Chapter sixteen is written mainly in free indirect thoughts that Emma is having due to Emma’s plan to get Harriet and Mr Elton together failing. “Such an overthrow of everything she had been wishing for.-Such a development of everything most unwelcome!-Such a blow for Harriet-That was the worst of all”. This quote from chapter sixteen although portraying Emma in a good light as she indicates Harriet’s pain also shows that Emma is actually more concerned that her plan went wrong because this is what she first says, Harriet is the last thing she worries about (juxtaposition). Furthermore as Jane Austen makes Emma speak about Harriet last she could be indicating that Emma may class her problems the way society in those times classed people, putting her own problems first (which are not nearly as bad as what Harriet’s) and then worrying about how Harriet will feel. Additionally the repetition of “such” does show that Emma has real remorse for what she has done. This reveals that Jane Austen may want us to feel sorry for Emma at this point of the novel. This is made further apparent when Emma says “she would have gladly have submitted to feel yet more mistaken-more in error-more disgraced by misjudgement, than she actually was, could the effects of her blunders have been confined to herself”. The quote shows that Emma would rather feel worse then let Harriet find out that Mr Elton is not interested in her. Furthermore repetition of “more” also shows how badly she wished it was possible. But this also reveals that Emma may not be a true friend of Harriet’s as she would rather lie then tell Harriet what happened.
As chapter sixteen begins to come to a close Jane Austen reminds us of why Emma is the girl we love to hate. The quote “she stopt to blush as her own relapse” shows how quickly Emma gets over her problems and how her fancy quickly replaces her intellect. Furthermore Emma starts to look at the positives of Mr Elton mistakes saying things such as “no need to find excuses for Mr Elton’s absenting himself”
“If he were deficient there, nothing should make amends for it. But on seeing them together, she became perfectly satisfied”. This indirect thought of Emma’s shows how Jane Austen illustrates that Emma does not always follow her fancy and that if Mrs Weston did not like Frank Churchill neither would she. This however shows how easily Emma’s mind goes from one view to the next. Chapter twenty four continues with the use of indirect thoughts about Mr Knightly and how he had “certainly” not done Frank Churchill justice which intern shows that Emma is already beginning to like Frank Churchill.
“Miss Fairfax is naturally so pale, as always to give the appearance of ill health”. This quote said by Frank Churchill makes Emma clearly annoyed with him as she reacts by saying in indirect thoughts that she “would not agree to this” and then continues to debate about Jane Fairfax’s appearance with Frank Churchill. This ironic reaction from Emma due to Emma not actually liking Jane Fairfax clearly shows that Emma does value beauty and defend hers. This shows that Jane Austen approves of defending beauty.
Emma’s fancy begins to take hold of her intellect in this chapter when she starts to create the story about Jane Fairfax and Mr Dixon “one may guess what one chuses” This brings into question Emma’s education and that although society perceives her as smart, at the moment she rarely gives anyone a reason to believe she is.
In conclusion Jane Austen allows the reader to perceive Emma in many different ways throughout these two chapters. In chapter sixteen Emma can either be seen as a real friend of Harriet’s who is dreading having to tell her about how Mr Elton really feels “Such a blow for Harriet-That was the worst of all”. On the other hand Emma could actually just be looking out for herself and thinking that if she has tell Harriet about her plan failing and that she is not always right. Chapter twenty four illustrates how Emma’s fancy really gets out of hand and how she thinks what she wants to believe.
