Tolog Review: Emma

Emma
by Jane Austen
reviewed by Olivia Partamian 

Emma, by Jane Austen, is a fictitious novel set in Highbury, England during the early nineteenth century, which explores the matchmaking, societal, and romantic endeavors of the young woman for whom the book is named. Emma Woodhouse, is a comfortable, clever, and wealthy woman, whose wit leads her to interfere in the lives of others. One of her first projects involves matching her beloved governess Miss Taylor with the respectable Mr. Weston. After this first success, Emma finds herself without companion and hungry for another project, leading her to seek the friendship of Miss Harriet Smith. Miss Smith is a young woman, whose birthright is unknown, thus she has no experience with high society. Emma takes it upon herself to introduce Harriet to her world of dinner parties, pastimes, and worthy suitors, making it her mission to find Harriet a worthy husband. Emma becomes fixated on setting Harriet up with Mr. Elton, a handsome and mannerly bachelor. All throughout it is evident that Emma has no interest in ever marrying herself, as she is mistress of her house, has a good financial situation, and could never bare to part with her father. Mr. Woodhouse is a wary old man, who approaches everything with caution and wishes only the best health for his close acquaintances. Among these, is Mr. Knightley, brother-in-law to Emma, who she once commented on, saying, “you might not see one in a hundred with gentleman so plainly written as in Mr. Knightley,”(Austen 22). He is a frequenter in the Woodhouse household, Highbury and soon becomes tangled up in Emma’s romantic schemes, although he objects to them all. 

As the novel progresses more characters including Mr. Churchill and Jane Fairfax, who are both mysterious and by some trick of destiny are bound to Emma in an odd working of fate, are introduced and are seamlessly worked into the story. These characters challenge all that Emma feels is concrete and cause her to question her own understanding of society and her heart. It is an ever working theme that Miss Woodhouse may be too clever for her own good and may have misjudged all that was supposed to be apparent at the beginning. What begins as a novel of silly school girl matchmaking, quickly turns into a multilayered exploration into the innermost workings of human feeling and emotion.