Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Woodhouse Analysis

both(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) Emma Woodho manipulation and her gravel have a goodish deal of s track everyplace the lives and give(prenominal) matters of the new(prenominal) members of their community. In the startle snapshot of the hand, we learn that Mr. Woodho enjoyment finds homes for maids in other households, date Emma does essenti in eithery the same(p) for her acquaintances, in attempting to cope calling cardh them off with husbands and wives. The narrator establishs this overzealous push for other peoples sound world as an simply harmless char formeristic, in Mr. Woodhouse at least. While his invasions into the ain lives of rase non-family dealings and frequent effusions of worry argon vexing to readers and parts a analogous, Mr. Woodhouse never actually does any champion the slightest bit of genuinely or lasting harm.Read excessively Analysis of Characters in Flannery OConnors The Life You Save May Be Your Own unconstipated Mr. Jo hn Knightley batch non persist in mad at him for very enormous. Emma, on the other hand, is resourceful of doing existent personal damage, and her wilful intrusions into the lives of her acquaintance atomic number 18 presented as compulsive presumption her characters major dent The real evils of Emmas situation be the occasion of having quite an too much(prenominal) of her deliver way, and a disposition to think a precise too well of her self. (4) The key disparity between her acts of presumption and those of her vex is that she has a stronger will and take heed than he.Her actions are thitherof non however more prejudicious to others just when likewise more cognizant and deliberate. Though she may, like her father, be acting out of good intentions, she is fully sensible of the ways in which she manipulates. Emma non simply sees that she is cast of charactersing Harriets weaker mind, she understands how best to do it. If good perceive exonerates h er more responsible for her actions than the fumbling Mr. Woodhouse, it as well increases the distance she has to fall when she acts irresponsibly. Because Emmas station is the highest in her neighborly circle, her machinations go largely unchecked, barely for the rebukes of Mr. Knightley. The quantity of goodness in the book and its moral compass, Mr Knightleys criticism is the narrators way of on the qui vive us to Emmas faults. After all, amicable protocol forbids anyone else from attempting such criticism. The accompaniment that Knightley practices great for given(p)ess with Mr. Woodhouse but sorbs exception to just about of Emmas deportment highlights the differences in each characters culp world-beaterfulness. In short, Mr. Woodhouse is forgive because he cannot help his effrontery, speckle Emma is not because she can.The distinction is related to each characters tractability Mr. Woodhouse is the nearly stagnant character of the book, while Emma is the one mos t capable of growth. assumption Mr. Woodhouses profound fear of change, it seems mindless to punish to mend his flaws at this late age. Emma however, possesses the psychogenic and spiritual instruments, which, applied correctly, and could bring her to a near-perfect existence, elevating her actions and awareness to a par with her affectionate status. The work of the novel, and of Mr. Knightley himself, is to instil in Emma the obscureness that she lacks and help her evolve so as to deform worthy of him, not only socially but also morally.The books last(a) happy gist (448) is a pledge that Emma has achieved that end. Unlike Emma, whose vibrancy of person and skill of intellect substantiate her claims to social prowess, Mr. Woodhouses author derives touch only from his landed status. In Emma and Knightleys first conversation, we are told that Mr. Woodhouse understands but in protrude (5) as a person and a character he is static, lacking in awareness, and defined entirel y by his limitations. mint defer to Mr. Woodhouses stack and subsequent social standing rather than his intellect or any belief in his cosmos correct.The hypochondriac worries that he imposes on others are rarely given any bankers acceptance because Mr. Woodhouse is never perceived as capable of solid reasoning. In fact, common hotshot almost always stands in foeman to Mr. Woodhouses c at oncerns. The likelihood of anyone getting trapped at Randalls on Christmas Eve because of half an progress of snow is not particularly high, unless the party is broken up archean all the same. Everyone is quick to do Mr. Woodhouses bidding, no matter how silly the cause.Such power, to make people act entirely buffet to their deliver sense of reason, could be precarious if put into more potent pass. fortuitously Mr. Woodhouse would never deliberately manipulate anyone in fact, he is sh take in to be quite harmless. In expressing his personal displeasure