Emma states her desire to never marry, yet perpetually plays matchmaker for others. Unable to accept that she could possibly be taken as sticking her nose in other peoples business, she does everything she can to make the relationships of other people work, however unnaturally. In this same sense, she is oblivious to the fact that while she and Mr. Knightley are completely different, they are still undeniably attracted to each other.
Throughout the novel, Knightley gradually guides Emma to maturity and redemption by gently (and not-so-gently) correcting her when she gets out of line and making her question her own true intentions. Knightley, ever the perfect gentleman in the book, delivers food to those less fortunate, rescues Harriet from an uncomfortable ball, knocks a rude Mrs. Elton down from her high horse, and even knowingly puts himself in situations with others he strongly dislikes.
So while Emma speaks her mind too openly, blurting out thoughts tactlessly, Knightley shows considerable goodwill, patience and restraint. These qualities are ones that he attempts to make Emma aware of in hopes that she will adopt some of them herself. Consistent with her character however, Emma is very slow to catch on to this, preferring to ignore any social obligation in favour of remaining in her comfort zone; being a well-bred know-it-all who is right all the time.
For the majority of the novel, Knightley acts as more than simple love interest. He is her mentor, her spirit guide and her conscience. By pointing out and correcting her mistakes, Knightley guides Emma to being a better human. “How could you be so insolent in your wit to a woman her character, age, and situation?” he demands. (p. 351) This humbles Emma, prompting some of her rare feelings of shame and regret. In this way, he holds her accountable for her own actions, something that no other character in the book could do.
While critical of her every action, his harshness truly stems from concern for her. Even though he regularly disagrees with her behaviour, he likes her all the same. It is only in the jealousy-inspiring incidents of Mr. Weston’s son, latter-novel Harriet Smith and the ‘gentle’ Ms. Jane Fairfax that both Knightley and Emma learn of their romantic weakness for each other.
It is this newfound recognition of love, this consideration for her entirety; that promotes Knightley’s only losses in control. Petty behaviour, irrational thinking and impulsively running away are all results of his growing affection for Emma and his feelings of powerlessness when it comes to her silly decision making. Likewise, Austen writes: “It darted through her, with the speed of an arrow, that Mr. Knightley must marry no one but herself!” (p.382) By this point, Emma has begun to think of herself as the only woman who should marry Knightley, as no one else could possibly be fit for such a noble task.
By the end of the novel it has become clear that Emma’s moral evolution keeps similar pace with Knightley’s criticisms of her actions. She grows as both character and woman under his influence. Simply, in order for her to find true happiness, she must set aside her arrogance and snobbishness, the very traits that stand in the way of blossoming romance. Knightley helps Emma to judge others by more than their status and through his patient guidance and gentle reprimanding she begins her journey of self improvement.
This journey produces the most powerful of her emotions; jealousy, insecurity and eventually a selflessness and pure happiness that she had never thought she wanted. In this way, George Knightley is truly the only man strong enough to win over the heart of stubborn Emma Woodhouse.
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