A Study of novel assignment
•CLASS ASSIGNMENT •
Introduction
First published in December 1815, Emma explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England while creating a lively "comedy of manners" among its characters.
Before beginning the novel, Austen wrote:
"I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."
She introduces the title character as:
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich. "However Emma is also rather spoiled, overestimates her matchmaking abilities, and is often mistaken about others' actions.
Characters
• Emma Woodhouse
The protagonist, beautiful, high-spirited, intelligent, but slightly spoiled young women of 21. Her Mother die when she was very young, and she has been mistress of the house ever since. Makes mistakes due to her conviction that she is always right and lack of real-world experience.
• George Knightley
About 37, close friend of Emma and her critic, but cares deeply for her. Mr.Knightley is the Owner of Donwell Abbey. He is very annoyed with emma for persuading harriest to turn down Mr. Martin and is suspicious of Frank Churchill.
Summary
• Emma’s Matchmaking
Emma woodhouse a precocious twenty year old believes herself gifted at matchmaking after pairing her governess with Mr. Weston. She takes Harriet Smith as a project, convincing her to reject farmer Robert Martin in favor of Mr. Elton, the village vicar.
• Misunderstandings
Emma's Plans go awry when Elton reveals his affection is for Emma, not Harriet. Meanwhile Frank Churchill arrives in highbury, and Jane Fairfax returns to stay with her aunt. A Web of flirtations, suspicions, and misunderstandings develops.
• Revelations
After Frank’s aunt dies, it’s revealed Frank and Jane have been secretly engaged. Emma realizes she loves Mr.Knightley when Harriet confesses her own feelings for him. Fortunately Knightley loves Emma and Harriet accepts Robert Martin’s second proposal.
More Key Characters
• Frank Churchill
Mr. Weston’s son, raised by his previous marriage an amiable young man raised by his wealthy aunt & uncle. He enjoys dancing, music, and living life to the fullest. Mr.knightley Considers immature, partially due to jealousy of frank's supposed pursuit of Emma.
• Jane Fairfax
An Orphan whose only family consists of aunt Miss Bates and grandmother, Mrs.bates. she is regarded as very Beautiful, clever, elegant, with the best of manners. Emma envies her talents but dislikes her reserve.jane seems destined to become a governess.
• Harriet Smith
A young friend of Emma’s pretty but unsophisticated girl who is too easily led by others. The Illegitimate daughter of initially unknown parents, she becomes the subject of Emma's misguided matchmaking attempts. She ultimately marries Robert Martin.
Supporting Characters
• Philip elton
A good-looking, well mannered and ambitious young vicar. Emma wants him to marry Harriet. He wants to marry emma. After emma's rejection, he quickly marries another's women of means, displaying hos mercenary nature.
• Augusta Elton
Mr.elton moneyed but obnoxious wife. She is a boasting, domineering, pretentious women who likes yo be center of attention and generally disliked by emma and her circle.
• Mrs. Anne Weston
Formerly miss taylor, emma's governess for sixteen years and closest friend. She acts as a surrogate mother to Emma and occasionally as a voice od mederatioand reason.
• Henry Woodhouse
Emma’s father, always concerned for his own health and comfort. He assumes many things are hazardous and is generally difficult to handle because he fusses about trifling things.
Film & TV Adaptations
1. 1948 – Emma (first major adaptation of the novel.)
2. 1972 – BBC Television Emma ( starring doran godwin as Emma.)
3. 1995 – Clueless (A loose modern adaptation starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher horowitz)
4. 1996 – Two Emma ( One starring Gwyneth Paltrow and another starring Kate Beckinsale)
5. 2009 – BBC Television Emma ( starring Romola Garai as Emma)
6. 2010 – Aisha (Hindi language version starring Sonam Kapoor as aisha(emma)
Themes in Emma
• Financial Independence
Emma is the first Austen heroine without financial concerns, which she declares is the reason she has no inducement to marry. This contrasts with jane fairfax's bleak prospect and other Austen novels where the quest for marriage and financial security are important themes.