at his junior lady Isabellas going to a particular seaside resort, he actually twists the truth, attributing many of his receive feelings and expressions (99) to Mr. Perry. However, the narrator is emphatic in noting that this is do unconsciously. And even when Mr. Woodhouse is conscious of trying to throw upon others, he affects no real damage. He is constantly trying to get other people to take a can of gruel with him, but Isabella is the only one who ends up complying. When Mrs. Bates and Mrs. Goddard be intimate to keep Mr. Woodhouse Company during the Coles party, his power as host is actually trumped by Emmas. Against his wishes, she sees to it that all of their guests are well fed, with as much cake as they desire. Emma, like her father, enjoys a social dominion of fortune and station but joins it with a real superiority of intellect.Situations like the gruel debate point up the in mutation of the traditional family body structure at Highbury, in which the daughters authority exceeds the parents. Emma takes treat of her father, and the books only other mother-figure, send packing Taylor, has drop dead more like a wizard than a parent, at least at the point where the story picks up The fanny of authority being now long passed away, Emma does just what she likes, highly esteeming scarper Taylors imaginement, but directed chiefly by her own (1).Beyond the smaller family unit, there is no one but Knightley to challenge Emmas reign. She is at the highest spot on the social ladder, as indicated by the name of her estate, Highbury. Her peers are all inferior, in status as well as quickness and depth. Harriet is entirely futile she can sit, without any idea of anything in the world, for full ten minutes. (163) And although Emma may misplay the direction of Eltons gallantry, she sees right through it there is a sort of parade in his speeches which was very apt to inc lineage her to laugh. (46) Even in comparison to her sister, Emma has the stronger hand. (241) In truth, Em ma is wholly worthy of most of the praise bestowed upon her end-to-end the book. The most obvious example would be her ready wit, (66) which Mr. Elton cites in his charade. The obvious occupation with Emmas ready wit, though, and all her other powers, is that they are so often put to severely use. Where Mr. Woodhouses social power is always prove to be harmless, Emma is the one with the potent hands that can at times represent havoc.At the party at package Hill, Emma cannot resist (342) making a jeering comment to Miss Bates, simply because it is too clever to be kept in. The sole extenuating circumstance here (though it is one based on Emmas arrogance) is that she may not have anticipated its full force I dare say she did not understand me. (346) but Emmas misuse of her own power of understanding is apparent(a). The remark is both consciously derisive and deliberately aimed, and the evident pain it causes Miss Bates brings home the truthfulness that Emmas understanding at that moment has become more limited than Miss Bates.Moreover, the match of the harm extends both beyond the present moment and beyond the single personal relationship, revealing that unlike her father, Emma has the power to do real lasting damage. Miss Bates tries to blur when Emma next comes to visit, and it will take a while to repair their rapport. The event also affects the larger public land. As Mr. Knightley notes in his later reprimand, Emmas comment was made in the presence of others, many of who would be entirely guided by your treatment of her. (346) In this social order, people who esteem the assessment of those superior in station use it as a model for their own. not only has Emma spoken cruelly to Miss Bates, she has set up a standard of treatment which others may choose to follow. flock cater to Mr. Woodhouse because they respect him, but they use Emma as a model because they take her opinion very seriously. Where until now Emma has been seeing power in terms only of its perks, the ripple effect of even a single lapse of judgment highlights the responsibilities that go with social power.The moment is an important twist point in Emmas progress of self-transformation. Knightleys prior reprimand, Better to be without sense, than misapply it as you do (51) targets this larger responsibility that Emma has been both too young and too blur to see. (As an inte equalisering side note, the movie version of Emma actually has Knightley and Emma shooting during this scene, and while knightly delivers this comment his arrow hits a bulls-eye. ) The most striking example of Emmas misapplication of sense along with her most deliberate act of manipulation appears in her treatment of Harriet.Emma literally tries to create Harriet, forging explanations of her parentage and image portraits in which she alters Harriets body structure. The craftsmanship of this nice aspect of her assumed spot is highlighted by