Emma's Change of Heart
Emma Blog Post #2
Prompt B
April 24, 2015
In chapter 16 of Emma, there seems to be a big change in
Emma’s attitude. Emma was horrified and surprised when Mr. Elton proposed to
her. She’d been trying so hard to have him fall in love with her friend Harriet
Smith. It hits her how she’d mistaken his feelings for her when she’d thought
he had feelings for Harriet. Emma thinks about “how eager he had been about the
picture... and a hundred other circumstances” where she’d mislead Mr. Elton
(Austen126). However, she’s more upset about how Harriet will feel when she
finds out. Emma feels terrible and begins to doubt her supposed matchmaking
skills by realizing “it was foolish… to take so active a part in bringing any
two people together.” (128) Emma begins to realize that she has been only “half
a friend to [Harriet]” which makes her feel worse about meddling in her life.
This understanding of what manipulation can cause has a great change on Emma.
It begins to show her grow in humility and selflessness by realizing that
things don’t always go the way she plans it to. However, although it seems as
if Emma’s matchmaking days are over, it’s almost as if it’s a learning
experience or something she can apply to future matches. She even begins to
start thinking of another man for Harriet, William Coxe, but quickly dismisses
the thought. This chapter shows that even though Emma is beginning to grow and
mature, she still has a long way to go.
Regan, I agree that Emma has changed throughout this section of reading. The events that have happened slightly change her for the better, even though they are unlucky circumstances. Her conflict with Mr. Elton regarding Harriet definitely makes her see matchmaking differently, but as you pointed out this doesn't last for long. Emma has been so used to a life where everyone thinks she is always right, and because of this it is going to take much more than one mistake to change her for good. There have been many signs of foreshadowing about Mr. Knightley changing her because of their close relationship and high opinions of each other. In the first few chapters, they both discuss a shared respect for each other, such as when it is told that Mr. Knightley is the only one who “tells Emma of her faults” (8). Although it may be a slow and steady growth, Emma will certainly be improved as a person by the end of this novel with the help of Mr. Knightley, and, I predict, other lessons from future errors.
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