Emma's Match ~Blog post #5~ Topic G May 15, 2015 By Alie Reily

Emma’s Match

~Blog post #5~

Topic G

May 15, 2015

By Alie Reily

            A major symbol in Emma by Jane Austen is matchmaking, such as Emma’s hobby.  For most of the book, it seems as though her matchmaking ideas are just superficial and have no deeper meaning behind them.  It exists literally as a symbol when Emma pairs Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston.  Her hobby fades and reappears in multiple spots throughout the novel.  As the novel progresses, more and more details are revealed about each of the characters, adding to the depth of the novel.  It becomes very evident that Emma’s matchmaking activities are a sign of her youth.   There are coming-of-age events many times in this book; the entire first chapter is one as Emma is losing Miss Taylor, a sign of her childhood.  In addition, as Emma lets go of matchmaking, she matures greatly.  Matchmaking is childish and distracts her from developing her own relationship with someone.  Matchmaking exists figuratively as a symbol within Emma and Mr. Knightley’s relationship.  Jane Austen gives the readers clues and uses her writing to indirectly uncover the more complex factors of the bond between Emma and Mr. Knightley.  By the end of the novel, Emma has given up matchmaking, and Jane Austen eventually does pair her up with Mr. Knightley.  At their wedding, the “small band of friends who witnessed the ceremony” were able to finally see Emma be matched to someone after all this time (438).  It is understood that the end of matchmaking in the novel creates peace between the characters.  

Change in Character

Emma
~Blog POst #5~
Topic B
By Sarah Speranza

In a novel that focuses on relationships and marriage, the theme of transformation is bound to be a central idea, but Emma Woodhouse goes through more of a personal transformation than simply changing here friends, loves, and her boring life. Emma is described in the beginning of the novel, “Emma,” as “handsome, clever, and rich” (3). It was clear that Emma seems to have gotten “rather too much her own way” and tended to think “a little too much of herself” (3). These first few lines in the book almost foreshadow the change that Emma is going to experience throughout the book. Emma Woodhouse’s life was described too perfectly in the beginning of the novel, and therefore, she was bound to undergo some sort of self-transformation. Self-transformation for Emma though is hard to come by because she is used to being right all the time and having no one dispute her opinions. Throughout the course of the novel, Emma begins to realize that she is not a character with no flaws, and learns the importance of kindness and compassion. Some of her transformation can be credited to Mr. Knightly. For example, when Emma treats Mrs. Bates very rudely and with no respect, Mr. Knightly questions her behavior asking, “How could you be so unfeeling to Mrs. Bates?” (340). Mr. Knightly goes on to defend Mrs. Bates and her intentions.  Following this conversation with Mr. Knightly, Emma looks inward and, realizing that Mr. Knightly was correct, she attempts to improve herself and win him over. 

KnightHouse

KnightHouse

- Blog Post #1- 

    Topic C

May 15 2015 

Emma Woodhouse,in the book Emma by Jane Austen, develops many interesting relationships with different characters in the books. One relationship that develops and grows the most is the relationship between Emma and Mr.Knightley. At the beginning of the novel, Emma and Mr.Knightley never seem to be on the best terms. They are constantly arguing and Mr. Knightley always seems to disagree with Emma’s decisions. Mr. Knightley “was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse”(8). He was also one of the few people who ever told her she was wrong and gave her proper guidance.Their relationship at the beginning of the novel was in a sense a push and pull relationship. Mr. Knightley was always someone who would challenge Emma and thus bring out in many ways the best of her.  Overtime their relationship grows from almost “frenemies”, to close friends, to a romantic relationship. As the book continues to progress, it becomes more and more obvious that Mr. Knightley is important  to Emma. Mr. Knightley becomes jealous with Emma’s other admirers and Emma becomes jealous with Mr. Knightley's significant others.  When Emma believes that Harriet is the object of Mr. Knightley's affection, she becomes upset and only then does she realize she loves him. By the end of the novel, Emma truly understands that she has loved Mr. Knightley this whole time. She wonders “how long had  Mr.Knightley been so dear to her”(393). Mr. Knightley affects Emma's personality, he makes her a humble person and throughout the novel his opinion affects her for the better. Overall their relationship is one of the most important ones in the novel, that grows overtime. 

