I should be in bed right now, but I'm not sure if I'll get to write at all tomorrow since I'll be hiking for most of the day. So here's a little more on what I read today.
I just need to say how I hate that Emma gives Harriet so much false hope. Of course if she had let Harriet accept Mr. Martin, the story would end then and there, but I loathe how she manipulated her. To me it was clear that Emma knew she was doing this-- "While you were all in suspense, I kept my feelings to myself, but now that you are so completely decided I have no hesitation in approving." Horse hockey (as Colonel Potter from M*A*S*H would say)! She knew from the second Harriet brought the letter to her what she wanted to do. I'm kind of glad now that this will come back to bite Emma in the butt when Mr. Elton confesses that he loves her and not Harriet, with whom she has been so desperately trying to make him fall in love. I'm sorry, Emma, but you deserve it. Not even one hundred pages in, and you already deserve it.
Dear Mr. Knightley, thank you for telling Emma off for this. It's too bad that she's too stubborn to take your advice.
I'm beginning to think that perhaps Emma and Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice would get along pretty well.
Going back to the comment I made earlier about Mr. Knightley's relation to the Woodhouses, I have come to the conclusion that Isabella is Emma's sister, therefore making John Knightley Emma's brother in-law. Mr. Knightley, being John's brother, would bear the same title. Is that correct? I still should just look it up; I will in the morning, but that seems the most logical to me at the moment.
That is also how I thought the relation between Mr Knightley and the Woodhouses was set up. He held her when she was a baby when he was...like...16 I think, which is slightly creepy yet slightly romantic. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteI really like Mr. Knightley. He's so just, and such a classic hero, and he's the only one who ever scolds Emma. He's great just for that reason. But I don't like when he gets really mad at her because then he's not in the story! Ha ha
I just looked it up, and that is what it is. I just got confused at the first mention of it because the "in-law" wasn't tagged onto the end of it. I have to brush up on my early 19th century vocabulary! haha
ReplyDeleteMr. Knightley is definitely my favorite character of this book simply because of the reasons why you like him. I think it's good that he only pops in here and there though. There are only so many confrontations that he and Emma could have before it just gets overdone.
I've alwasy liked that Mr. knightly was 16 years older then Emma, my parents are 15 years apart so it's always been fun to contemplate the difference in ages!=)
ReplyDeleteI've come to feel a little, just a very little though, sorry for Emma. She is like she is becuase people have let her boss them around! Harriot didn't have to refuse Mr. martin becuase Emma said so. Emma just needed a few more Mr. Knightlys in her life, but then again who deosn't need someone to tell them when they are full of horse hockey! ;)
Oh, yes, I know at some point I will end up feeling sorry for her too, KatySue. Although Harriet didn't have to refuse because of Emma's influence, you could tell that from the way Emma was acting it did greatly affect her response. But, oh well! And you are right, Emma does need a few more Mr. Knightleys, especially when she has people like her father practically patting her head and encouraging her in everything.
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