• Immunity to Romance
Unlike others Austen heroin, Emma seems immune to romantic attraction. She id genuinely surprised when Mr. Elton declares his love, and her fancy for Frank churchill represents more a longing for drama than romantic love.
• Limited scope of Women's lives
Despite her intelligence, emma has too little to do and no ability to change her location or routine. Her matchmaking may represent a muted protest against the narrow scope of a wealthy single women's life.
Critical Reception
"There was no story in it, except that Miss Emma found that the man whom she designed for Harriet's lover was an admirer of her own — & he was affronted at being refused by Emma & Harriet wore the willow — and smooth, thin, water-gruel is according to Emma's father's opinion on every good thing. It is very difficult to make a cook understand what you mean by smooth thin water-gruel."
— Maria Edgeworth, author of Belinda
Early reviews of Emma were generally favorable, but there were some criticisms about the lack of story. John Murray remarked that it lacked "incident and romance." Despite these early critiques, Emma has come to be regarded as one of Austen's masterpieces, with its complex characterization and subtle social commentary.
Emma in Popular Culture
Literary Adaptations
Joan Aiken wrote a companion novel Jane Fairfax: The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen's Emma
Reginald Hill wrote a 1998 short story "Poor Emma"
The Importance of Being Emma, a modern version by Juliet Archer
Emma and the Werewolves, a mashup novel by Adam Rann
Media References
The novel is featured in the film Naked (1993) by Mike Leigh.
Andrew Tree's novel Academy X utilizes Emma throughout the plot.
Emma was the subject of a question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the UK in January 1999.
Legacy of Emma
"I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."
Despite Jane Austen's concerns, Emma Woodhouse has become one of literature's most enduring and beloved heroines. Her flaws make her human, her growth throughout the novel makes her relatable, and her eventual self-awareness makes her admirable.
More than 200 years after its publication, Emma continues to captivate readers and inspire adaptations across various media. Its exploration of social class, the limitations placed on women, and the journey toward self-knowledge remain as relevant today as they were in Austen's time.
The novel's enduring popularity is a testament to Austen's skill in creating complex characters and her keen observations of human nature and society.
LINK: ppt link
•HOME ASSIGNMENT•
About Ernest Hemingway:
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an
American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated
style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized for his adventurous
lifestyle and outspoken, blunt public image. Some of his seven novels, six short-story
collections and two non-fiction works have become classics of American literature, and he
was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature.
• Characters:
Santiago
The old man of the novella’s title, Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who has had an extended
run of bad luck. Despite his expertise, he has been unable to catch a fish for eighty-four
days. He is humble, yet exhibits a justified pride in his abilities. His knowledge of the sea and
its creatures, and of his craft, is unparalleled and helps him preserve a sense of hope
regardless of circumstance. Throughout his life, Santiago has been presented with contests
to test his strength and endurance. The marlin with which he struggles for three days
represents his greatest challenge. Paradoxically, although Santiago ultimately loses the fish,
the marlin is also his greatest victory.
• The Marlin
Santiago hooks the marlin, which we learn at the end of the novella measures eighteen feet,
on the first afternoon of his fishing expedition. Because of the marlin’s great size, Santiago is
unable to pull the fish in, and the two become engaged in a kind of tug-of-war that often
seems more like an alliance than a struggle. The fishing line serves as a symbol of the
fraternal connection Santiago feels with the fish. When the captured marlin is later destroyedby sharks, Santiago feels destroyed as well. Like Santiago, the marlin is implicitly compared
to Christ.
• Manolin
A boy presumably in his adolescence, Manolin is Santiago’s apprentice and devoted
attendant. The old man first took him out on a boat when he was merely five years old. Due
to Santiago’s recent bad luck, Manolin’s parents have forced the boy to go out on a different
fishing boat. Manolin, however, still cares deeply for the old man, to whom he continues to
look as a mentor. His love for Santiago is unmistakable as the two discuss baseball and as
the young boy recruits help from villagers to improve the old man’s impoverished conditions.
• Joe DiMaggio
Although DiMaggio never appears in the novel, he plays a significant role nonetheless.
