Vol III: Chps 11 - 19

This is where I'd usually say "It's been nice knowing y'all" except I think people might think I'm crazy if I wave goodbye to...myself. I should probably just post before I say/type anything weird.

Let's get to it then.

These chapters were all various stages of Emma realizing she loves Knightley. 

-Emma realizes she loves Knightley

-Emma smiles

-Emma meets up with Harriet, who says she loves Knightley

-Emma frowns

-Emma thinks Knightley likes Harriet

-Emma cries and wishes Knightley would stay single forever

-Emma randomly meets Knightley on a walk, its awkward, Knightley is adorable, they decide to get married, Emma smiles again

-Emma has to break it to Harriet

-Emma goes back to hanging out with Knightley after shipping Harriet off to spend time with her sister in London

-Emma can't leave her poor papa, so maybe she won't marry Knightley after all

-Take that back! Knightley figures it out! He'll come and live at Emma's house until her dad dies! Smiles all around (except Harriet, poor dear.)

-Harriet gets engaged to Mr. Martin (finally) and Emma is happy to be with Knightley and at peace with herself.

Emma, Emma, Emma, Knightley, Knightley, Knightley, blah, blah, blah

To be perfectly honest, these last chapters are so filled with character soul-searching that, while the reader is happy for the character, you can't help but think "Yes, We know you like him! Yeah, we got that you've been blind! Okay, that's great Emma, we've sort of seen this the whole time! Move along dear, and hurry up, he's not yours yet!" and then later "Oh stop fussing Emma its really not that big of a deal! Harriet's too much of a ninny to snatch Knightley, YOU HAVE NO COMPETITION! What are you worried about?!?!?!?!?!?!"  Ugh. Emotion. Though let's not forget Knightley is 16 years older than Emma. 

But really, Knightley (and all Jane Austen guys) is absolutely adorable:

I mean, look at him!!!!

And...."I cannot make speeches Emma." YES YOU CAN

ANYWAY, I guess I have to actually discuss what I read now.......

Discussion

Even though I complain about Emma's soul searching, I really do think it was good for her character. She becomes a lot more humble, a lot more sincere towards Harriet (if that's possible), and a lot more caring and thoughtful towards people's feelings in general. Its great for her, and its probably in the best interest of everyone around her. I was really just interested in her anxiety over Harriet after her walk in the garden with Knightley:

"How to do her best by Harriet, was of more difficult decision;---how to spare her from any unnecessary pain; how to maker her any possible atonement; how to appear least her enemy?----On these subjects, her perplexity and distress were very great---and her mind had to pass again and again through every bitter reproach and sorrowful regret that had ever surrounded it." pg 376

Connection

Since it is the last week.....

And

Aren't they just adorable!? I mean! HE RODE THROUGH THE RAIN


On that note, here's an article on the decline of chivalry.


Passages

Since I focused so much on the action leading up to them finally getting married, here's the very last paragraph of the book, that talks about the wedding itself:

"The wedding was very much like other weddings, where the parties have no taste for finery or parade; and Mrs. Elton from the particulars detailed by her husband [implying that she wasn't invited!!!!!!], thought it all extremely shabby, and very inferior to her own.---"Very little white satin, very plain lace veils, a most pitiful business!----Selina would stare when she heard of it."---But, in spite of those deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union.

FINIS

" pg 421

The End, thank you to whoever actually read this, hope you enjoyed it; I really enjoyed posting all the pictures and video from the movies.....And once again, I have succeeded in making a reference to one Emma movie or another in every. single. post. Gold star for me.

~Claire

Vol III: Chapters 1-10

Almost there......and yet the book doesn't slow down, each chapter is still filled with a ton of stuff that I'd love to talk about. C'est la vie!

Really quickly, here's a summary of what happened in the past 10 chapters:

- Frank returns; Emma is certain that his regard for her has decreased
-Mr. Elton slights Harriet at a ball
-Knightley saves Harriet in her distress^!
(-Knightley dances with Emma)
-Harriet gets attacked by gypsies, is saved by Frank
-Harriet and Emma destroy Harriet's treasures of Mr. Elton
-Knightley hates Frank because he thinks Frank is pursuing Emma
-Trip to Box Hill: Emma severely slights Miss Bates (REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT LAUGHING AT MS. BATES, BUT NOT SLIGHTING HER?!)
-Emma and Knightley fight a little
-Emma visits the Bateses to make up for her poor behavior
-Knightley rushes away to London (REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT BOYS RUNNING AWAY BEFORE COMING BACK 'FULL OF LOVE'?!)
-Mrs. Churchill dies (!!)
-The news breaks that Frank and Jane Fairfax have secretly been engaged since last October!

