Far from criticising her society Austen shows in "Emma" that she up holds the structure and strongly supports the social convictions of the time. Does this fit with your reading of the novel
Far from criticising her society Austen shows in “Emma” that she up holds the structure and strongly supports the social convictions of the time. Does this fit with your reading of the novel.
Emma is firmly rooted in Augustan notions of social hierarchy, but whether Jane Austen supports this view in society of how people should marry and behave, is debatable. I believe she does not believe people’s position in society is so important, and Emma is a novel written, to argue against this quintessentially English behaviour among the upper classes. The novel can be seen as a social spoof of this section of society, where many are just unconfident of their own social position, due to “new money” becoming so frowned upon in the 19th Century.
The position of women in society was largely dictated by strict codes of explanation. They were constrained by societies expectation to make a match, which would ensure their respectability and financial comfort. Marriage was as much a business as a matter of the heart. Even though, throughout the novel, it is emphasised that women should marry for this, I believe Austen does not agree. Previously Austen has shunned the idea of a loveless marriage by writing to her niece saying: “anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection.” Many people at this time would have disagreed immensely with her view that love is so important. I feel, that Emma emphasises Austen’s belief throughout. It is, fundamentally, a love story, with everyone ending up married to the one they truly love. Some feminist critics have argued that this is just Jane Austen living in a fairytale world, where each girl gets to marry her prince, and believe in reality this does not happen. In such a society people could have not married whom the specifically wanted.
