‘…and she mentioned it to her in confidence, she had no objection to her telling us, of course…’
Gossiping demonstrates the topics that enthral the community in Highbury are certainly limited in outlook. They are interested in the happenings of their world, and this is the most important thing. With gossip being spread quickly, it is clear why neither Jane Fairfax nor Frank Churchill told anyone of their engagement, which they wanted to remain private. To a modern reader, this is trivial, but a reader in the eighteenth century would understand the harm that this deception could have caused, had it not been in a satirical novel. The society that Austen has created depends on trust and functions interdependently, which fits in with the view of an inward-looking community. This is why a couple who come into this society and practices deception, is a serious matter. Not only is there an issue of falseness, but also this situation could have been damaging for Emma’s reputation if she had fallen in love with Frank Churchill. In such a small and limited community, Emma’s status as a young, eligible woman would have been compromised.
The society that Emma is a part of, are most definitely limited in outlook. Emma never leaves the close proximities of Highbury and the only characters that do are those who travel to London to do errands, or make visits, but return shortly. Mrs Elton makes patronising comments about the parties that the society must take part in as they live in the countryside, Emma’s reply sums up their calm and satisfied lives,
‘No; not immediately here. We are rather out of distance of the very striking beauties which attract the sort of parties you speak of; and we are a very quiet set of people, I believe; more disposed to stay at home than engage in schemes of pleasure.’
Although this is not the style of life Mrs Elton enjoys or plans to lead, it is the life that the Emma’s society knows. They are limited in outlook. The activities that the women partake in are enjoyable but must grow tiresome, and they rarely try new things.
A different interpretation of ‘an inward looking-community, limited in outlook’ could be a reference to class. During the eighteenth century, status was very important and it was generally accepted to only mix with one stratum above and one stratum below you. At the beginning of the novel, Emma views herself as superior to those of the lower class, although this is true, she lets her snobbery interfere with the happiness of her friend,
‘I could not have visited Mrs Robert Martin, of Abbey-Mill Farm. Now I am secure of you forever.’
This selfish example of Emma’s belief in her inward-looking community, shows the journey she goes on throughout the novel. The reader can contrast the beginning of the novel to the end, where she is delighted to hear of Harriet’s engagement to Robert Martin. She learns that happiness and human worth is more important than marrying for status or money. If this interpretation is taken to be true, then this view does not fit in with my reading of the novel. I perceive only the Eltons and Emma at the beginning of the novel to have such views. The other character’s do not share the same prudish views and are kind to all, for example everyone is polite to rambling Miss Bates. Mr Knightley regards Robert Martin to be ‘a very pretty young man to be sure, and a very good young man…great regard for him’. Here, Austen reflects one of the many good attributes that knightly has; that he can see past status.
I think that in Emma Jane Austen does present an inward looking community, limited in outlook to a certain extent. If you look at Emma’s society as a microcosm of eighteenth Century society as a whole, which had a strict class etiquette, then this opinion is true. However it also represents hope for the ignorance of this etiquette because the reader sees Emma on her journey of self discovery and realisation of man’s worth. Nonetheless, the community are not all inward looking as they regard others of a lower class with respect. With this respect comes a close community, who believes Highbury to be the beginning and end of their lives which makes them limited in outlook.
