Capturing Real Life in Jane Austens Emma Essay - 2772 Words

Capturing Real Life in Emma Jane Austen deliberately confined herself to the realistic portrayal of a segment of contemporary English life-upper middle-class society. The heroine, Emma Woodhouse, lives on her fathers estate at Hartfield which is in effect an adjunct of the village of Highbury in spite of its separate lawns and shrubberies. Mr. Westons estate of Randals is in the parish of Highbury, and Mr. Knightleys Donwell Abbey is situated in the neighbouring parish, within comfortable walking distance. Here life is concentrated within itself and separated from London which although only sixteen miles away was much beyond...daily reach. Significantly, Emma has never visited London, never been to the seaside, never visited†¦show more content†¦Coles carriage horses returning from exercise, or a stray letter-boy on an obstinate mule, were the liveliest objects she could presume to expect; and when her eyes fell only on the butcher with his tray, a tiny old woman travelling homewards from the shop with her full basket, two curs quarrelling over a dirty bone, and a string of dawdling children round the bakers little bow-window eyeing the gingerbread, she knew she had no reason to complain, and was amused enough; quite enough still to stand at the door. In such a narrow society gossip helps to relieve the tedium. This gossip may be harmless - Mr. Frank Churchills coming to visit his father and stepmother; speculation about Mr. Eltons fiancee, Miss Augusta Hawkins of Bristol; excited accounts (becoming more and more exaggerated with each telling) of Harriets gallant rescue from the gypsies by Frank Churchill. However, gossip can also be malicious, as we shall see when Emma confides in Frank Churchill her unfounded suspicion that Jane Fairfaxs pianoforte is a gift from a secret admirer, Mr. Dixon, husband of Janes dearest friend Miss Campbell. Highbury society can also be unbearably claustrophobic. This is symbolically highlighted when Emma is trapped alone with Mr. Elton in her carriage on the journey home from the Christmas Eve dinner-party at Randals. After she has rejected the vicars proposal of marriage out of hand, they have no choice but to continue theShow MoreRelatedComparing Clueless and Emma Essay1816 Words   |  8 PagesCLUELESS VS. EMMA Adaptations of Jane Austen’s, Emma, are usually period pieces diligent in capturing and replicating the manners, dress, language and values of the original text. Clueless, written and directed by Amy Heckerling, deviates drastically from the norm, as the film is not a period piece. While Emma is set in the early nineteenth century in the country village of Highbury, sixteen miles out of London, England, Clueless is set in Bronson Alcott High School almost two hundred years laterRead MoreGoal Movie Review10720 Words   |  43 Pagesmust prove that he’s got the grit and the game to win a contract with one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world. Muddy fields, cold winds and crunching blows from teammates—not to mention personal woes, injuries, and the temptations of life in the fast lane—are just a few of the obstacles Santiago must overcome to triumph in the heady, heart-pounding world of international football. 1 Directed by Danny Cannon, â€Å"Goal! The Dream Begins† stars up and coming Latino actor Kuno Becker. SomeRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesproblem without bringing in the most relevant information. This first chapter explains what it means to be logical—to reason logically. It demonstrates the usefulness of logical reasoning as a means to making more effective decisions about your own life—decisions about what to believe and decisions about what to do. The chapter begins a systematic program of study of all the major topics regarding logical reasoning. Along the way, the book focuses on developing the following five skills: (1) writing