So, there's a quick summary of what happened. Lots of big events, both for society and internal character growth.

Discussion

I'd like to discuss Knightley's behavior throughout these chapters; he is becoming very over protective of Emma, even though (as of yet) he has no claims to her, and his criticism has become less of a friend and more of "something infinitely more dear".  Something along these lines that I really liked was this passage:
"'Whom are you going to dance with?' asked Mr. Knightley.
She hesitated a moment, and then replied, 'With you, if you will ask me.'
'Will you?' said he, offering his hand.
'Indeed I will. You have shewn that you can dance, and you know we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it at all improper.' [remember, they are sort of pseudo siblings because their siblings are married.]
'Brother and sister! no, indeed.'"
(pg 285 K)
That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a Victorian-era-sly-comment-suggesting-flirtation.

So this slight flirtation grows throughout what we (I)'ve read, becoming an intense hatred for Frank Churchill, suggesting jealousy......in fact, he becomes so upset about Frank that while sitting with Mr. Woodhouse and Emma one night,

"He found he could not be useful, and his feelings were too much irritated for talking." (pg 303 K)

Then a small bump in the road when Emma is rude to Miss Bates:

"It was badly done, indeed." (pg 324 K)
(^Hence the name of this blog "Badly Done Emma")

And then we get the infamous "I've-got-to-get-away-from-you-to-clear-my-head-'cause-I-love-you-too-much"-move. Knightley suddenly develops a burning desire to go to Brunswick Square to spend a few days with his brother John and Isabella. And before leaving, joy of joys, this happens:

"...a little movement of more than common friendliness on his part.---He took her hand;---whether she had not herself made the first motion, she could not say---she might perhaps, have rather offered it,----but he took her hand, pressed it, and certainly was on the point of carrying it to his lips--when, from some fancy or other, he suddenly let it go." (pg 333)

JUST MARRY HER ALREADY, WOULD YOU?!

We have to wait and see what happens to Knightley's emotions when he comes back in the last 10 chapters.....

Connection

So, I noticed that Emma, even though she doesn't like Frank, and even though she's certain he doesn't like her as much, and even though she's resolved to not give him any encouragement, is very wrapped up in whether or not he notices her and is being attentive to her. Really annoying. And for all Emma's great qualities, it shows she can be vain. Arthur Schopenhauer did an essay on the vanity of existence: scroll down a little to read it.

Passages

So many to chose from! So many that really should be included! And most of them are incredibly long and I'm sure you don't want to read them! I guess I just have to pick a few then.......

1. Emma's opinion of what a man's character should be like with regard to his dealings with other people:
"General benevolence, but not general friendship, made a man what he ought to be."
(pg 275 K)

2. After Harriet is attacked by gypsies and Frank brings her to Emma's house, she thinks to herself:
"Such an adventure as this,--a fine young man and a lovely young woman thrown together in such a way, could hardly fail of suggesting certain ideas to the coldest heart and the steadiest brain."
(pg 288).

3. Knightley's firm opinion on who can invite people to his house (a rebuttal to Mrs. Elton):
"'No', --he calmly replied--'there is only one married woman in the world whom I can ever allow to invite what guests she pleases to Donwell, and that one is---' 
'---Mrs. Weston, I suppose,' interrupted Mrs. Elton, rather mortified.
'No----Mrs. Knightley; ---and till she is in being, I will manage such matters myself.'"
(pg 306)

4. Emma's slight to  Ms. Bates at Box Hill:
"'Three things very dull indeed.' That will just do for me, you know. I shall be sure to say three dull things as soon as ever open my mouth, shan't I? (looking round with the most good-humoured  dependence on every body's assent)---Do not you all think I shall?'
Emma could not resist.
'Ah! ma'am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me---but you will be limited as to number---only three at once.'
Miss Bates, deceived by the mock ceremony of her manner, did not immediately catch her meaning; but, when it burst on her, it could not anger, though a slight blush shewed that it could pain her."
(pg 320 K)
This one is so important to Emma's character development, I think it deserves a movie clip:

I think that's everything!