Haley Miller: Blog Post #5

Emma: Girls Best Friend

~Blog post #5~

Topic I

by Haley Miller

When I first “met” Emma Woodhouse, I was not a fan of her. I predetermined her personality to be self centered and flat; I was wrong. As I continued reading, I found Emma to be very relatable and tolerable. I found her immaturity and oblivion to be refreshing as well. When Mr. Knightley was introduced, I fell in love with Emma. I loved the way he made her act and I could not have enjoyed the way he pushed her buttons anymore if I tried. The way he made Emma second guess herself and compromise allowed me to draw connections between the two of us. Mr. Knightley was “one of the few people who could see faults” in Emma (8). Once Emma I saw Emma as human and not “Barbie-like”, I found her to be more friendly and real. One of the most relatable things about Emma is the way she attempts to hide her emotions from everybody. Although her love for Mr. Knightley is evident to all of the readers, I liked the ways she attempted to distract herself from the way she truly felt about him. She did things like match make her friends and care for her father, so she had an excuse not to but herself out there. I think one of the reasons Emma does this is because she has been through a lot of hardship in her life and she does not want to allow herself to be vulnerable. Overall, I found Emma and myself to have a lot in common when it came to emotions. I feel as though the way she handled some situations is very similar to the way I would handle them.

What's up with these words

Emily Tyndorf

topic G

There are many symbols all throughout the novel Emma by Jane Austen.  A recurring theme is word play such as the riddle and the word game.The riddles in the novel also known as charades are a form of elaborate wordplay that are used as persuasive subtexts that relieve themselves in their larger social circles. In chapter 9, Elton is “invited to contribute any really good enigmas, charades or conundrums that he might recollect”(66).Emma decoded the riddle and thinks its meant for Harriet when its really meant for her. This word play also makes an appearance at the box party in chapter 14. A word game is played at the party between Emma, Frank and Jane. It functions as a metaphor for the misunderstandings that exists among Emma, Frank, Jane and Mr. Knightly. Nobody knows whats going on because no one confessions enough information tot tell whats really going on. In this novel, many characters stretch the truth or mix up their words to have a new meaning. They consistently lie or contradict themselves in ways that show their true identity. The wordplay is shown in both chapter, chapter 14 and various other times throughout the remainder of the book. I feel that the way certain people talk in the novel convey word play. For example Frank is always contradicting himself and this creates some confusion in his relationship with others. Overall the characters in this book stretch the truth among each other and never truly understanding each others feelings. 

Emma Knightly ~Blog post #4~ May 8, 2015 By Alie Reily

Emma Knightly

~Blog post #4~

Topic C

May 8, 2015

By Alie Reily

           

            Throughout Emma by Jane Austen, relationships change constantly.  One of the major relationships is between Emma and Mr. Knightley.  Towards the beginning of the novel, it seems as though Emma and Mr. Knightley are not on the best terms; they even appear to be enemies.  Mr. Knightley is described as “one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse” (8).  As the book progresses, it becomes evident that the pair’s relationship is more than superficial.  New characters indirectly reveal that Mr. Knightley and Emma can be friendly towards one another, and that they do not hate each other.  Once that aspect is disclosed, Mr. Knightley’s importance to the novel grows, especially at chapter forty-one.  Chapter forty-one, though still from a third person viewpoint, seems to be focused on Mr. Knightley, instead of Emma.  The reader can clearly recognize his affection for Ms. Woodhouse at this point.  It would be considered dramatic irony because Emma herself has not noticed Mr. Knightley’s growing love for her.  She slowly picks up hints, such as when “[Mr. Knightley] looked at her with a glow of regard” and “she was warmly gratified” (349).  Their relationship keeps the book at a constant cliffhanger as their interactions “of more than common friendliness” progress (349).  They become jealous when it appears that the other may have a potential love interest, even though none of the alleged suitors are ever more than friends.   Emma and Mr. Knightley’s relationship remains a central theme as it advances during the novel.

