January242012

Happy studying! 

emma jane austen gwyneth paltrow miss bates mr. knightley media 

January232012

I chose this clip because of Emma’s facial expression after Mr. Elton remarks about the stars in the beginning. It is a perfect example of satire and of how Jane Austen can satirize the stupidity of marriage proposals. It seems as if the insincere proposals in her novels are always completely ridiculous and contrasts the clumsy proposals of true affection.

Hopefully this will bring you guys back a few weeks! Happy studying!

-Amanda

emma Mr. Elton jane austen media marriage 

January52012

Blossom

Through a majority of the novel Emma never considers the feelings of others and believes everything she says is correct. By doing so she closes off the rest the world’s opinions (except Mr. Knightely of course) just like the bud of a flower. Suddenly, Mr. Knightely, like the spring season, comes around and gets Emma to think and open up to the fact that she is sometimes wrong. After the Box Hill incident, Emma realizes her pushiness toward others and changes in a beautiful flower.  

-Kai

art Emma Jane Austen blossom flowers beauty revealing flashy 

January42012

“Now there would be great pleasure in her returning; everything would be a pleasure; it would be a great pleasure to know Robert Martin” (347).

I think this quote is a good example of how much Emma has changed in the novel and emphasizes her newly found maturity. It is an example of free indirect discourse in Emma’s point of view. It states that she is happy to have Harriet returning, which is evidence of true feelings towards Harriet, showing that Emma cares for her as a true friend and no longer treats her like a pawn. It also says that Emma would enjoy meeting Robert Martin. Not only does Emma wants to meet Robert Martin, but is happy about his and Harriet’s union. Emma shows no sign of being angry that she was wrong in the first place about their relationship. This quote also indicates how in love and happy Emma is by the repetition of “pleasure.” How cute! In the end, Emma truly matured and found love. 

-Gabby

quotes emma jane austen maturity friendship 

9PM

“She felt that, in quitting Donwell, he must be sacrificing a great deal of independence of hours and habits…”

In this quote, Emma is thinking about having Mr. Knightley move into her house rather than his and she starts to feel bad about him leaving all his possessions. I chose this quote because it shows how much Emma has changed, how Mr. Knightley goes against all conventions, and the complete irony of the statement. Emma has changed from not caring about the feelings of others to her trying to work out situations to accommodate their emotions. She even sends Harriet away to London so that she will not have to bear the pain of the loss of Mr. Knightley. The fact that she is concerned about Mr. Knightley giving up his independence to be with her shows her development. Even though she is concerned about his feelings, Mr. Knightley shows no apprehension about moving in with her which just gives the reader more evidence of his unusualness in their society. Usually it is proper for a woman to move in with her husband when they get married, not the other way around. Mr. Knightley has been very different in his opinions about Frank Churchill, Harriet Smith and Jane Fairfax but he has always been right. He is a very unconventional man but that just adds more to his attractiveness as a character. The statement is also very ironic because Emma has always avoided marriage because she does not want to give up her independence to a man, but in this situation it is her husband that gives up his independence. Instead of Emma losing “everything”, it’s Mr. Knightley that sacrifices his independence. Poor Mr. Knightley.

-Amanda

Emma Jane Austen Mr. Knightley quotes 

6PM

“Harriet, necessarily drawn away by her engagements with the Martins, was less and less at Hartfield, which was not to be regretted. The intimacy between her and Emma must sink; their friendship must change into a calmer sort of good-will; and, fortunately, what ought to be, and must be, seemed already beginning, and in the most gradual, natural manner.”

Emma allows society’s strict social distinctions to influence her relationships with Harriet. Knowing of the identity of Harriet’s father as a tradesman, Harriet loses a sense of nobility and esteem in Emma’s eyes, along with the rest of society. Emma’s acceptance of withdrawing and distancing herself from Harriet reveals Emma’s submission to the expectations of society and her value of social norms. Emma takes their friendship for granted and easily accepts that their differing social positions mean that they must give put their intimacy. Showing no signs of rejection to their disassociation suggests that the need to adhere to social conventions overwhelms the affection that Emma has for Harriet. -Kelsey McCormick 

Emma frienship jane austen social class 

December132011

Just A Thought…

Why do we tend to sympathize with Emma over Mrs. Elton? Do you think that Jane Austen is trying to humanize the role of the society lady or show that all humans have redeeming qualities? Do you think that Emma and Mrs. Elton are more alike than they are different? Why do we find both girls so annoying when we have admitted to preform similar tendancies? Just some food for thought..

