Comments on: Mid-Month Question: Emma http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:05:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Julie http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-314 Julie Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:45:30 +0000 http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-314 I don't think Emma is supposed to come off as strong-willed like Elizabeth Bennett. Her strength is her innocence and naivety. She is so strong in her belief that she can make everything "right". Her match-making with Miss Smith and Mr. Elton is done so blindly and forcefully that you can believe yourself that the match will really work until Mr. Elton proposes to Emma instead. She's strong like a strong-willed innocent child who believes that in the end everything will turn out okay, as long as she believes hard enough for it. Her innocence and naivety are shaken and you can see her truly grow when her match-making skills are shown not to be so good. When Frank Churchill shows her, through his actions, that there is more going on in life than she is aware of. Those rude awakenings help her to realize that her childish fantasies of making the world right one match at a time are really just that, fantasies. I think that is why she is such an interesting leading lady. Yes, she silly, over-confident and lazy, but I think that watching her grow is what makes her strong in her own way. I don’t think Emma is supposed to come off as strong-willed like Elizabeth Bennett. Her strength is her innocence and naivety. She is so strong in her belief that she can make everything “right”. Her match-making with Miss Smith and Mr. Elton is done so blindly and forcefully that you can believe yourself that the match will really work until Mr. Elton proposes to Emma instead.

She’s strong like a strong-willed innocent child who believes that in the end everything will turn out okay, as long as she believes hard enough for it. Her innocence and naivety are shaken and you can see her truly grow when her match-making skills are shown not to be so good. When Frank Churchill shows her, through his actions, that there is more going on in life than she is aware of. Those rude awakenings help her to realize that her childish fantasies of making the world right one match at a time are really just that, fantasies.

I think that is why she is such an interesting leading lady. Yes, she silly, over-confident and lazy, but I think that watching her grow is what makes her strong in her own way.

]]> By: admin http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-124 admin Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:06:43 +0000 http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-124 Hmm. I think Emma's confidence comes from her wealth and position in society less than it does some internal fire. In the first portion of the book, Austen makes repeated references to how Emma started and never finished so many things. Like, she had all this potential but she lacked drive, she was lazy, in a way. Not that I think this makes her a weak person, I just think it says something about the limits of her "strong will." Obviously, you wouldn't want Emma to be perfect or there'd be nothing to identify with. Hmm. I think Emma’s confidence comes from her wealth and position in society less than it does some internal fire. In the first portion of the book, Austen makes repeated references to how Emma started and never finished so many things. Like, she had all this potential but she lacked drive, she was lazy, in a way. Not that I think this makes her a weak person, I just think it says something about the limits of her “strong will.” Obviously, you wouldn’t want Emma to be perfect or there’d be nothing to identify with.

]]> By: Claire http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-120 Claire Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:30:52 +0000 http://thisfish.com/features/?p=105#comment-120 Emma has a lot of strength in her - she is strong-willed and confident, and she puts her heart into everything she does (especially when it comes to matchmaking!). Though she is impulsive and headstrong to a fault sometimes, she is also committed. She is even capable of admitting her faults and apologizing for them, which I think is one of the greatest signs of strength a person can manifest. Emma has a lot of strength in her – she is strong-willed and confident, and she puts her heart into everything she does (especially when it comes to matchmaking!). Though she is impulsive and headstrong to a fault sometimes, she is also committed. She is even capable of admitting her faults and apologizing for them, which I think is one of the greatest signs of strength a person can manifest.

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