That's funny cuz I actually noticed Harriet's doubts about Emma's opinions and pronouncements more this time, and her deference to her probably because of Emma's rank. I think I'm more aware of it because of having just read Mansfield Park.
If y'all are interested: Mentoria: or, The Young Ladies' Instructor by Ann Murry. This is the book JA gave to her niece, Anna Austen (later Lefroy)--not the same edition, but no matter. It's written as conversations between a governess (and not necessarily a Jane Eyre type governess, who was a bit more of an academic teacher only) and her young lady pupils; there are a few chapters with the young ladies' brother when he comes home from one of the public schools. This may give some insight as to the kind of education Emma received--not just academics, but manners, propriety, etc.
I think Miss Taylor may have been modeled on Mentoria. However, she must have been fairly young when she entered the Woodhouse household, maybe Jane Fairfax's age. She doesn't seem to have a disciplinarian type of personality so I think it was easier for her to become enamored of the five year old Emma and quickly step into that surrogate mother role for her. I think she's probably about the same age as Mr. Knightley, no? About 35 or 37? Which is kind of funny since Mr. Knightley seems to act as a surrogate father for Emma (which freaks me out beyond belief, but we'll get to that later, lol).
I'm tolerating Emma a lot more this time through, which is good. I'm also going to have to start a second notebook for her soon. O_O I'll let you know how I feel about her after volume three, but through volume 1 my feelings fluctuated quite a bit. I feel like she's almost trying to be like Miss Taylor in taking Harriet under wing--like she herself wants to be a teacher, responsible for forming someone's mind. Not that she has any real clue how to do this and not that this isn't fraught with real dangers for Harriet. She's basically taking Harriet and playing with her like a doll.
Canute, I really like your comparison to Mr. Darcy--I hadn't thought of that. This may be Emma's avenue for reprieve with me. :D
Ok, can we talk about Mr. Knightley? If Emma irritated me before, Mr. Knightley makes me want to smack his pompous ass from here to next Sunday. I understand Emma needs a bit of direction and all, but does he freaking have to be so arrogant and smug about it?! UGH! Two scenes strike me most in this volume--how they make up over little baby Emma's head in chapter 12, with his 'I'm older than you so I know better, and you'll never be right with me' schtick and his tirade about Frank in chapter 18. Fine, I get it, he's jealous. But Emma makes some really good arguments for Frank's dependence on the Churchills (much to her credit), and he basically blows her off with his 'a man will do his duty' routine. Maybe for you, Mr. Eldest Son born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but how does a financially dependent 'poor relative' navigate these waters?! I don't care if Frank is male--where does he get off judging Frank by his own experiences and standards? Mr. Knightley just grates. Someone please convince me he grows in this novel and deserves Emma cuz I ain't buying it right now.
Well, I'm not sure that I can convince you that Knightley grows, because I'm not sure that he does. I will, however, say this in his defense: if some of the people, i.e. Miss Taylor or Emma's father, had checked her in her youth as she should have been checked, Knightley might have had to be a little less hard and arrogant in his corrections. He was basically trying to do what needed to be done within his limited time and influence over Emma (in that he didn't live with them). I look at him as the wall Emma should have run into much earlier when she was moving through the world a little slower.
Now Frank Churchill is just a prat. I never liked him at all. I thought he was arrogant and cheeky, even before the whole thing with JF came out, so I never got upset with Knightley's assessments of him. I rather thought he had him spot on. OK, he was probably in a bad situation, but still, he could have made more of an effort than he did. He certainly made an effort with JF and could have done the same in regards to his father. He makes me want to smack him clear into the middle of next week.
Don't we all judge other people by our own experiences and standards? I don't think you should be so hard on Knightley considering this. Actually, in a way, he was elevating Frank by doing so, i.e. he was assuming that Frank was as much the gentleman as he and could have at least done more to act as he should have. Dependant nephews rights or not, I'm not buying Frank's arguments, even with Emma defending him :0)
If y'all are interested: Mentoria: or, The Young Ladies' Instructor by Ann Murry. This is the book JA gave to her niece, Anna Austen (later Lefroy)--not the same edition, but no matter. It's written as conversations between a governess (and not necessarily a Jane Eyre type governess, who was a bit more of an academic teacher only) and her young lady pupils; there are a few chapters with the young ladies' brother when he comes home from one of the public schools. This may give some insight as to the kind of education Emma received--not just academics, but manners, propriety, etc.
I think Miss Taylor may have been modeled on Mentoria. However, she must have been fairly young when she entered the Woodhouse household, maybe Jane Fairfax's age. She doesn't seem to have a disciplinarian type of personality so I think it was easier for her to become enamored of the five year old Emma and quickly step into that surrogate mother role for her. I think she's probably about the same age as Mr. Knightley, no? About 35 or 37? Which is kind of funny since Mr. Knightley seems to act as a surrogate father for Emma (which freaks me out beyond belief, but we'll get to that later, lol).
I'm tolerating Emma a lot more this time through, which is good. I'm also going to have to start a second notebook for her soon. O_O I'll let you know how I feel about her after volume three, but through volume 1 my feelings fluctuated quite a bit. I feel like she's almost trying to be like Miss Taylor in taking Harriet under wing--like she herself wants to be a teacher, responsible for forming someone's mind. Not that she has any real clue how to do this and not that this isn't fraught with real dangers for Harriet. She's basically taking Harriet and playing with her like a doll.
Canute, I really like your comparison to Mr. Darcy--I hadn't thought of that. This may be Emma's avenue for reprieve with me. :D
Ok, can we talk about Mr. Knightley? If Emma irritated me before, Mr. Knightley makes me want to smack his pompous ass from here to next Sunday. I understand Emma needs a bit of direction and all, but does he freaking have to be so arrogant and smug about it?! UGH! Two scenes strike me most in this volume--how they make up over little baby Emma's head in chapter 12, with his 'I'm older than you so I know better, and you'll never be right with me' schtick and his tirade about Frank in chapter 18. Fine, I get it, he's jealous. But Emma makes some really good arguments for Frank's dependence on the Churchills (much to her credit), and he basically blows her off with his 'a man will do his duty' routine. Maybe for you, Mr. Eldest Son born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but how does a financially dependent 'poor relative' navigate these waters?! I don't care if Frank is male--where does he get off judging Frank by his own experiences and standards? Mr. Knightley just grates. Someone please convince me he grows in this novel and deserves Emma cuz I ain't buying it right now.
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Now Frank Churchill is just a prat. I never liked him at all. I thought he was arrogant and cheeky, even before the whole thing with JF came out, so I never got upset with Knightley's assessments of him. I rather thought he had him spot on. OK, he was probably in a bad situation, but still, he could have made more of an effort than he did. He certainly made an effort with JF and could have done the same in regards to his father. He makes me want to smack him clear into the middle of next week.
Don't we all judge other people by our own experiences and standards? I don't think you should be so hard on Knightley considering this. Actually, in a way, he was elevating Frank by doing so, i.e. he was assuming that Frank was as much the gentleman as he and could have at least done more to act as he should have. Dependant nephews rights or not, I'm not buying Frank's arguments, even with Emma defending him :0)
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