-Clare Schneider

Emma Jane Austen Thought 

10AM
Like Emma, the Greek and Roman god Eros (a.k.a Cupid) has dabbled in the area of matchmacking. As a young god, Eros can be seen aiming and shooting his arrow at a couple who he thinks would be perfect together. Eros is a god who establishes many relationships among mortals, and sometimes, those attempts get him into a huge amount of trouble. However as Cupid matures, he finds that he too can love. He discovers that though his matches seem flawless, he has not established one for himself. Eros is represented in Emma because she tries to set up relationships, though they fail, and does not see herself as relationship worthy. Through the book Emma matures and rather than focusing on others, she focuses on herself and her own love life. -Kai

Like Emma, the Greek and Roman god Eros (a.k.a Cupid) has dabbled in the area of matchmacking. As a young god, Eros can be seen aiming and shooting his arrow at a couple who he thinks would be perfect together. Eros is a god who establishes many relationships among mortals, and sometimes, those attempts get him into a huge amount of trouble. However as Cupid matures, he finds that he too can love. He discovers that though his matches seem flawless, he has not established one for himself. Eros is represented in Emma because she tries to set up relationships, though they fail, and does not see herself as relationship worthy. Through the book Emma matures and rather than focusing on others, she focuses on herself and her own love life.

-Kai

Art cupid eros matchmaking love Emma Jane Austen maturity age growing 

December122011
Ok, so I thought it would be fun to do a little costume/fashion history. Jane Austin’s Emma is set in the Neoclassical Fashion era. This era was a response to the French revolution and was an attempt and revolting against the rigid class-defining clothes of the rococo era. The idea was to harken back to a simpler time and call upon the ancient styles of dress from Greece and Rome as inspiration. A lose silhouette and the empire waist became very popular, though most women still wore corsets. I personally refer to this era and the baby baptismal era because all the clothes are so tiny and they all look like you are going to get baptised. This era is especially interesting in regards to the novel Emma because this style became very simple to try and blur class distinction in dress, while Emma is all about the class system and wealth. The contrast is just very interesting to me. Stay Fabulous -Paige

Ok, so I thought it would be fun to do a little costume/fashion history. Jane Austin’s Emma is set in the Neoclassical Fashion era. This era was a response to the French revolution and was an attempt and revolting against the rigid class-defining clothes of the rococo era. The idea was to harken back to a simpler time and call upon the ancient styles of dress from Greece and Rome as inspiration. A lose silhouette and the empire waist became very popular, though most women still wore corsets. I personally refer to this era and the baby baptismal era because all the clothes are so tiny and they all look like you are going to get baptised. This era is especially interesting in regards to the novel Emma because this style became very simple to try and blur class distinction in dress, while Emma is all about the class system and wealth. The contrast is just very interesting to me.
Stay Fabulous
-Paige

Art fashion Neoclassical empire waist Jane Austen 

December112011

“I must be on my guard not to encourage it.” (Chapter 31 pg 192)

`After Mr. Elton’s rejection we have started to see instances of Emma becoming more mature and less narrow minded. At the start of the novel Emma was not able to see any other opinion besides her own or comprehend much how her actions were affecting others. In this particular quote Emma is referring to leading on Frank Churchill, whom Emma is convinced is in love with her. In her note not to lead on Frank Churchill Emma shows that she has learned from her mistake with Mr. Elton. She also reveals a knowledge of herself with the phrase “on my guard” which has the effect of showing how Emma realizes that she is capable to lead men on without being fully conscious of doing so. I found this quote particularly notable because it is one of the rare instances in which we see any growth from Emma as a character.

-Ashley

quotes emma jane austen character development 

December22011
I found this picture on my tumblr. It’s a picture of an advice column called “Ask Emma.” I think this is relevant to the story because Emma, in the book, believes that she is the perfect matchmaker and attempts to create, what she considers, ideal couples. Like the advice column, Emma tells Harriet what to do, except more subtlety, for example how Harriet should respond to the marriage proposal from Mr. Martin. What Emma does differently from the advice column is that she tells Harriet what to do without being asked to in the first place.  -Gabby

I found this picture on my tumblr. It’s a picture of an advice column called “Ask Emma.” I think this is relevant to the story because Emma, in the book, believes that she is the perfect matchmaker and attempts to create, what she considers, ideal couples. Like the advice column, Emma tells Harriet what to do, except more subtlety, for example how Harriet should respond to the marriage proposal from Mr. Martin. What Emma does differently from the advice column is that she tells Harriet what to do without being asked to in the first place. 

