated social status. Mrs. Weston may not have
initially loved her husband, but she was compelled to marry him so as to not be pitied in society.
The character who most demonstrates the theme of marriage for status over love is
Harriet Smith. She and Mr. Robert Martin had a mutual companionship. Emma disapproved of
their relationship because she felt Mr. Martin was too low on the social ladder for Harriet to even
consider marrying. Harriet was a beautiful young woman whom Emma felt could have her
choice of many men with much higher societal status. About Mr. Martin, Emma stated that “he is
undoubtedly her inferior as to rank in society. – The sphere in which she moves is much above
his. – It would be a degradation” (56). After this relationship was dissolved, Emma arranged a
pairing for Harriet with a man she considered to be a more acceptable suitor, Mr. Elton.
However, in a later twist of events, Mr. Elton confessed his love for Emma and said about
Harriet, “everybody has their level: but as for myself, I am not, I think, quite so much at a loss”
(122). Harriet was rejected for the same reason she had rejected Mr. Martin. Harriet’s misfortune
with relationships most clearly displays the theme of marrying for the purpose of elevating one’s
social class.
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Although Emma often expresses her beliefs that one should marry for personal gain, she
herself did not feel this way. Emma knew that she was well above the status line. She was born
into a prosperous family with wealthy heritage. If she were to marry, it would be nearly
impossible to gain social standing through her husband. While Emma possesses these opinions,
she herself provides contradiction to the overall theme of this novel. However, these feelings
would later change.
Through each relationship Emma suggested for her friends, she began to learn more
about herself and her own feelings toward relationships. When Harriet decided that she was in
love with Mr. Knightley, Emma was finally able to admit to herself the feelings she held for the
same man. Luckily enough for Emma, Mr. Knightley did not reciprocate feelings toward Harriet,
but rather had feelings for Emma the whole time.
Emma’s companionship with Harriet had been based purely on convenience the entire
time. Once Emma realized that she was in love with Mr. Knightley, she regretted ever
befriending Harriet. What Harriet perceived as Mr. Knightley’s interest in her was actually his
interest in discovering what was happening between her and Mr. Martin. Mr. Knightley told
Emma that Mr. Martin had proposed to Harriet and she accepted, and Emma was overjoyed that
everyone would be able to achieve happiness based on societal standings (Moore). With
Harriet’s future with Mr. Martin secured, the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley was
then allowed to unfold because she no longer felt responsible for Harriet.
This novel would not be so impactful if not for Austen’s use of characterization to bring
the story to life. In the very first sentence, Emma is described as “handsome, clever, and rich,
with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of
existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex
her” (1). The reader is immediately shown a glimpse of Emma’s lifestyle, one that remains
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prominent throughout the course of the novel. Emma appeared to have it all, including the idea
that she did not need a man in her life, for she was a headstrong, independent young woman able
to live off of her father’s land and money. The character of Emma is dynamic. Based on events
in her life and those that surround her, she grows from one blatantly opposed to the idea of her
own marriage to someone that embraces the idea and the happiness that comes from love. Emma
changes as the novel progresses, as she is shaped by her own experiences.
Harriet Smith, a shy, pretty girl, was one Emma quickly found acquaintance in, mostly
due to her boredom resulting from a lack of governess. Harriet was soon characterized as reliant,
“only desiring to be guided by any one she looked up to” (22). It was clear that the friendship
between Emma and Harriet would become one that Emma was apt to take advantage of, as
Emma was powerful and Harriet was merely looking for a simple friendship. The character of
Harriet remained static throughout the novel. She was pushed from man to man by Emma, never
giving her say in the matter. This continued for the duration of their friendship. Harriet was only
freed from this oppressive relationship when she decided to marry Mr. Martin, leading Emma’s
attention elsewhere.
Emma’s attention was directed away from Harriet to the honorable gentleman, Mr.
Knightley. The heir to the largest and most prosperous estate in Highbury, Donwell Abbey, Mr.
Knightley was as royal to the estate as his name suggests. His inherited wealth was slightly
above that of the Woodhouses, making him the most similar in status to Emma. “This model
gentleman-farmer is a firm supporter of the status quo, including the class system. Yet he judges
with keen insight the characters of people of all social levels” (Montazzoli). He is truthful and
honest, and functions as the novel’s ideal for reason and wisdom. He and Emma are actually
similar characters. They both are wealthy, independent, dedicated individuals, and he even
shared some of Emma’s matchmaking qualities by encouraging Mr. Martin’s affections toward
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Harriet. Mr. Knightley is a dynamic character. The reader sees his opinions toward Emma
change from those of an older brother to those of a lover. Also like Emma, it takes direct
competition from another suitor for him to truly decide that he loved her.
