Emma by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

Question: How does Jane Austen present the themes of love and marriage

in the novel Emma?

Answer: Jane Austen's novels incorporate her observations on the

manners of her time and class, and while they often relate courtship,

love, and marriage, Austen herself never married. In the essay below I

will be discussing how the author, Jane Austen, presents the themes of

love and marriage in the novel Emma. The novel Emma is about a young

woman who is interested in matchmaking. Emma is the central character,

who is the daughter of wealthy gentleman, her mother died when she was

young leaving her to be brought up by Miss Taylor. The novel is

essentially a story of how Emma matures from a clever young woman to a

more modest and considerate woman. By using Emma as the central

character, using authorial comments, beginning the novel with an

example of what makes a perfect marriage and through couples who get

married and couples who might have got married, Austen has chosen to

present the themes of love and marriage.

At the novels beginning Jane Austen introduces things she sees as the

fundamentals of a marriage, which are always echoing in the back. In

the first chapter the novel’s title character, Emma Woodhouse is

introduced. She is the youngest of two daughters. She has no mother

and a father who imposes no limits on her behaviour or

self-satisfaction. While her mother died long ago, Emma was brought up

by Miss Taylor. Just as the novel begins Miss Taylor has just married

Mr Weston leaving Emma short of a companion. Emma feels the loss of

Miss Taylor, who was “peculiarly interested in herself, in every

pleasure...

... middle of paper ...

...rything is set right in this chapter: Harriet becomes a respectable

member of society when she learns of her family connections and finds

happiness with Robert Martin. She is, as Emma had hoped, from a decent

family.

Not surprisingly, Mr Woodhouse becomes supportive of his daughter's

marriage when he thinks it will benefit his own comfort. He agrees to

the marriage after a number of robberies, for he thinks that Mr

Knightly's presence at Hartfield will keep him safe. Emma finally

marries Mr Knightly after the wedding Mr and Mrs knightly go on

vacation to the ocean the first instance in the novel in which Emma

leaver Highbury.

Overall the ways in which Jane Austen presents the themes of love and

marriage on the novel ‘Emma’ is significant. She shows them through a

number of ways and portrays them significantly.