LC 6 ~Discussion #2 Notes~

Discussion Leader: Sarah Speranza

Question 1:

How do you think Emma’s home life has shaped her views on marriage?

E- She said she has just decided to remain single.

S- She just doesn’t like marriage. She doesn’t want to be married.

H-I think she doesn’t like marriage because she saw what the loss of her mother did to her father and she doesn’t want to risk having to go through that.

S- Her father maybe doesn’t like marriage so his views have influenced her to not want to get married.

E- I feel as though she focuses on the relationships between other people, instead of her own relationships. She would rather match make for others, instead of herself.

E- She doesn’t see anybody she could match herself with, therefore she is remaining single.

A-The lack of her mom plays a role. She has no traditional views on marriage because she didn’t see her mother and father together. This may also explain why she thinks match making is okay.

Question 2:

How do Mr. Knightley and Emma’s contrasting views on her match making reflect a difference on their values?

A-Maybe Mr. Knightley feels people should meet more naturally.

S- Mr. Knightley thinks that Emma’s match making was just luck, while Emma thinks a lucky guess is never merely luck. She believes there is always some talent in it.

H- Mr. Knightley is less naïve then Emma and he may have more experience in relationships. Emma spends more time trying to bring people together. Mr. Knightley may have also grown up in a different family situation so he was able to see how people who are in love act around each other.

E- I feel like Emma is just focusing on whom she thinks would be “perfect” for each other and she doesn’t actually look at the chemistry of the couples. Emma doesn’t see how they would actually be together, whereas as Mr. Knightley can see it and his understanding is much more practical.

Question 3:

Why does Emma take Harriet under her wing?

E- Harriet’s flattery reinforced Emma’s self regard.

H- Emma comes to the realization that she is quite fond of Harriet. She refers to Harriet as “the superior creature”.

S- She wants somebody to follow her and realize how great she is. She wants control of someone.

H- I remember in the beginning of Chapter 1 it said Emma was too used to power and was “rather to used to getting her own way”. I think Emma is pretty confident in her self and wants to be able to show off and spread her ways to Harriet.

E-Emma thinks Harriet is naïve and she isn’t really impressed by her intelligence. Emma does appreciate Harriet’s willingness to be guided. Emma also influences Harriet’s happiness.

Question 4:

What is the significance of Mr. Elton not staying home with Harriet when she is sick? This is the night of the Christmas Eve dinner.

S- He loves her, Emma! I think Harriet will find out and this will cause tension for them. Harriet will end up being very hurt.

A- Cause Mr. Knightley implies that Mr. Elton might have feelings for Emma.

H- I think Harriet really likes Mr. Elton, obviously, but I agree when you guys say he loves Emma. I think Mr. Elton was using Harriet to get closer to Emma.

A-Eventually Emma will feel very bad and realize that she made a mistake with Harriet and Mr. Elton because Harriet developed feelings for him thanks to Emma’s encouragement.

E- He went to the party that Emma was going to instead. If he has feelings for only Harriet and not Emma he would have stayed home with Harriet. I feel that overall he made the wrong decision.

Question 5:

What is unique about Chapter 16?

E- Chapter 16 is unique because it deals entirely with Emma’s thoughts, feelings, and inner life.

H- A lot of times in books you are forced to make assumptions about how the characters are feelings and you have to assume many aspects of their thoughts. It was nice to be able to catch up with the emotional side of Emma and see how she was reacting to the events that have happened so far.

E- You see her grow in humanity and selflessness.  It also acted as a timeline for the way Emma was growing and maturing as a person.

S- Emma looks back on her life the past few weeks and realizes she has been wrong to intervene in people’s lives so much and decides to give up match making.

A-It is nice that you can take a pause from the story and see how Emma is dealing with everything that has happened. Since the book isn’t in first person, it is sometimes difficult to read her emotions.

Question 6:

In what ways, if any, could Emma be described as a feminist novel?

H-Her views on marriage can show that she is a feminist because during this time, women relied heavily on their husbands. Women stayed home with the kids, while the men went to work and earned a living.

E- She is an independent woman who does not need a man.

A- Even though it is not necessarily feminism, this book really shows that Emma is strong and independent. I feel as though she would agree with modern day feminist beliefs.

H- Alright, is there anything you guys would like to add?

E- Yes, Emma is my role model.