Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Emma Question #3
In the final analysis, is Emma a sympathetic character? Does she seem to have good intentions only marred by a slight desire to interfere with other people's lives, or is she thoughtless and unconcerned with the effects she has on others? In your estimation, is Emma ultimately moral or immoral? What specific incidents in the novel lead you to that conclusion?
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I think Emma is a sympathetic character throughout the novel. For the most part, Emma is willing to help others. She does this especially when she makes (or attempts to make) marriage arrangements for others. Occasionally, however, Emma finds something or someone she is passionate about, such as Mr. Knightley, and then goes full speed into that endeavor. Her intentions are generally meant to be good, but are sometimes spoiled due to her tendency to interfere with other people’s lives.
My opinion is that Emma is ultimately immoral (which may contradict my previous paragraph), but has her occasional bouts of morality. In her reluctance to notice the real nature of characters such as Mr. Knightley, Jane Fairfax, Harriet, Robert Martin, and Frank Churchill, Emma displays ignorant, immoral behavior, especially since she claims to be a matchmaker. Emma also displays this immorality when she fails to acknowledge her own developing feelings for Mr. Knightley. Through her interactions with other characters, Emma shows that she is an immoral character.
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