What's in the Title

Emma
~Blog Post #4~
Topic J
May 8, 2015
by Sarah Speranza

Although “Emma,” by Jane Austen seems to have a simple, meaningless title, a title is an important factor to any book and usually has significance. The book is obviously named after the main character Emma, but it is unusual for Jane Austen to title her book something so simple due to the fact that her other titles such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility” are much more complex. The title Emma had significance also though. The entire book is centered around her life and her relationships with other people and getting “rather too much of her own way”, as the title indicates (1). With the titled named after her, the reader can expect the novel to also revolve around her, which it does. The titles of Jane Austen’s other books normally display emotions of some sort, but this title is simply one name. It is possible that Austen felt that Emma was too complex of a character to pin down into a few adjectives or descriptor words. Emma is kind and considerate, yet intrusive and opinionated. She is independent, yet lonely. She is strong, yet vulnerable. Her traits are all across the spectrum, and therefore she can’t be summed up into a few words.  

Haley Miller: Blog Post #4

In the Time of Emma

~Blog Post #4~

Topic H

by Haley Miller

Although the time frame, setting, and point of view of the books are very different, Emma and In the Time of the Butterflies have some connections. In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, four Hispanic sisters work together to save their loved ones and country from oppression. Their battle is more outward, public and physical. In Emma by Jane Austen, the young Emma Woodhouse must fight a battle against herself. Emma undergoes many changes and is unsure of how to adjust to her new life. Emma’s battles are more internal, private, and mental. These two novels are related because they both address main characters going out of their comfort zone in order to over come their boundaries. The books also have common themes. One of these common themes is coming of age. The Mirabal sisters, from In the Time of the Butterflies, grow up physically and mentally. The books starts as the girls are beginning school, and end when they are grown up and having families of their own. Emma is a coming of age novel because Emma Woodhouse must give up her nanny and become the women of the home. After this event, Emma becomes more mature and less sheltered from the world around her. The little girl who grew up used to having “rather too much of her own way” matured into a women of class and respect (3). Through many relationship and hardships, the Mirabal sisters and Emma developed before our eyes, into the women they were to become.

Emma and Reality ~Blog post #3~ Topic B May 1, 2015 By Alie Reily

Emma and Reality

~Blog post #3~

Topic B

May 1, 2015

By Alie Reily

            In Emma by Jane Austen, Emma Woodhouse has a difficult time admitting her faults.  She claims that she is a good matchmaker, but has trouble when she sets up a bad pair.  Emma is certain that Mr. Elton and Harriet would be a good match; as the novel progresses, she soon begins to notice that she had been wrong.  First, there was speculation that Mr. Elton had feelings for Emma, but the even bigger surprise is when he gets married.   This is a significant change for Emma.  Previously, the only person who could admit that she has faults is Mr. Knightly. On the other hand, even though Emma is coming to the realization that she is wrong, she has a very difficult time swallowing her pride and admitting it.  Emma grows to greatly dislike Mr. Elton, to the point where she “[grows] sick at the sound” of the discussion of his wedding (240).  Emma even refers to his absence as a period of “three weeks of happy exemption” (240).  As Emma cleans up the aftermath of her attempt to match Harriet and Mr. Elton, more of Emma’s character flaws come to the surface.  Even though she does not acknowledge them at first, it is possible that she will accept her errors as the book continues.  The first chapter is written in a coming of age format; it would not be surprising if the end of the book is written in the same way.    

