Illustrate Emma's blindness to the feelings of others and how these are presented in the novel.

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Illustrate Emma’s blindness to the feelings of others and how these are presented in the novel

In the novel ‘Emma’ there are several characters featured each with their own particular vices and virtues. Due to Emma being the central character the reader is made more aware of her personal qualities, not all of them good.

        Emma has many virtuous characteristics some of them being her generosity towards the people in the town she lives, the way she looks after her aged father who practically depends upon her and also the way she is almost always willing to give her help whenever it is needed.

        On the other hand Emma faults can sometimes over shadow her kindness, though never for too long. Her main error is believing that she can judge peoples feelings and this sometimes leads her to misinterpret people’s opinions of her friends and herself. A comment from Mrs. Weston, Emma’s old nanny puts it perfectly,

With all dear Emma’s little faults, she is an excellent creature. Where shall we see a better daughter, or a kinder sister, or a truer friend?

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        From Emma’s many mistakes the overall impression given of her is that she is not a particularly nice person who at times can be very thoughtless and cruel yet the novel is presented in a way which just endears her to the reader.

        Austen presents Emma’s faults in a way which makes it seem that she is just genuinely naive and does not realise how wrongly she misjudges certain situations and people.

She saw it all with a clearness which had never blessed her before. How improperly she had been acting by Harriet! How inconsiderate, how indelicate, how ...

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