Not So Innocent

I look back on Emma and realize that Jane Austen actually had to think a lot harder than I thought she had to in the beginning. In the first volume, the context, plot, and characters were being developed and I was more focused on those characteristics than the actual underlying events that were occurring. I started to realize how well Austen’s style of writing was in the second and third volume when I noticed that I was thinking exactly what Emma was thinking. Looking back on the first and second volume, I realize that I missed a lot of important things, and this exemplified how Austen was considered one of the best authors of the time period.

One of the things that I took away from the seminar though was a different perspective on Mr. Woodhouse. He was always a timid and frightened character that I always saw as a small underlying character. Throughout the seminar though I realized that he was actually very influential in how he manipulated and got his point across.

Emma remained in the house and was determined to be an “old maid” simply because she could not leave her father. Mr. Woodhouse always had people come over whenever HE wanted them to come over. And whenever there was a party or outing, he was always ensured that special events or places were set up for him. Whenever news came in, Emma always had to ensure that her father would not be unsettled by it. Mr. Wood house’s character used all of these techniques to ensure that Emma would stay with him and that others would do as he wanted them to do.

He didn’t want Ms. Taylor to leave and continued to call her “poor Ms. Taylor” because she had to leave his household. Although she was leaving for a happy future he continued to lament about this because she went against what he wanted, which rarely occurs.

Also when Emma decides to marry Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse is deeply opposed. In marrying Mr. Knightley, Emma would be leaving his household and moving in with another man. He would be left alone, which is ironic because they have plenty of money for them to pay for an individual to come live in the house and take care of Mr. Woodhouse. In the end though, Mr. Woodhouse gets his way because Emma and Mr. Knightley end up living in his own house (he never loses Emma).

This realization was very important to me, because it helped me open my thoughts to other characters throughout the book that I didn’t see as major figures. This also showed the complexity of the novel as a whole and opened my point of view on Emma.