Jane Austen's Emma belongs to a period in English history known as the Regency (1811—1820). But as a literary figure writing at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Austen can be considered a descendant of the Age of Reason. It was a time of economic revolt, political unrest, and change. Marriage is a main theme in almost all of Jane Austen’s works and it is always shown in the woman’s point of view.
Marriage, in that time, is not about love but social standards. Lack of choice is one of the factors why woman married in Jane Austen’s time. Women didn’t have education. They learnt only basic responsibilities. Young girls were taught that they had to get married and have children when they get older. The education is received at home, the parents taught them about domestic duties only and it is how to become wives and nothing else. A woman was not expected to work unless she was poor and had no choice. If she didn’t married, she could work as a governess or a companion lady.
So as a result of a lack of education women have to find a husband to support them. These social and financial pressures results in women getting married. The parents used to search for a man that had a title and could advance the family social status. Marriages of daughters were used to secure family business deals, increase wealth and raise status. It was like if women were as objects that could be bought and sold. If a woman were engaged and break it off she would risk living the rest of her life as a spinster and lose social position.
Marriage was as complicated in that time as it is today. There were many social rules dictating how a wedding should happen and it was the ultimate goal of every young woman. By the time they were 18, marriage was a priority for them. There were a few rules involving marriage. For example, that marriage was encouraged to be with someone of the same class, or that a woman had to have a dowry that the family used to provide etc. Only a few marriages started with love. Emma has a dowry of £ 30,000. Of course she was an excellent match, that’s why Mr. Elton wanted to court her and why Emma considers the courtship an insult.
The angry tone of Wollstonecraft’s “Vindication of the Rights of Women” significantly contrasts with the cautionary tone of Austen’s “On Making an Agreeable Marriage,” seeking to reform society rather than guide people to live in that society. When Austen describes the drawbacks of loveless marriage, she writes that “Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection” (Austen 72-73). Austen uses “preferred” and “endured” to warn her niece against marrying too quickly, creating a cautionary tone. Moreover, “anything” emphasizes the miserableness of a marriage without affection, beseeching Austen’s niece to verify her love before diving headfirst into a marriage. In contrast, when demonizing the education system, Wollstonecraft
... But in fact her powers and beauty cannot change the foundation of her society. Emma’s circumscription within the boundaries of her class kept her world under control. This prevents her from considering another society beyond her existence. The confusion from her failed attempts with Harriet due to her guidance, allows her to embrace reality. Jane Austen uses Emma’s character to reveal the quality in the structures of the nineteenth century society. Based on the conclusion of the novel, when Emma is forced to look beyond the limited power and beauty she has and acknowledge the existing order and structure of the early nineteenth century English society.
Marriage was something that was to benefit both families in the 1500-1600s. It was considered foolish to marry for love, and with permission from parents boys were allowed to be married at 14 and girls at 12. It was recommended that males didn’t marry before 22 and girls before 18. Single women were thought to be witches.
“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” Heart. Feelings. Trust. All of these concepts said by Carl W. Buechner are philosophies that are spoken of freely in the twenty-first century, where love is limitless and marriage is bound by no restraints. A rich man can easily fall in love with his maid. A poor couple can just as effortlessly run off and get married. However, during the turn of the nineteenth century, this was regarded as foolish, even outrageous. Marriage was for stability, for financial reliability. Love or the “heart” was not at all a necessity, nor even a component to the formula. Happiness in marriage was simply a rare bonus. But Jane Austen proves this contrary in her novel Pride and Prejudice. Her protagonist, Elizabeth, defies the social norm of acquiring a husband for the mere sake of security and instead looks for love. But Elizabeth is no weak, romanticized girl. Her “modern” outlook leads her ultimately to success. Other characters like Charlotte or Lydia will have lukewarm or cold marriages because there were no true feelings of love or even affection; thus, though financial stability is present in Charlotte’s case, there is no intrinsic relationship stability. With this in mind, Austen’s characters’ wide-ranging attributes indicate a wide spectrum of possible relationship developments, but the “happiest” marriage is exemplified in Elizabeth’s because hers is illuminated by full knowledge and mutual love, equating to a secure relationship.
Marriages were arranged. Because girls lived such sheltered lives, they usually had never even met the men their fathers agreed for them to marry. Men were mostly in their twenties when they got married, the girls were usually 15.
