Vol II: Chps 1-9

A quickly moving story is both a blessing and a curse; it keeps you engaged, but it means really long blog posts. We shall have to make do.

In these chapters, we meet more important characters, namely Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill.
Also in these chapters,
-the infamous piano forte from an anonymous donor
-tons and tons and tons of gossiping between Frank Churchill and Emma
-again, Knightley frowns upon all.

Jane Fairfax--She is very reserved and quiet, pretty but "lacking complexion"

Lacking complexion??

Frank Churchill-- personable, young, lively, and yet annoying. Really too attentive in my opinion

Definitely a nicer looking Frank Churchill than the other Frank Churchill

Discussion

There are two things I'd like to talk about for these chapters:

1st: Emma's violent mood swings: She's always indecisive. First loving people, then hating them, then thinking they're alright, then going back to hating them. This is a theme I've been noticing throughout the chapters I've read so far.

2nd: (The one I want to focus on) The passage that prompted this bit of discussion:

"Harriet was one of those, who, having once begun, would be always in love." (pg 156 K Location 2355)
And if you think about it, this is how most young, frivolous, silly girls act. Luckily for Harriet (HA), Emma is her dearest friend and tries to make ammends by sending her to the Martin's house for a call. Harriet is unfortunately always thinking of Mr. Elton, even though Mr. Martin is making more advances. (Poor Mr. Martin, I feel so bad for him.)

Connection

Something I've been thinking about through all this reading, as well as all through other Jane Austen books, is how much thought went into evaluating an acceptable suitor. It seemed there was a wealth of knowledge about each single man's life: his family history, his income, the name of his estate, everything!!! Today, all girls seem to know when thinking about this are people's looks. Shame. But all the same I can't completely be despairing, here's a website that sort of provides a solution similar to what I have in mind:
http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/getting-married/choosing-a-spouse/6-characteristics-for-a-potential-spouse#.VESz0_nF8wo


Passage

I thought Emma's first evaluation of Frank Churchill hilarious and I guess this first impression is much more "modern" than I was harsh enough to state above.

"...he was a very good looking young man; height, air, address, all were unexceptionable, and his countenance had a great deal of the spirit and liveliness of his father'; he looked quick and sensible. She felt immediately that she should like him; and there was a well-bred ease of manner, and a readiness to talk, which convinced her that he came intending to be acquainted with her, and that acquainted they soon must be."
(pg 162 K)

Emma is a "judge a book by its cover" kind of person and it can be very annoying at times.

I think that's it. This section really was mostly Frank and Emma gossiping about anything and everything, and a fair amount of that gossip was about Jane Fairfax and the Dixons.

Finally, here is possibly the worst incarnation of Frank Churchill ever, for your consideration:

I'm sorry, but what were they thinking?!!!!!

~Claire