Tolog Review: Emma

Emma
by Jane Austen 
reviewed by Meiqing Gao

Emma is a popular book written by Jane Austen who specializes in marital theme novels, the one of the most famous is “pride and prejudice”. For Emma, Jane Austen writes an interesting story about the main character Emma use her own way to help her friend to get marriage although we see it’s usually a kind of a selfish and ridiculous method and failed several times. At the ending of the story, Emma find her mistake and everyone get their own happiness.

Jane Austen shaped Emma as an intelligent and kind but proud and selfish woman in a special way, Emma has some disadvantages but that not makes people hate her. Emma grows up during the period she helped Harriet to get “marriage” and “happiness”. In this process, she grows in a constantly self-understanding way.

Emma is such a proud, thoughtful and brave woman. When other girls consider about parties and men, she speaks out that she never think about marriage. However, she also has some mistakes, she’s not perfect. Mr. Knightly have been created based on Emma’s disadvantages. The author wrote him as a mature man who never impulse or vanity but full of rational all throughout the book, even to affections. He judges everyone fair and always gives Emma some helpful suggestions about her growth and thoughts.

Oppositely, Harriet is the girl that young and pure, she is lack of the ability of self-judgment. Easy minded and easy-going makes an apparently contrast with Emma’s thoughtful personality. When she thought she loves Mr. Knightly, she also stimulates the development of the plots that makes Emma realizes Mr. Knightly is the one she wants to choose.

Besides, Jane is the most controversial character in this novel. One side, she’s as good as Emma, attractive and graceful. Mr. Knightly even gives her a high evaluation as well. The other side, she’s almost a perfect woman in the novel but her personality is base on emphasize the main role which is Emma. People usually put Emma and Jane together to consider which one is better. It’s also a point to attract people to read this book.

Readers attracted by these personalities, characters and plots in Emma. Jane Austen created people not perfect but have some disadvantages, characters overcome them and meet some important people through their long lives, grow up and understand themselves and other people and finally get their happiness.