Austen denounces Mr. Elton's heightened perception of both himself and his social standing, because he is "without any alliances but in trade" (Austen 155). Mr. Elton's behavior and speech are befitting to his ambiguous social status. Forced into retrospection by Mr. Elton's unwelcome advances, Emma communicates Austen's position. Emma observes that Mr. Elton's "manners [are] unnecessarily gallant" and that "true elegance was sometimes wanting" and proclaims this "as one proof among others that he had not always lived in the best society". Emma attributes Mr. Elton's affections toward her as merely an attempt to "aggrandize and enrich himself." Emma has learned her first linguistic lesson; she will not be so easily fooled next time by such "thick-headed nonsense." Mr. Elton, however, does not see himself "inferior in talent, and all the elegancies of mind" (Austen 153-155). Rather, he considers himself Emma's social equal--if not her superior--and as a man, in charge of social situations. This situation exposes to the reader the role of women in that time. Elton freely expresses great anger and frustration when Emma denies his advances; assuming that being a man of perceived status, Emma would gladly succumb to his advances. Emma, though of great wealth and class, is still a woman who is expected to find a suitor of equal or higher class that she. Emma is a victim to Elton’s ambiguous discourse and romantic advances as well as her own delusion that Elton’s affections were directed towards Harriet. In addition, Mr. Elton's status in society is incongruent with his mind's conception; his perception is obscured by self-interest. Consequently, his language is obscured.
Mr. Weston, despite possessing an indisputably fine character, has married both above and beneath him. Although "a man of unexceptionable character, easy fortune...and fine manners" (Austen 38), by traversing class boundaries, he has produced a son whose social identity is warped. Frank Churchill, whose "indifference to a confusion of rank bordered too much on inelegance of mind" (Austen 74) is, along with Harriet, the most socially ambiguous character in the novel. Nowhere in the novel is the relationship between class confusion and miscommunication more apparent than in Frank's situation.
By far, Frank Churchill is responsible for the greatest abuses of language. Frank's intentional deceits are an infraction upon a fundamental standard of communication--truth. Jane Fairfax participates in the same literalism as Frank, but employs tactics that circumvent the necessity of evasion. By avoiding speech altogether, Jane avoids the abuse of language. Despite her righteous intentions, Jane is not free from fault; she fails on a social level because she disrupts the course of communication through her calculated silence. Both Frank and Jane are the product of a mixed upbringing--their speech inadequacies a direct result of inferior birth confused by an advantaged rearing (Austen 1996). Unsure of social standing and, in theory, speaking two separate languages, Frank fails to use language according to the rules of pragmatics and propriety. Jane's upbringing almost mirrors Frank's, excepting that her benefactor is not a relation. She, likewise, is confused in regard to her social standing. Jane's confusion is further complicated by her secret engagement to Mrs. Churchill's nephew. Because of this ambiguity of class, Jane is also necessarily unclear of her linguistic role. Admirably, she does not corrupt the language in order to conceal her engagement as Frank does. Instead, Jane develops a third language--silence, Unable to speak of her engagement, Jane chooses not to speak at all. Understanding the importance of conveying truth in discourse, Jane conveys nothing. She, however, has a highly limited language that is often misunderstood. In Emma's opinion, Jane's speech offends more than it pleases. On the other hand, Frank intentionally perverts language to create a facade behind which he may safely hide. Frank's deceit has virtually no limits; all his relationships in the novel are tainted with duplicity. Frank's liaison with Jane is hidden from even those to whom he is most indebted: his father and his benefactress, Mrs. Churchill. Frank's friendship with Emma is built on fraudulent claims and intentions. Not only does he fail to speak honestly, he willfully misrepresents his intentions and entraps her into speaking indecorously of his fiancé. Whereas Frank's objective was to "blind all about him" (Austen 415), Jane was merely trying to remain invisible.
Emma fails to penetrate the veneer of Frank's charm, pleased with his ability to "adapt his conversation to the taste of every body" (Austen 167). Ironically, Emma is endlessly provoked by Jane's reserve; she cannot consider Mr. Knightley's prognosis that Jane "will soon overcome all that part of her reserve which out to be overcome, all that has its foundation in diffidence...What arises from discretion must be honored" (Austen 185). Emma has been predisposed to approve of Frank and find nothing pleasing in Jane (her reason little else than her fancy) before either meeting actually took place. After their initial meetings, Emma amplifies her prejudices, exalting the deceitful Frank and questioning the veracious Jane Fairfax, whom Emma thinks "suspiciously reserved" and "wrapped up in a cloak of politeness" (Austen 182). Inclined to witticism and "conversation rational or playful," Emma, like her father, suffers from the limitation of "being never able to suppose that other people could feel differently than [herself]" (Austen 183).
Frank Churchill's statements regarding the same behavior in Jane are further guises to conceal his secret engagement. Frank is fully enlightened of Jane's obligation to withhold information and that her reserve is an unwelcome peculiarity of character. Still Frank remarks, "It is a most repulsive quality indeed...oftentimes very convenient, no doubt, but never pleasing. There is safety in reserve, but no attraction" (Austen 214), not only concealing his true knowledge and opinion of Jane's silence, but brazenly comparing is to his own conduct. Frank appraises his own manner as more pleasing, while cleverly manipulating his language to conform to his deceptions without forfeiting wit and charm. He would rather Jane also court the ears of Highbury with flattery and blitheness, viewing her silence as a most convenient tactic for avoiding a taboo subject, but certainly not the most amusing; he would gladly sacrifice sincerity and integrity for a moment's pleasure. Enrapt in his own linguistic charades, Frank fails to recognize the danger of such a game.
Any lover of Jane Austen novels must suspect that the foremost intention of the author was to amuse; her novels are too rich in wit and mirth to believe otherwise. Still, the same novels which bring readers such pleasure endeavor to examine some profoundly important human themes. Her support of the social hierarchy in Emma is based on a culmination of experience and thought. Austen placed within the strict societal bounds she writes of in her novels, realizes that society is an imperfect institution--the divisions of class are often arbitrarily constructed--and individuals are not necessarily ranked according to inherent worth; namely women. Nevertheless, it is vital to the advancement of humanity that society utilizes some such structure despite these imperfections. Austen has witnessed the effects of both rigid and slack social structures; as a result, Austen advocates the established social contract. She does not propose a philosophy social conformity, rather, suggests ideals to which individuals should aspire. Austen succeeds in confirming the necessity of such an order by organizing her characters accordingly at the conclusion of the novel.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1996.
