Emmas Management of Harriets Affairs in Jane Austens...

Emmas Management of Harriets Affairs in Jane Austens Emma In this novel, Jane Austen uses the relationship between Emma and Harriet to highlight the important issues. She uses Emmas management of Harriet to do this. She creates contrast between Emma and Harriet, she portrays Emma as beautiful and intelligent though we can still see faults in her personality. The main fault is her desire to control people and matchmake them. This also raises issues, including the position of women and Emmas social status, marriage and comedy which is shown through irony, especially in the relationship between Emma and Harriet. The first thing we read is Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich. By†¦show more content†¦This shows that Austen had views ahead of her time. When Emma hears of Mr Martins proposal, she believes that Harriets status is higher than his, and should refuse the offer when, in fact, this is not true at all. In this sense, Emma is very naà ¯ve and shows how she misjudges situations. Mr Martin is of a higher social class than Harriet and also has more money. Here Emma is misusing her patronage. A further theme of the novel is patronage and how Emma abuses it. When Harriet refuses Mr Martins proposal, we can see that Harriet realises that she is in no position to do so, but Emma does not realise this, portraying Emma as being quite ignorant of this issue. Mr Woodhouse - Emmas father - is satirised by Austen to be a worrier, and is oblivious to what goes on around him. He, therefore, does not see Emmas matchmaking and management of people. He is one of the main people of whom Emma manages. Through this we see that Austen characterises Emma to abuse her own patronage. The position of women was an issue in Austens time and is highlighted in this novel. At this time, women had very much a lower position in society than men but, because of Emmas inheritance and family history, she is an exception to the rule. With the power this gives her, we see yet another contrast between Harriet and Emma. Emmas intelligence and Harriets lack of it is another contrast. Emma has thisShow MoreRelatedEssay about Jane Austens Emma - Rebel or Conformist?1716 Words   |  7 PagesEmma - Rebel or Conformist?    Near the town of Highbury, a village located in the eighteenth century English countryside, sits the estate of Hartfield where Emma Woodhouse resides with her health conscious father who finds fault with all of lifes necessities. When Emmas governess and close comrade, Miss Taylor, marries Mr. Weston, an affluent neighbor, and moves to his nearby estate, sociable Emma is forced to find herself a new companion. Harriet Smith, a naive teen who lives at Mrs. Goddards