~Claire

End of Volume II: Chps 11-18

It seems that once again, there's a lot to talk about. Let's just get right to it then:

In these chapters, there were a few significant events, namely:

-Frank goes away

-Emma thinks she might be in love with him

-Emma decides she's not in love with Frank and begins to match Frank with Harriet

-Elton brings home his new wife
-Speculation as to Knightley's loving Jane Fairfax
-Emma suspects an attachment on the part of Jane Fairfax for Frank Churchill
-A debate on the merits of Frank Churchill's handwriting, with Emma and Mrs. Weston on one side and Knightley on the other (maybe the only disappointing part of the entire book, though not any less intriguing)
-A fair amount of dinner time chit chat that doesn't add a whole lot to the story,except the news that Frank will soon be back. The conversation also divulges that Mrs. Elton is "self-important, presuming, familiar, ignorant, and ill-bred" (pg 241), but that means she's perfect for Mr. Elton so hurrahs all around.

Before I officially begin, a quick character sketch of the new Mrs. Elton, previously, Miss Hawkins:

Ugh. She even looks annoying

Mrs. Elton, coming in after everyone circulated such positive rumors of her, is now the most pesky person in the community. Emma thought her annoying at first, then resolved to call again to get a more fair picture and came to this conclusion:
"...she [Emma] had a quarter of an hour of the lady's [Mrs. Elton's] conversation to herself, and could composedly attend to her; and the quarter of an hour quite convinced her that Mrs. Elton was a vain woman, extremely well satisfied with herself, and thinking much of her own importance; that he meant to shine and be very superior, but with manners which had been formed in a bad school, pert and familiar...." (pg 233 K)

Harsh. Evidently Mrs. Elton is not a very amiable person. Oh well! I don't pity Mr. Elton at all!

No cake for you Mrs. Elton!

Discussion

These chapters focused mainly on Frank Churchill and news regarding him. Unfortunately, very little was said of Harriet, even though she is the one feeling pretty bad right now, seeing as the guy she was provoked into liking just got married. I feel really bad for her---and now Mr. and Mrs. Elton are back in Highbury, and as newly weds, they must be called upon by everyone. Emma is sincerely trying to help Harriet now (not that she wasn't before, but here she can do it without messing up for the most part). Emma completely takes the blame again, which is sweet of her, and then there's this lovely passage(s) that make their friendship complete:

"Such expressions, assisted as they were by everything that look and manner could do, made Emma feel that she had never loved Harriet so well, nor valued her affection so highly before." and then further down the page "There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart."
[Both quotes from page 230 K]

So hopefully, after seeing Mrs. Elton, Harriet and Emma can sit back and laugh at the opportunity Mr. Elton passed up in not giving Harriet his attentions. Mrs. Elton is far inferior in manners and virtue to Harriet, even though Harriet is of lower birth.


Connection

This connection will be mostly based off of the passage below, in which Mrs. Weston and Emma are discussing the possibility of Mr. Knightley being in love with Jane Fairfax.

"Why, really, dear Emma, I say that he is so very much occupied by the idea of not being in love with her, that I should not wonder if it were to end in his being so at last. Do not beat me."
(pg 248 K)

Interesting......so its not exactly reverse psychology, because Knightley's not being persuaded, but its along those same lines.....here's a Wikipedia article that gives the basics on Reverse Psychology.


Passages

In these chapters, Emma does a lot of internal debating about whether or not she's in love with Frank Churchill. She finally concludes that she is not in love with him, but that he is very much in love with her....her thought process is pretty funny though:

"Emma continued to entertain no doubt of her being in love" (pg 226 K)
then
"...the conclusion of every imaginary declaration on his side was that she refused him." (pg 226 K)
and later
"When she became sensible of this, it struck her that she could not be very much in love." (same page as above)

Also, Frank Churchill gave two cents on Miss Bates:
"She is a woman that one may, that one must laugh at; but that one would not wish to slight." (pg 223 K)
(Keep this in mind.......)
Also, for all Knightley's disapproval of Frank, I think he'd appreciate that quote. And so,

For the first time in a long time

~Claire