            

The Growth of Relationships

Emma
 ~Blog Post #3~
Topic C.
 May 1, 2015
by Sarah Speranza

In the beginning of the book, “Emma,” by Jane Austen, Emma and Harriet Smith form a special bond between each other, but their relationship grows and develops much throughout the rest of the book. When the reader first meets Harriet, she is seen as Emma’s pawn; a toy for her to experiment on and toss around. From the moment Emma met Harriet, she believes that she will be able to “improve her… and form her opinions and manners.” Although Emma truly thinks she is doing what is best for Harriet, she is really just using her for her own enjoyment and to distract herself from her boring life. As the story progresses and their lives and love interests intertwine, Emma and Harriet do form a bond of friendship, mostly because of Mr. Knightley. Mr. Knightley is the one influence in Emma’s life that is able to make her realize her vanity and her insecurities with the way that she is portrayed in the community. This in turn allows Emma to realize that a true friendship has formed between herself and Harriet, and that Emma has been using her as her own personal pawn for enjoyment. Mr. Knightly has been Emma’s conscience throughout the book; he has the right judgement and helps her make the right decisions. It is because of Mr. Knightly that Emma second guesses not just her relationship with Harriet, but also her every move and action. He has very different opinions than her and is not afraid to express them.

Haley Miller Blog Post #3 Emma

Emma

~Blog Post #3~

Topic C

May 1st, 2015

by Haley Miller

Just as a roller coaster goes up and down, so does the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley in Jane Austen’s novel, Emma. From the beginning of their relationship, it can be said that: “Mr. Knightley loves to find fault with me, you know-in a joke-it is all a joke” (8). Mr. Knightley is the one person in the world that can push Emma’s buttons; he is also the only person she listens to. Their personalities are very different, which leads them to bring out the best in each other. As one gets farther into the novel, the feelings shared between the two become more evident. This relationship is one of the most important in the novel because it exposes a side of Emma that nobody else can bring out. Mr. Knightley brings out a more relatable side of Emma. Like any girl falling in love, Emma has her quarks and mixed emotions. Her relatable feelings make Emma appear more personable. Mr. Knightley teaches Emma many lessons about her maturity and who she is as a person. By contradicting many of her thoughts, he opens her mind to new ideas and emotions. Not only has there been growth in the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley, but there has also been growth in each of the two individuals. Mr. Knightley is slowly but surely teaching Emma something that she never really grasped growing up, and that is how to love. Although she will not admit it, as their relationship matures, her love for him grows stronger.

Emma the overdramatic teen

Emily Tyndorf

Blog Post 3

May 1 2015 

Topic I

Emma seems to be like a very normal high school aged girl in the way she acts and the relationships she has. Although she is almost 21, she still acts somewhat immature in the way she carries herself. She only listens to her own opinions and whatever she says is the right. This reminds me of some girls that I know. They act better then you and almost if they know whats best for your wellbeing.  Emma's relationship with her father is very similar to those of teens today. Emma doesn't feel that close to her father, they don’t usually agree on things. Although “She dearly loved her father, but he was no companion for her”(5). She was much closer with her mother figure Miss.Taylor. This is similar to real life because many teen girls can relate to their mothers more. Emma’s relationship with Harriet reminds me of many high school relationship today. Emma acts as the controlling popular girl, where as Harriet is the shy one who never gets a say. Emma practically decided Harriets whole life from what she says to who she is going to date. I see this kind of relationship in real life and in movies. I feel in a way Emma makes excuses for why she doesn’t find love. she uses matchmaking as a reason not to date, she feels she has money and friends what else does she need. In real life girls will do this too. They will almost distract themselves and make excuses too avoid dating or vice versa.

Discussion #3 Notes

Discussion #3 led by Emily Tyndorf

1)      Is Emma a likeable character?

E: Yes, she’s a leader and confident; she cares a lot about other people; she might get annoying sometimes but you will tolerate them

A: she seems like she can be a mean person, but she is an interesting character which makes her likeable to the reader

H: I wouldn’t want to be her friend because she has such a large personality, but you would want to be on a team or in a club with her; she’s not self-centered and cares about people

S: Emma is unlike most main characters in books. She is a little rude and overly confident and closed minded, but her character is different which makes her interesting and likeable

2)      In chapters 16-18, what do Mr. Knightly and Emma argue about?

A: they fight about Mr. Elton’s desire for Emma, she wants to deny it because she had set up Harriet with Mr. Elton

S: She wants to think that her match making instincts were spot on, but Mr. Knightly believes that she read the whole situation with Mr. Elton completely wrong

H: Emma wants to force Mr. Elton and Harriet together, and wants her matchmaking to be correct, but Mr. Knightly believes she is wrong about this match

E: I feel that Mr. Knightly likes Emily and wants to cause conflict and heat with her

3)      What role has Mr. Knightly played in the novel so far?