The theme of social status and society is prevalent in the novel of Emma, through the characters Emma, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Churchill, and their situations and perspectives on life. Austen describes Emma as, “handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her” makes her outlook disparate from characters such as Harriet (Austen, Emma 3). Immediately through her description, Austen indicates Emma’s haughty perspective on society through her referencing her friends as “first set” and “second set.” Through Emma’s classification of her friends by their social status and importance, first set being the superior and second set being the inferior and locum, the reader is able to have a glimpse of Emma’s outlook on society and it’s classes. (Knowledge Notes). Emma once again portrays the theme of social status and society through her views of people in lower classes than she such as Harriet and Mr. Martin. After Emma meets Harriet for the first time, she immediately decides that Harriet’s “soft blue eyes, and all those natural graces, should not be wasted on the inferior society of Highbury, and its connections” (Austen, Emma 20). Because of the social class difference between her and Mr. Martin, Emma regards him as someone who is inferior and advises Harriet to refuse his proposal. She claims that though “his appearance was very neat, and he looked like a sensible young man, but his person had no other advantage; and when he came to be contrasted with a gentleman, she thought he must lose all the ground…” (Austen, Emma 27) and that Harriet deserves someone more advantageo...
Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice portrays varying attitudes to marriage. "The intricate social network that pervades the novel is one that revolves around the business of marriage". Through her female characters the reader sees the different attitudes to marriage and the reasons that these women have for marrying. These depend on their social status and their personal values. The reader is shown the most prevalent and common view of marriage held by society in Austen's time, and through the heroine, a differing opinion of marriage is explored. We are shown how marriage is viewed by the very wealthy and the values they emphasise in marriage. Through the characterisation of these women and use of irony, Austen has influenced the reader's opinions on the characters attitude about marriage and that of their contemporaries.
To be a mentor is to hold influence over a person’s actions or education. Overall, “Emma” is a novel about the influence that people hold over each other, and how that influence can affect people. Conflict is built by different characters who view themselves as mentors struggling to assert their opinions over others and pupil characters who accept their mentor’s opinions without bothering to form their own.
Emma by Jane Austen Setting Emma took place in a small town called Highbury in 18th century England. During the time period set in the novel, there was a definite social rank, or hierarchy. Almost all of the scenes in the book take place in or around the estates of the characters. Their property determines their social status.
...r life. Jane Austen’s time and nowadays sees the same situation. Not all marriage is based solely on love. As shallow as it might sounds, when considering marriage, most, if not all people, consider wealth and the reputation of their partner. The norms of Jane Austen’s time in relations to wealth, reputation and marriage are much more elaborated by each individual's upbringing.
In Jane Austen’s social class and coming of age novel, Emma, the relationships between irony, insight and education are based upon the premise of the character of Emma Woodhouse herself. The persona of Emma is portrayed through her ironic and naive tone as she is perceived as a character that seems to know everything, which brings out the comedic disparities of ironies within the narrative. Emma is seen as a little fish in a larger pond, a subject of manipulating people in order to reflect her own perceptions and judgments. Her education is her moral recognition to love outside her own sheltered fancies and her understandings of her society as a whole.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s famous novel, is, in large part, a study of marriage. It is an interesting novel for Austen since she was never married. The social culture of Austen’s day made marriage a crucial aspect of a woman 's life. A women in that time was dependent on a man for money and social standing. Synonyms for marriage are union and alliance both have very different meanings. Marriage as a union implies a fully joined couple. A marital alliance suggests that marriage is an association for mutual benefit such as money, social standing, or physical desires. Austen 's characters are developed to emphasize these differences in the reasons for marriage. She makes abundantly clear through her development of these marriages
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is well noted for its ability to question social norms. Most importantly, Austen explores the institution of marriage, as it was in her time, a time where many married for security rather than love. Her characters Elizabeth and Charlotte are renowned even more for their outspoken nature and different views on marriage. Though both Elizabeth and Charlotte yearn for a happy marriage, Charlotte has a more pragmatic and mundane approach while Elizabeth is more romantic and daring with her actions. Through the romantic involvements of both Elizabeth and Charlotte, Austen shows that happiness in marriage is not entirely a matter of chance, but is instead contingent on an accurate evaluation of self and others
In Jane Austen's Emma the eponymous heroine is "handsome, clever, and rich" but she also suffers from arrogance and self-deception. With the good judgement of Mr Knightley, and her own self scrutiny, Emma experiences a movement of psyche, from arrogance and vanity through the humiliation of self knowledge to clarity of judgement and fulfilment in marriage. The tone of the novel and the episodes where Emma is self deceived progresses from the light comedy of Mr Elton's gallantry and the eventual mortification to the sombre depression of Emma's belief that she has ruined her own chances of happiness by bringing Mr Knightley and Harriet together. Although at times the reader is able to laugh at her mistakes, as she moves slowly and uncertainly to self knowledge and maturity, the reader, like Mr Knightley, comes to take her seriously, for in the novel serious moral and social issues are dealt with, issues which directly concern her. While we may be 'put off' by her mistakes, and flights of illogical fancy, these are also the very qualities which endear her to us.
People of around 150 years ago were very superstitious and marriage was important. If a woman did not marry by a certain age she was thought of as a witch, or 'spinster'. Her only roles were to be faithful to her husband and to bear a son to become heir. The role of women was very different from today's society - it was world dominated and run by men.