Santiago worships him as a model of strength and commitment, and his thoughts turn
toward DiMaggio whenever he needs to reassure himself of his own strength. Despite a
painful bone spur that might have crippled another player, DiMaggio went on to secure a
triumphant career. He was a center fielder for the New York Yankees from 1936 to 1951, and
is often considered the best all-around player ever at that position.
• Perico
Perico, the reader assumes, owns the bodega in Santiago’s village. He never appears in the
novel, but he serves an important role in the fisherman’s life by providing him with
newspapers that report the baseball scores. This act establishes him as a kind man who
helps the aging Santiago.
• Martin
Like Perico, Martin, a café owner in Santiago’s village, does not appear in the story. The
reader learns of him through Manolin, who often goes to Martin for Santiago’s supper. As the
old man says, Martin is a man of frequent kindness who deserves to be repaid.
Summary
On the coast of Cuba near Havana, an old widowed fisherman named Santiago has been
unable to catch a fish for 84 days. His apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents to
seek another "luckier" employer, although Manolin continues to help Santiago launch and
retrieve his boat from the ocean each day. Manolin cares for the aging Santiago, bringing
him food and clothing, and in return Santiago tells Manolin stories about baseball legends
and his younger days fishing in a boat off of Africa. Every night, Santiago dreams of lions on
the beaches of Africa. Early each morning, Santiago walks up the road to Manolin's family's
home to wake him up for work.
On the morning of the 85th day, Manolin helps Santiago launch his boat into the sea.
Santiago rows over the deep well where he has been trying to catch fish for the past week
and decides to try his luck farther out. Finally, in the early afternoon, he catches a ten-pound
tuna, which he decides will be his meal for the day. Not long afterward, Santiago feels a hard
pull on his line and realizes that a huge marlin has caught his hook.Because the marlin is so big, however, Santiago cannot pull it in. The marlin pulls Santiago's
skiff farther and farther from land. As the sun goes down, Santiago begins to feel a kind of
companionship with the marlin. He pities the fish, even loves it, but is still determined to kill
it. He decides to cut all his other lines so that nothing will interfere with his great catch.
As the sun comes up on Santiago's second day at sea, the marlin suddenly surges, pulling
the line and cutting Santiago's hand. As he nurses his hand, the marlin jumps up out of the
water, and Santiago can see the fish is bigger than any marlin he has ever seen, much less
caught on his own. He has to hold onto the line with all his might so that the marlin does not
break free from the boat. He prays that he will be able to kill the marlin, and wonders what
his hero Joe DiMaggio would do if he were in Santiago's situation.
As it grows dark on Santiago's second day at sea, he lets out a small line and catches a
dolphinfish to eat. He rests for a few hours, but is woken by the marlin jumping frantically.
Santiago continues holding the line, although it has been cutting into his hand for some time.
The marlin tires and begins circling the boat as Santiago grows weaker from lack of sleep
and exhaustion. Finally, Santiago uses all his strength to harpoon and kill the marlin.
Santiago ties the marlin to the side of his boat and begins sailing back toward Cuba. During
the homeward journey, however—his third day at sea—sharks attack the boat, tearing the
flesh from the marlin. Santiago fights desperately, killing or driving off most of the sharks, but
eventually the sharks eat all the flesh off the marlin. When Santiago pulls into the harbor,
everyone is sleeping, and Santiago struggles to carry his mast back to his shack, leaving the
marlin's skeleton still tied to his boat in the harbor.
The next day, Manolin finds Santiago asleep in his shack. Manolin is overjoyed to see him
but cries when he sees the cuts in Santiago's hands. He brings Santiago coffee, passing the
crowd of fisherman who are marveling at the marlin's giant skeleton. When Santiago wakes
up, Manolin tells him he doesn't care what his parents say—he's going to start fishing with
Santiago again. Meanwhile, as a party of tourists watches the marlin's skeleton and mistakes
it for a shark, Santiago drifts back to sleep under Manolin's watchful gaze and dreams of
lions.
•ESSAY•
Themes ( sense and sensibility)
• Money/Inheritance
Laws surrounding inheritance are what put the Dashwood women in limbo at the
beginning of the novel; and their lack of money, compounded with their inability to
work, means that they cannot ease their situation, except through marrying well.
