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.
Alie, I agree with everything you said. I also really liked how you showed that matchmaking was a symbol of her maturing. At the beginning of the noel matchmaking is something she does for fun because she thinks she is good at it. Matchmaking overall throughout the novel is a sign of her youth. When she lets go of the hobby of matchmaking it is a symbol of her letting go of her childhood and becoming a responsible, capable adult. I feel that when she stops matchmaking people it also shows her commitment to focus on her own love life. When she was matchmaking people she never focused on what she wanted with love she just paired others up. At the end of the novel, she marries Mr.Knightly resulting in the ultimate form of adulthood. This novel is definitely a coming of age novel, as you state Alie. It shows Emma maturing and overcoming her selflessness in the face of love.
ReplyDeleteAlie, you made some very good points. I think Emma’s matching making hobby has a lot to do with the absence of love in her life. I do not mean that she wasn’t loved; I mean she never saw love between a man and a women. Emma’s mom died when Emma was young, so she never had the opportunity to see how her parents interacted with each other. That’s why I feel as though her matching can be off sometimes. I liked how you said that Miss Taylor represented Emma’s childhood, to be honest I never thought of it like that. I also feel as though Emma matures through her match making. If it weren’t for her match making, I do not think she would have ever realized her chemistry and feelings for Mr. Knightley.
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