Blog Post #1

 A Conflicted Pair
~Blog Post #1~

Topic C

April 16, 2015
by Lily O'Gorden

         Throughout the novel Emma by Jane Austen, the relationship, and eventual conflict, between Mr. Knightley and Emma Woodhouse is significant because when it comes to Emma, it is clear he has greater expectations. In the beginning of the story, it is easy to see Emma is highly respected by her friends and family, and almost everyone regards her as the perfect young woman. The only person exempt from this view is Mr. Knightley, since he is one of the “few people who can see faults” in Emma (8). Mr. Knightley does have a high opinion of Emma, but he challenges her instead of treating her like she is right all of the time, something Emma is not familiar with.  When Mr. Knightley and Emma discuss the marriage proposal from his companion Robert Martin to Harriet Smith, an argument breaks out between the two. From the start of Emma and Harriet’s close friendship, Mr. Knightley is worried about the influence Emma has on Harriet. Emma is the person who tells Harriet to reject this marriage proposal, and she does not deny this when Mr. Knightley figures it out. He is furious and claims that before Emma took Harriet under her wing, Harriet had “no sense of superiority,” and would have been as happy as possible to marry Mr. Martin (58). Emma’s influence on Harriet makes her see Mr. Martin as a lower class individual who does not deserve her, and Mr. Knightley is extremely appalled by this. While Emma is focused on the social class of everyone, Mr. Knightley does not seem to be bothered by people’s status, making him notably less shallow and more mature than Emma. After this argument, Emma surprisingly feels guilty about her actions, even though she is too proud to admit it, because of the fact that she has a “habitual respect” for Mr. Knightley’s judgment (61).  Emma’s reaction to Mr. Knightley’s anger and disappointment in her is important because it gives a foundation for their growing relationship.