Money also dictates the eligibility of Elinor and Marianne, as women with larger
dowries are of course seen as better prospects for marriage.
•Gender
There are very definite gender limitations involved in the society Austen describes;
women cannot own property, are expected to stay in the home, marry, and be polite
and good company. Men can decide whether or not to pursue a career if they have
enough money, and have more latitude within society in regards to their behaviorand life choices. Gender dictates acceptable roles and behavior, and even in the world of the novel, there is little room to deviate.
• Expectations vs. reality
This is an especially important theme with regard to Marianne and her mother,
whose romantic characters lead them to expect greater drama or trauma than
actually appears. But reality always tends to subvert expectations, whether in life or
in art, as accidents and unexpected twists and turns happen to everyone.
• Marriage
For Marianne and Elinor, marriage is not a choice, but a necessity; and their need to
marry expediently and well is a pressing concern in the novel, as they look for
suitors. Young men may choose more freely when and whom they marry, and
Colonel Brandon is even 35 and still unmarried; but even for women who have
money, marriage is necessary to secure their social positions and ensure financial
stability for the future.
•Discretion
Of the utmost importance in polite society, where it is not to one's advantage to let
people know all that you think and feel. Marianne's lack of discretion leads to a great
deal of gossip and a very public snubbing by Willoughby; lack of discretion in many
others indicates poor manners and a lack of refinement.
•Appearance vs. reality
Pertains to character especially, as many characters in the novel present themselves
as one thing, and end up being another. Willoughby is the prime example of this, as
he seems romantic, open, and genuine, but ends up exposing himself as vain, idle,
and cruel. Also pertains to Lucy Steele, who ends up conniving, despite her innocent
appearance.
•Expectation and disappointment
Throughout the novel, many characters develop expectations based on sparse
evidence or faulty perceptions; this, of course, leads to disappointment as reality
proves very different. Joyful expectations are often dashed by harsher turns of
events, as Marianne is extremely disappointed by her expectation of being married
to Willoughby, and is pushed away.
• Secrecy
Usually an indication of wrongdoing on someone's part, as is especially evident in
Willoughby; his sudden unwillingness to share information with Marianne and the
Dashwoods indicates mistakes made on his part. On the other hand, as with
Edward, secrecy can be a sign of discretion, though when his secret is revealed it is
damaging as Willoughby's is.
• Judgment
In interactions with other people, judgment is always at work; a person must
determine who a person really is and what they want, in order to avoid those who
could potentially be hurtful. These judgments can be flighty and unjust, as
Marianne's appraisals of most of her acquaintance are, or blinded by kindness, as
Mrs. Jennings' judgment of Lucy Steele is.
• Jealousy
Relates mostly to Lucy Steele, and is the prime determinant of her behavior toward
Elinor. Willoughby also becomes jealous of Colonel Brandon marrying Marianne, and
other, petty jealousies become evident in characters. Indicates insecurity, or poor
character.
•Self-sacrifice and selfishness
Elinor especially is a model of self-sacrifice, deciding to go to London for her sister's
happiness, and trying her best to be civil to everyone to make up for Marianne's
uncivil behavior. Marianne is the opposite, caring only for herself and her feelings;
she needs Elinor's help and goodwill to get by, but needs to learn how to be giving
toward others in order to become her own, independent person.
•Hypocrisy
A vast number of characters in the novel embody this trait to varying degrees; John
and Fanny, Lady Middleton, the Steele girls, Mrs. Ferrars, and Robert, among
others, tend toward hypocritical displays of self-serving flattery, vanity, and
professing opinions they do not believe in for self-gain or to get ahead with others.
Unfortunately, none of these characters is taught any better in the course of the
novel, as hypocrisy is an unavoidable part of human nature, and almost a part of
polite society as well.
•Moderation
Marianne must learn moderation of her emotions if she is to become independent of
Elinor and become an adult; her trials serve to teach her about her excesses, and
luckily, she does come to improve herself and become a much better, more caring
person toward others.