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Essay on Emma by Jane Austen
Jane Austen's book "Emma" is a complex study of human deception and self-deception. Throughout the book, characters are deceived by appearances, fool themselves and others, and pretend to be what they are not. Their expectations are mistaken; their actions grounded in false premises. The author reveals the motives and consequences of these failures in perception by having their false understanding culminate in actions whose effects are the opposite of what is intended. The consequent social disorder forces the reader (and some of the characters - especially Emma) to see the moral fault which causes the character to choose to live in illusion.
This sharp contrast between thought and truth, between what the characters understand and what the reader understands, between intention or expectation and fulfillment, is sometimes called dramatic irony. Dramatic irony may have an objective or a subjective foundation, or both. Appearances may lie, may suggest the opposite of what actually is. Thus, Frank Churchill uses Emma as a "blind," gives everyone the impression that he is romantically interested in her - even though he suspects that she is aware of his motive. What Mr. Elton intends as compliments to Emma are easily interpreted as being directed at Harriet. And Emma's attentions to Mr. Elton though intended to make it convenient for him to meet Harriet are easily mistaken to be encouraging his interest in Emma. Emma's encouraging Harriet to be optimistic about a socially superior match is interpreted by Harriet as encouraging her to hope for Mr. Knightley; and Harriet's declared interest in a person of higher rank is interpreted by Emma as an interest in Frank Churchill. (Bonaparte, Felicia)
The story that Miss Bates tells about Jane and Mr. Dixon seems to solicit Emma's interpretation of it. Emma's harmless flirtation on Box Hill with Frank easily leads Mr. Knightley to conclude that she is in love with him..........