A: he is the balance for Emma, he is her opposite and her foil; opposites attract, Mr. Knightly challenges Emma

H: he makes her think twice, second guess her ideas; they have very different points of view and it is interesting to see how they interact

E: he has good judgement and helps her make the right decisions, instead of letting emma do what she wants to do; Mr. Knightly is always trying to push the boundaries with Emma because he is attracted to her

S: Mr. Knightly poses as the only one who fights Emma’s beliefs and actions; he makes her think twice about what she does instead of doing whatever she wants

4)      Compare and contrast Emma and Jane Fairfax

E: they are both beautiful, intelligent, and talented; they are both very independent women; Jane has had to work for things, but Emma has had most things handed to her

A: Jane and Emma both lost their someone in heir family, but Jane has no fortune, while Emma is very wealthy

H: Emma and Jane clash because they both have similar qualities like beauty and intelligence

S: Emma comes from a very wealthy family, but Jane is an orphan who has no money

5)      What are some of the epiphanies that Emma has during the course of the novel?

A: she realizes that matchmaking isn’t her thing and she needs to find something else to occupy her time

E: she becomes more humble throughout the novel and realizes that the world does not revolve around herself

S: all of her epiphanies are a result of bad behavior relating to those around her; her bad behavior stems from good intentions

H: she starts to become more and more bluntly rude, but before she prided herself in her kindness towards other people

6)      What role does the narrator play in the novel?

H: she outlines Emma instead of letting us interpret about her on our own

E: she only talks about Emma’s thoughts and Emma’s characteristics, even though it is a third person narrative

A: Emma’s view of herself is different than what other people think of her

S: the narrator adds a voice of judgement and reason to the novel; she is a trustoworhty source of what actually happened, not what Emma’s thinks happened

7)      How does the novel portray the issue of class in British society?

S: it is evident that there is a clear divide in her community between right and poor’ and it is hard to climb up the ladder of the social structure

E: the social structure and classes have to stay

A: class structure back in that time was much more rigid than it is today; you could clearly see the difference between the two classes

H: during this time period, it was the way you were born, but now a days it’s how you present yourself and the work you put into it

8)      Describe Emma’s relationship with Harriet Smith.

E: Emma chose Harriet to be her friend because she knew she was lower down in the class system so she can control her

S: Harriet loves Emma and will listen to her because she is confident and comes from a higher class; Emma takes advantage of Harriet’s love for her by controlling her every thought and action; their relation has no equality

A: because they are not equal, Emma tries to improve Harriet by finding her a wealthy husband

H: Emma learns how to think of people other than herself because of their friendship

Emma on Emma ~Blog post #2~ Topic J April 24, 2015 by Alie Reily

Emma on Emma

~Blog post #2~

Topic J

April 24, 2015

By Alie Reily

            Emma by Jane Austen is a book centered on a girl named Emma Woodhouse.  Appropriately, the title of the book is just her name.  As stated before, the novel is centered on Emma; no other characters are focused on as much as she is.  This may sound obvious, but if one pays attention to other books, they may not focus on one character as much.  For example, in In the Time of the Butterflies, the novel is centered on all four sisters, relating to one central story.  On the other hand, though Emma has one central plot, it only truly focuses on Emma.  Other characters are mentioned often and are very crucial to the story, but none of them are evaluated as deeply as Emma is. The title reveals this the moment the reader picks up the book.  It shows that Emma, standing alone, causes conflicts.  She repeatedly runs into problems while going about her day-to-day life. Emma puts stress onto her father, has conflicts with Mr. Knightly, and creates a deep divergence with Harriet Smith. Emma seems to think more of her relatives, friends, and even enemies as the novel progresses, but she still is “too eager and busy in her own previous conceptions and views” (99).  The title represents Emma’s personality.  Not many books have one-word titles, and even fewer have the name of one of the characters in the story as the title.