What characterized the people in this story, however, was less direct description than it
was the language with which they spoke. Each character was defined by their dialogue. Mr.
Woodhouse especially was never directly characterized. Rather, the reader learned about him
through his opinions on the outside world or the often hypochondriacal speeches he would make
to his daughter. Information about the characters was often revealed through conversations
between others as well. Austen’s use of dialogue and language was perhaps more effective than
the descriptions of characters themselves. This practice allowed the reader to create their own
images of the characters based on their communications, creating a greater involvement to the
story. Had there been only a minor amount of dialogue, the audience would lack a deeper
understanding of the characters through their dialogue.
Also aiding in the understanding of the characters would be the unnamed narrator’s thirdperson omniscient point of view. Although readers generally learned about these situations
through Emma’s eyes, other characters’ perspectives were given as well. Chapter 41 was told
completely from Mr. Knightley’s perspective, which allowed the reader to finally see what he
had been thinking the whole time. The omniscience of the narrator is effective in that she already
knows all and has nothing left to learn of the story. Her views in the beginning and ending of the
novel are equal. Her understanding of situations is not altered as events continue to occur
throughout the story. It is clear that the narrator possesses the same set of values as Austen does.
Had the novel not been told through third person omniscient point of view, the story
would have lost several key elements. If only Emma’s perspective was shown, the novel would
be entirely biased. The reader would never have seen alternate perspectives about any situation,
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such as how Harriet felt about Emma’s matchmaking, or how Mr. Knightley felt about Emma’s
relationship with Frank Churchill. This point of view allows the novel to take on a more dynamic
role, and it allows readers to feel as if they had been inside the heads of a few major characters.
This point of view is also used to highlight motivations held by the characters when
choosing between suitors. Their motivation most directly stems from the main theme: people
should marry for social status rather than love. This is prominent while the characters are
deciding their opinions of people. Each character’s motivation is mainly to gain rank in society
through marriage. Marrying into a wealthy family would be the only way to gain status, and
ultimately was the goal of the majority of the characters. The omniscient narrator highlights this
issue more than the characters do themselves.
The narrator introduces elements of irony throughout the course of the novel as well. The
major irony that takes place in this narrative is that Emma is too concerned with her friends’
romantic relationships that she fails to see that she is in love with Mr. Knightley. This is a type of
situational irony in which the outcome is different than what was expected. This situation is more
ironic to Emma rather than the reader in the sense that she never thought she would fall in love.
She never expected it to be herself put in that position, so it became the ultimate ironic
circumstance for the main character.
Another ironic situation involved Mr. Elton, soon after he was married to Augusta
Hawkins. It was stated that he was “in the same room at once with the woman he had just
married, the woman he had wanted to marry, and the woman whom he had been expected to
marry” (248). This also shows situational irony, but this exposed more insight into Mr. Elton’s
thoughts for the sake of the audience. In the best case scenario, the person he should want to
marry, had married, and been expected to marry should all be the same woman. Sadly for Mr.
Elton, however, these were three different women: the woman he married, Augusta; the woman
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he wanted, Emma; and his former courtesan, Harriet. This situation is intended to be humorous
for the audience, allowing readers to see the irony instead of it being a realization made by the
character.
The narrator furthermore emphasizes Austen’s personal motivation in writing Emma.
Jane Austen’s incentive for writing was to display satire toward the standards apparent in
society. Her purpose was to provide social commentary on a variety of issues, the key subject of
this novel being marriage. Never having married, Austen clearly did not share the opinions of the
majority of her characters. This novel was set in the same time period in which it was written, so
its relevance was most noticeable at the time. The way in which Austen portrays the madness
that was finding an acceptable spouse shed light on how society was backwards. The narrator
provides the reader with Austen’s views that marriage should not be for status or wealth and
rather for the love of the other person. The underlying satire apparent throughout the novel is
Austen’s commentary on how unnecessary this social epidemic had become.
This social epidemic was one likely to cause conflict amongst the characters. The major
conflict apparent in this novel is Emma’s internal conflict. In the beginning of the story, Emma
informs Harriet of her views on marriage through this monologue:
I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry. Were I to fall in love,
indeed, it would be a different thing! But I never have been in love; it is not my
way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall. And, without love, I am sure I
should not be a fool to change such a situation as mine. Fortune I do not want;
employment I do not want; consequence I do not want: I believe few married
women are half as much mistresses of their husband’s house, as I am of Hartfield;
and never, never could I expect to be so truly beloved and important; so always
first and always right in any man’s eyes as I am in my father’s. (Austen 78)
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Emma’s blatant refusal of marriage arises from the fact that she has no need to move up in
society. At that point in time, she did not see the possibility of her ever falling in love, and she
was confident that she would never marry. When she began to fall in love with Mr. Knightley,
this caused conflict within her.