-Gabby

advice ask emma english jane austen literature media 

November272011

“The first effort, and the worst, lay at her door. It was foolish, it was wrong, to take so active a part in bringing any two people together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious — a trick of what ought to be simple. She was quite concerned and ashamed, and resolve to do such things no more” (100).  

Taken-aback by Elton’s confession of love, Emma reflects on her actions and their affect on others. This is the first instance that Emma does any self-evaulation, marking her development as a character. Emma is able to admit her wrongdoing in trying to matchmake couples, and realizes that any existing relationship between Harriet and Elton is largely due to her manipulation. Saying that, “It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious — a trick of what ought to be simple,” Emma illustrates how courtship should be based on the pure affection between two people. However, her statement reeks of irony because in the case of the novel, relationships and marriage are largely based on wealth and status, as opposed to the impulses of true love. 

-Kelsey McCormick 

quotes Emma Jane Austen love 

November172011

“Mr. Martin is a very respectable young man, but I cannot admit him to be Harriet’s equal” (44).” 

In Emma’s discussion with Mr. Knightly regarding her friendship with Harriet, Emma tries to defend herself against Mr. Knightly’s accusation of her manipulation in Harriet’s act of rejecting Mr. Martin’s courtship. Emma states that Mr. Martin is not Harriet’s equal, trying to argue that she has a higher standard for Harriet. Emma has a preconceived notion of Harriet’s position in society and intends to execute her plan for her, even if that means destroying Harriet’s potential happiness with Mr. Martin. Emma is blinded by her ideal vision of Harriet and completely ignores Harriet’s wishes. 

-Kelsey McCormick 

emma quotes Jane Austen 

9PM
In the novel Emma, Emma Woodhouse invites Mr. Elton to watch as she paints a picture of Harriet Smith as a scheme to create love between her friends. Before presenting Harriet to Mr. Elton, Emma is determined to form Harriet into a perfect, eligible bachelorette. Emma’s eagerness to paint Harriet symbolizes her excitement toward giving Harriet a social makeover. The image of Harriet compared to the real Harriet differs extremely because the woman “has not those eyebrows and eyelashes” as the portrait (34). Mr. Elton, completely oblivious to the set up at hand, says “It is the fault of her face that she has them not” (34). Emma denies having changed the image from the reality and states that the picture is a resembles Harriet perfectly. By rejecting all accusations of changing Harriet, Emma enhances Harriet on a physical level, different from the emotional level. The image above is from the BBC version of Emma. It shows Emma drawing Harriet, forcing Harriet to stand uncomfortably still for hours even though she doesn’t Harriet as she truly is.  -Kai

In the novel Emma, Emma Woodhouse invites Mr. Elton to watch as she paints a picture of Harriet Smith as a scheme to create love between her friends. Before presenting Harriet to Mr. Elton, Emma is determined to form Harriet into a perfect, eligible bachelorette. Emma’s eagerness to paint Harriet symbolizes her excitement toward giving Harriet a social makeover. The image of Harriet compared to the real Harriet differs extremely because the woman “has not those eyebrows and eyelashes” as the portrait (34). Mr. Elton, completely oblivious to the set up at hand, says “It is the fault of her face that she has them not” (34). Emma denies having changed the image from the reality and states that the picture is a resembles Harriet perfectly. By rejecting all accusations of changing Harriet, Emma enhances Harriet on a physical level, different from the emotional level. The image above is from the BBC version of Emma. It shows Emma drawing Harriet, forcing Harriet to stand uncomfortably still for hours even though she doesn’t Harriet as she truly is. 

-Kai

(Source: janeaustensworld.wordpress.com)

Emma Jane Austen portait art movie scene Harriet Smith Mr. Elton 

9PM
This is Not a Pipe by Magritte This painting reminded me to Emma’s plan for herself and her tunnel vision for others.  The painting looks like a pipe, but it tells you that it is not making the viewer assess his perception of the image and see it in a new light.  Emma’s plan to not marry blinds her to possibilities for herself and what she feels is really best for herself.  Her plan for others obscures what she sees misinterpreting situations and making illegitimate decisions for them.  Emma’s ability to manipulate her perception of reality for herself and others 

This is Not a Pipe by Magritte

This painting reminded me to Emma’s plan for herself and her tunnel vision for others.  The painting looks like a pipe, but it tells you that it is not making the viewer assess his perception of the image and see it in a new light.  Emma’s plan to not marry blinds her to possibilities for herself and what she feels is really best for herself.  Her plan for others obscures what she sees misinterpreting situations and making illegitimate decisions for them.  Emma’s ability to manipulate her perception of reality for herself and others 

Art magritte This is Not a Pipe Emma Jane Austen blinded 

Page 1 of 1