March's Feature Book: Emma

            Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors. That might be a cliché for female readers, but it’s the truth. How can you not like Austen? Her novels may be about Regency era ladies hoping to marry, but the books delve much deeper than that. It is hard to say which of Austen's works is the best, but I know that Emma would be towards the top of my list. Not only is the story intriguing but this novel also showcases how brilliant Austen was as an author. When news first reached me about the new movie EMMA., I was thrilled. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but I intend to someday soon. In the meantime, I’ve been having a nice visit with Miss Emma Woodhouse and the other residents of Highbury by rereading Austen's book.

            Emma would go to the top of my list partially because it offers many examples of Jane Austen's writing ability. It amazes me every time that she could take someone as unlikable as Miss Emma Woodhouse and turn her into the main character that readers love. It takes a deft hand to convince the average reader that prideful, meddlesome Miss Woodhouse is worth their interest and admiration. For me, the character becomes even better because she is awakened to her flaws and is willing to change. 

            Another feature that I enjoy in Jane Austen’s writings is the lack of dialogue. Compared to modern literature, the characters in Austen’s writings do very little talking. There are far more descriptions and narration than there are actual action and dialogue. Of course, Miss Bates is an exception to that rule. Despite this lack of actual action, so much happens in Emma to keep the reader engaged. Emma is supposed to be a three-volume novel, and each volume has its set of events that takes a reader for a long, adventurous journey.

            One cannot talk about Austen's abilities without mentioning her veiled wit. On the surface, Emma appears to be a story about Miss Woodhouse and the people around her. A second look might reveal something more. Beneath the plotline are pricks at society, jokes about culture, and a great deal of sarcasm. It comes through in all the novels including Emma, though I believe it is most blatant in Northanger Abbey. For Emma, one needn't look beyond the plot of the story. A young woman who appears like she has everything is soon revealed to have nothing in the way that it matters. The story alone provides plenty of social commentary.

            I’ve read Emma more times than I care to count, but this particular trip through Highbury provided me with a few observations. First, that nothing is as it seems. I'm well acquainted with the story now and can see the clues that something is coming. When I first read it, Jane Austen managed to catch me off guard several times. I think the best part is that Miss Woodhouse does not marry the man that seems like the best match for her. Similar personalities do not mean a perfect match. Miss Woodhouse certainly proves that point. Even though she marries a man that is her opposite, it does her good because he builds her up rather than leaving her the same.

            Another observation I made is the characters’ peculiarities. Mr. Woodhouse thinks everyone is in ill health like himself and mourns every marriage. Miss Bates talks for pages and jumps around with topics in a way that makes a reader's head spin. Mr. John Knightley is insightful and wise in his blunt sort of way. Mrs. Elton does a good job of stirring everyone into action even if I do find her annoying. Mr. Frank Churchill is so easygoing and can laugh off everything… or almost everything. Each character has something peculiar about them and together they make a lively little town that readers love to visit. I believe the reason for that is the little bit of reality that exists in those peculiarities. They remind people of life and the individuals they interact with. It highlights the poetic in what has become mundane.

           If anything, I think the main takeaway from Emma is that the surface is not the same as the inner depths. Miss Woodhouse is more than the front she puts on. Each character is more than what they seem. Even Miss Woodhouse learns that lesson as she realizes she can’t read what’s in everyone’s hearts. Nothing is as it seems so one has to be willing to take a second look. It might be worth following the example of other Highbury residents too. Life is short and uncertain. It is better if we support each other and offer each other proper respect. No one wants to be bogged down with regrets.