The type of conflict Emma experiences is person vs. self, in which the character is
experiencing the conflict within her own head. The point of view the narrator possesses allows
the reader to witness this conflict through Emma’s eyes. Emma struggles to confront her own
feelings, and this creates a barrier between herself and those around her. Her own fear causes her
to misinterpret situations and the people involved and gives her a false sense of when to get
involved. This is ultimately the reason in which she intrudes upon the lives of others and in some
cases causes severe damage to her friends’ relationships. Emma’s conflict is introduced in the
beginning and is not resolved until the very end of the novel. She overcomes this conflict in the
end by finally confronting her feelings. This allows her to change her outlook on her own
position in society and accept Mr. Knightley’s marriage proposal, regardless of what she had
ever felt before.
The height of Emma’s conflict leads to the climax of the novel. The climax occurs when
her dear friend Harriet confesses to Emma the love she has for Mr. Knightley. At this point,
Emma has a major revelation: she finally comes to terms with the fact that she has loved him all
along. It took Harriet’s admitting her love for him for Emma to confront her feelings. The
resolution begins as Mr. Knightley does not return Harriet’s affections but rather seeks love from
Emma, foreshadowing the happy ending to come.
Austen makes use of foreshadowing of some sort in nearly every chapter. The use of
foreshadowing generates suspense and allows readers to acquire a glimpse of what is to come.
Mr. Knightley had always been skeptical about Emma’s friendship with Harriet. In chapter five,
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he told Mrs. Weston that “I think they will neither of them do the other any good” (31). He
continues by describing how Emma will take advantage of Harriet’s obvious dependence. As the
story continues, Mr. Knightley’s predictions come true. Emma often forces Harriet into a
direction she may not have taken herself. His decision about how their friendship would be
unhealthy to both girls was witnessed as time progressed. This conclusion also foreshadowed
that their friendship would one day terminate. Their friendship began to fade once Mr. Knightley
rejected Harriet and confessed his love for Emma, and it did not take long for it to disappear
altogether.
Mr. Knightley’s brother John also played a role in foreshadowing a later conflict: Mr.
Elton’s love for Emma rather than Harriet. In chapter 13, he told Emma that “he seems to have a
great deal of good-will toward you” (103) rather than her friend whom he was supposed to be
courting. Emma was repulsed by this idea, since it was Harriet’s best interest she had in mind, of
course. John Knightley’s statement was made true two chapters later, when Mr. Elton confessed
his love to Emma in a carriage on the way home from a party. His statement alone would allow
readers to see what was to come, and introducing a conflict that would be created between any of
those involved.
Emma contained a significant amount of dialogue and conversations among characters.
What the novel lacked, however, was a detailed description of the setting. The novel was set in
the early nineteenth century, around the time it was written. The story took place in a town
named Highbury in Surrey, about 15 miles outside of London, England. Austen described the
fictional town of Highbury as very small and quaint, and containing several estates upon which
the characters lived. Most other physical descriptions end there. The limited setting allows focus
to be placed on other elements of the novel, especially the interactions between Emma and her
peers. A more in-depth setting would have detracted from the inner thoughts and outer dialogues
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the audience witnessed throughout. As the novel is centered around these communications, a
detailed setting would not have been largely beneficial to the story’s plot.
Some may argue that the lack of physical description takes away from the realism of the
novel. Despite the small role setting plays in the story, the novel still possesses verisimilitude.
Austen began writing Emma in January 1814, during the Victorian era. Although the story was
written nearly 200 years ago, some elements of it are still relevant today. The first of these comes
from the theme of marrying into society. In today’s culture, money and status play a large role in
creating a person’s success. In recent history, average people have married celebrities for their
fifteen minutes of fame and fortune. This goes back to the main theme, that social status is more
important than love. Whether the people in question lived during 1814 or 2012, this practice has
and will always be prominent in society.
Should one choose their spouse based on their love for one another or their love for high
social status? Jane Austen resolved her novel with a collection of marriages, all of which were
between individuals of the same social position, perhaps because it was easier to find true love
within one’s own rank in society. By finding true love, the characters did not feel the need to use
marriage as a way to gain status. They were already comfortable with their position in society
because they chose to marry for love.
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Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Emma. 1815. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1996. Print.
Daleski, H. M. Introduction. Emma. By Jane Austen. The Toby Press, 2003. 1-6. Print.
Harman, Claire. "Jane Austen." British Writers. 1st ed. 2002. Print.
Montazzoli, Paul. Introduction. Emma. By Jane Austen. Barnes and Noble Books, 1996. i - xi.
Print.
Moore, Catherine E. "Critical Evaluation." Masterplots. 1st ed. 1949. Print.
P.B.S. "Austen, Jane." British Authors of the Nineteenth Century. 8th ed. 1982. Print.