Knightleys recognition, she really does you credit. (53) As pointed out in lecture, Emma even plays the literal puppet-master, using a set of strings, her bootlaces, to direct the scene when she and Harriet spark into Mr. Elton after visiting the poor family. Emma presses on with her schemes despite the many clues that contradict her understanding.Whenever fortune displease her, she creates explanations in her head that electric discharge foreign to her own sense of reason, besides accepts them all the same. When Mr. Eltons behaviour does not habilitate that of a cacoethesr, Emma makes various excuses for him, laughing at his description of what she presumes to be Harriets ready wit but attributing such an ill-judged felicitate to the consequence of his being very much in love. (66) Even when Mr. Elton himself tries to clear up the confusion, in the scene in the carriage, Emma attempts to allure them both that he is hopelessly drunk. by chance Emmas most blatant self-deception is her slight of class and birth differences between Mr. Elton and Harriet You and Mr. Elton are by situation called together you break down to one another by either circumstance of your respective homes. (68) This statement could not stand in starker contrast to the acute, even over-conscious sense of social standing, which Emma displays throughout the rest of the book. She revolts at the idea of a union between Jane Fairfax and Mr. Knightley, but wilfully ignores the same obstacles in her matchmaking of Harriet and Mr. Elton.Emma presumes to know what is best for other people, and in pursuit of her slated end goal will even act contrary to her (often accurate) perceptions of their feelings. When she writes Harriets letter of refusal to Robert Martin, (an intrusion in itself,) Emma senses that if the young man had come in her way at that moment, he would have been judge after all (50) yet she seals and sends it all the same. The comment testifies not only to Emmas disposition of Harriets true feelings, but to her arrogance, in deferring to her own judgment of Harriets best interests rather than to Harriets.The fact that Harriet ends up happily, but in merely the same place that she started, is the narrators way of putting Emma in her place. As in the encounter with Miss Bates, the gap between Emmas self knowledge and the perspective we are given on her suggests the conclusion that the proper sphere for exercising human judgment is on ones personal shortcomings instead of on anyone elses. What is most ironic about Emmas many social blunders is that, apart from Mr. Knightley, she has the deepest social consciousness of anyone in the book.Emma has a truly devoted sense of responsibility to her father, cares deeply for her family and friends, and is constantly smoothing over various social rifts that only she can foresee and repair, like those between her father and John Knightley. Readers understand the great possibilities that come with Emmas characteristic awareness we see the possi bilities for a perfection which goes beyond the mere bearing of perfection introduced in the first line of the book and it is this consciousness that makes Emmas blunders seem all the more blind and regrettable.The turning point of the book is when Emmas awareness begins to work to her receipts when she starts to become more aware of herself. Emmas ability to reflect and feel powerfully is what fuels her self-transformation once she directs that power inwards to observe her own heart instead of outwards to mold other people and events. It takes only the right catalyst, namely Mr. Knightley, for Emma to become able to acquit her own wrongdoing. She responds to his reprimands about her treatment of Miss Bates, not with the defensiveness of someone truly arrogant but with anger against herself, mortification, and deep concern. (347) A similar moment of realization and self-chastisement comes at the first big climax of the book, when Emma learns of Harriets love for Mr. Knightley a nd realizes her own with insufferable vanity had she believed herself in the secret of everybodys feelings with unpardonable arrogance proposed to localize everybodys destiny. (383) Emma proves herself capable of the character revolution which her father is not when she gives up her own pretensions to judge the best interests of others.The fact that it is Knightley who sparks Emma reformation of character might seem to give ultimate power to him rather than to Emma herself. After all, his intrusion into her personal life ends up being the most positive force of the book. But it is important to keep in mind that Knightley is only a catalyst, a reserve for the authors criticism of Emmas flaws, while Emma shares something like the role of the author herself. Like the playwright or novelist, she learns through trial and error the limitations of power exercised in trying to create and set up the course of other peoples lives.