CBR18 BINGO: Repair (Emma’s self-improvement)
I suspect my reaction to Emma (the character) is a little different on this re-read compared to when I first read it probably some 15-20 years ago. I recall thinking back then that Emma’s heart was in the right place and not really understanding why Austen considered her “a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” I do largely stand by that first impression, but this time I think I was more aware of Emma’s flaws and the way they persist even as she makes efforts to change.
Emma is the moderately snobby younger daughter of a gentleman. She is utterly devoted to her father, to her credit, and as the novel opens she has taken Harriet Smith under her wing. Emma believes she has already successfully made a marriage match for her former governess and has designs to serve Harriet similarly. Unfortunately, Emma is not as good at this as she thinks she is. She is amiable and compassionate, but she is occasionally prone to hypocrisy and thinks rather too highly of herself and her opinions. At one point I was starting to feel that if left unchecked, she could end up like Lady Catherine from Pride and Prejudice. I think she is probably halfway there, but her tendency toward self-reflection, her willingness to admit mistakes, and her general kindness save her. (The same cannot be said for Mrs. Elton, who on at least one occasion led to my exclaiming out loud “What a b—-,” quite similar to my reaction to Lady C, although at least Lady C sort of “earned” her condescension through wealth and status.)
Aside from my somewhat regular re-reads of P&P, this is the first time I’ve re-read an Austen book in a long time, and it’s the one that made me question how the heck she makes her books so interesting when it feels like not much happens. Characters call on each other and have conversations, read and write letters, go for walks, plan a ball, and listen to Miss Bates talk ad infinitum. How did this keep my attention through a 16-hour audio book? How do any of the books keep my attention? No wonder Jane Austen has remained a favorite for 200 years. She makes the characters and their relationships with each other, their pleasures and their disappointments, a focal point that keeps readers engaged. The changes in their relationships and their understanding of each other are the action. I’m looking forward to revisiting another one of her novels and maybe finally reading the rest of them. 4.25 stars.
