A Twisted Relationship

~Blog Post ~

Topic C

April 24, 2015

By Rose Poplawski

        From the beginning of Emma, Jane Austen has been using relationships to create problems throughout the book.  Austen creates a complicated relationship between Mr. Knightley and Emma Woodhouse. In the beginning of the novel, Austen gives the illusion that Mr. Knightley doesn’t like Emma because of his criticism of her. Austen writes that, “Mr. Knightley was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse” (Austen 8). From this a reader gets the impression that Mr. Knightley is not fond of Emma like all the other characters in the book. As the novel continues Mr. Knightley’s and Emma’s relationship starts to grow and Austen now give the illusion that Mr. Knightley might actually like Emma.  Mr. Knightley is concerned for Emma so he says, “I never in my life saw a man more intent on being agreeable than Mr. Elton. It is downright labour to him where ladies are concerned. With men he can be rational and unaffected, but when he has ladies to please every feature works” (105).  Through this Emma is taken back at what Mr. Knightley says because Emma has always thought Mr. Knightley didn’t like her. While Emma has been toying with Harriet’s relationship with Mr. Elton, Mr. Knightley expresses his concerns for the women. However, Emma is convinced that Harriet deserves a man of wealth. This shallowness blinds Emma to the fact that Mr. Elton has feelings for her. The relationship of Mr. Knightley and Emma Woodhouse is ever changing through Austen’s novel as she has her readers go through twists and turns.