TaylorWhite
Eng1B
FreedomandLimitationinJaneAusten’sEmma
ForJaneAustenthesubjectoffreedomandlimitationwasanoverarchingthemetoher
mysteriouslyunderstoodlifeandacommonalitysharedbetweenherworkswhichevaluatethe
roleofwomeninsociety.Bornin1775inSteventon,England,thefamedwriter,towhommany
criticsconsiderEngland’sbestnovelist,wastheseventhofeightchildren,andlivedwithher
parentsforherentirelifefirstinSteventonandlaterinBath,Southampton,andChawton.
Althoughnotawealthyaristocrat,herfather,theparishrectorinSteventon,waswellconnected
andemphasizedtheimportanceofeducationtobothhissonsanddaughters.BiographerClaire
Tomalin,whosebookJaneAusten:ALife,uncoversthepersonalandundisclosedlifeofthe
famedwriter.ShewritesthatwhileAustenbrieflyattendedboardingschoolinReading,like
manywomenofherclassandtime,shereceivedthemajorityofhereducationathome(Tomalin
12).Atruetrailblazer,Austenwhonevermarriedandsadlydiedatagefortyone,created
memorableheroineswhoembodiedintelligenceandresourcefulness,oftenstandinginconstant
contrasttothelimitsoftheconstrictedworldofcourtshipandmarriagewhichdefinedtheir
sphereofaction.
WhilesomeconsiderEmmaAusten’sbestandmostrepresentativenovelitisalsoher
longest,andbymanyaccounts,hermostdifficult.DeidreLeFayenotesinheranthologyJane
Austen:TheWorldofHerNovelsthat,“AccordingtoanAustenfamilytradition,Janesaid
thatforthisbookshewasgoingtocreateaheroine‘whomnoonebutmyselfwillmuchlike’
(255).WhileEmmadoesdistanceherselffromsocialconventionsandemergeasthenovel’s
heroine,shehasaverymuddledandmistakeriddenjourneyinreachingaplaceinwhichsheis
abletohonestlyassesshowsocietyworksandwhereherplaceinitoughttobe.AsEmma’s
selfawarenessunfoldsthroughouttheplot,itisrevealedthathermiscalculationsinmatchmaking
areduetoafalsesenseofherownplaceinsociety,aswellasanincorrectviewoftheplaceof
othersinthesamesociety.Socialconventionsofthetimereflectedthestratifiedhierarchyin
whichEmmathinks.Thenovel’scomplexityisclearlymanifestedasEmmamustlearnhowto
overcomeherprejudicesofotherssocialstatusandyetmaintainasenseofobligationand
responsibilitywhichproceedsfromherownupperclassstatus(Olson83).
The1996filmEmma,basedonthenovelofthesamenamestaringactressGwyneth
Paltrow,andClueless,the1995satiricalteencomedylooselybasedonthenovelstaring
actressAliciaSilverstoneasCher,areanodetothetrialsandtribulationsfacedbyaprivileged
youngwomanonthecuspofadulthood.Longpraisedforitsrichdomesticrealism,bothfilms
andthenovelpresentpuzzlingquestionsdealingwithlargerissuessuchastheroleofmarriagein
determiningsocialandfinancialstatus,theimpermeabilityofclassstructures,women’s
opportunitiesforeducationalattainment,andthelimitsofblindingimaginationthatgovernthe
universalchallengesofgrowingup,whereonemustconfrontandbalancethenaïvetéand
freedomsofchildhoodforthelimitationsandexpectationsofadulthood.
AlthoughananonymouscriticfromtheNorthBritishReviewof1870questionedwhether
Emma’sHighburywasarealisticdepictionof18thcenturyBritishsociety,itisundeniablethat
Austenrelatedthecharactersofhernovelwithinthecontextofherownexperience,inwhich
one’sclassandmarriage,orlackthereof,determinedthesocialstatusforthewomenofthe
time(Bloom24).Austenherself,whoremainedunmarriedherentirelifedespitereceivingand
rejectingnumerousproposals,provesanexceptiontotherule;however,marriage,forthe
majorityofhercharactersinthenovelprovidedwomenopportunitiesotherwiseunattainable.
Simplyput,forwomenofAusten’stimemarriageorhavingherownfortunewereawoman’s
bestoptions,ifnot,arguably,theironlyoptions.Thenovelitselfisstructuredaroundanumber
ofmarriagesrecentlyconsummatedoranticipated,and,ineachcase,thematchsolidifiesthe
participant’ssocialstatus.Arguablystilltruetoday,socialstatuswasdeterminedbya
combinationoffamilybackground,reputation,andwealth;marriagewasoneofthemainways
inwhichonecouldraiseone’ssocialstatus.Thismethodofsocialadvancementwasespecially
crucialtowomenofAusten’sera,whowereinmanywaysdeniedthepossibilityofimproving
theirstatusthroughindependenthardworkorpersonalachievement.
Givensuchemphasisonmarriage,itisnotsurprisingthatprotagonistEmmaWoodhouse,
acongenialyoungladyandselfproclaimedmatchmakerdelightsinmeddlinginotherpeople’s
affairs,anddespitewellintentionsperpetuallytriestounitemenandwomenwhoareutterly
wrongforeachother.Intheopeningsceneofthefilm,thethemeresonatesasEmmastatesto
herlategovernessMrs.Weston,”Themostbeautifulthingintheworldisamatchwellmade,
andahappymarriagetoyouboth”(Austen90).Despiteherobsessiveinterestinother’s
romances,Emmaiscluelessaboutherownfeelingsonthetopicofmarriage,andher
relationshipwithgentleMr.Knightly.AlthoughshetakescreditforintroducingMr.Westonto
hiswifethemarriageofMissTaylorleadsEmmaandherfather,MrWoodhouse,towallowin
selfpityastheyreflectonthelossoftheirgoverness’dailypresence.Whilethetimedeems
marriageasessentialforwomen’ssocialadvancementEmmarealizesthatmarriageisnevera
completelyhappyevent,asoftensomeoneisleftbehind.InthecaseofMissTaylor’smarriage,
itistheWoodhouses.Mr.Woodhouse,whohatedchange,feltthismostofall.Hisdaughter
hadmarriedyearsago,andhestilldidnotapproveoftheidea.Withhisownwifelongdead,
Mr.Woodhouseseesmarriageonlyassomethingthattakesthepeoplehelovesawayfromhim.
Moreover,EmmaherselfdeclarestothenaïveMissSmith,thatduetoherprominentand
wealthysocialstatusshehasnoinducementtomarry.ForEmma,marriagewasaquestionof