Austen's Emma Discussions

[Reporter]

Ok, I didn't really answer your questions. Sorry. I tend to stray like that!    A governess is simply a live-in teacher.  They are also to give moral guidance and watch over them when they become of age to start meeting young men.    

What Austen meant by the saying that Miss Taylor has stopped being a governess is that the relationship of teacher and student has somehow, over the years been replace by the relationship "sisters" and "friendship".  Yes, she was techically still the governess and technically still employed as such, but, because she and Emma have gotten so close and shared so many secrets over the years, Emma simply didn''t see her as a "governess" anymore.  She is simply seen as Miss Taylor.  And again, it's largely due to the fact Miss Taylor doesn't set any rules or any disciplines and consequences to Emma when Emma breaks those rules.  Miss Taylor is so fond of Emma, and they have become so close that the formal title of "governess" was simply overlooked.  Miss Taylor was employed to be governess for both girls, but after the older sister got married, Miss Taylor and Emma become good friends.  Also, Mr. Woodhouse is described as somehow being too whimsical, not really being the "man of the house" as we would say.  So I'm sure Emma was able to gently persuade her father to accept Miss Taylor as more a family, than as a servant, and overlook her true station in life. 

Anyway, you’ve read Pride and Prejudice, haven’t you?  When Elizabeth met Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh asked her if they have governess and Elizabeth said no, Lady Catherine de Bourgh was shocked with indignation.  It’s practically a scandal in those days to NOT have a governess because by NOT having one implied so many things (like the family is not wealthy enough to afford one, the mother is doing manual labor, the children will be ‘savages’ because they have not been taught any manners, social skills, or any languages, etc etc).

OK.  And was it Ms. Taylor's mild temper that made her cease to take the role of governess or was it Emma's more demanding personality that made her cease to be so? What do you think?

Price and Prejudice? Not yet. But we'll get to that, too. Probably another argument between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy much like Mr. Knightley and Emma...

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OK.  And was it Ms. Taylor's mild temper that made her cease to take the role of governess or was it Emma's more demanding personality that made her cease to be so? What do you think?

Price and Prejudice? Not yet. But we'll get to that, too. Probably another argument between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy much like Mr. Knightley and Emma...

I think it's both.....now what do you guys think? I've been practically talking to myself all day. *sigh*

No, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth don't banter back and forth like Emma and Mr. Knightly...but there are a lot of hot stares from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth.  Especially noticeable when you watch the movie starring the Hot and Handsome Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! *fanning myself*

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If he was invited and had chosen not to attend, that's one. But if he wasn't ever invited, that's another. We aren't told how the guests were invited. And Austen goes very little into the wedding. She just says "wedding over," the two were left to dinner by themselves and started a conversation about their detachments.

Was Mr. Knightley ever invited? I'm not sure.

Was any of the townspeople invited? Not sure either.  IMO, based on other my readings on the English society over the years, he HAD to had been invited because he was a member of the village and one of the more wealthier ones too.  The wedding was more than likely sponsored by the Woodhouses, and so, being the proper English that the Woodhouses were, they would have no choice but to include him in the invitation along with the rest of the townsfolk.  Are the Woodhouses going to risk losing his friendship and social connections by not inviting him? I hardly think so.  That's why I think it was he that decided not to attend because Miss Taylor didn't affect him one way or the other.

[Reporter]

Was any of the townspeople invited? Not sure either.  IMO, based on other my readings on the English society over the years, he HAD to had been invited because he was a member of the village and one of the more wealthier ones too.  The wedding was more than likely sponsored by the Woodhouses, and so, being the proper English that the Woodhouses were, they would have no choice but to include him in the invitation along with the rest of the townsfolk.  Are the Woodhouses going to risk losing his friendship and social connections by not inviting him? I hardly think so.  That's why I think it was he that decided not to attend because Miss Taylor didn't affect him one way or the other.

I'll say very good guess. I'm not sure what it really is. But I was very surprised that he was not at the wedding.

I'm also surprised that they made no mention of them being sorry that Mr. Knightley could not attend the wedding. Also, Mr. Knightley didn't express his feelings about not making it.

Now, why is half a mile away to Randalls a problem for Mr. Woodhouse and Emma? That's where Ms. Taylor has gone to. And yet Mr. Woodhouse seems reluctant to visit her. He does say that the distance is quite far and that he can't possibly walk it. But I think it's not the distance that causes his reluctance. It must be something else. What do you think that might be?

[Reporter]

Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are on my 'must read' list. We can consider those two options for our next book for discussion once Emma is completed.

I don't mind. You choose one of these two after we are done with Emma.  I mean Emma.  Then we'll come back to Jane Austen some times in the future.

[Reporter]

I think it's both.....now what do you guys think? I've been practically talking to myself all day. *sigh*

No, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth don't banter back and forth like Emma and Mr. Knightly...but there are a lot of hot stares from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth.  Especially noticeable when you watch the movie starring the Hot and Handsome Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! *fanning myself*

I watched a BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. The lady who played Elizabeth was gorgeous beyond belief!

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I watched a BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. The lady who played Elizabeth was gorgeous beyond belief!

  Yup, that's the version that has Colin Firth playing Mr. Darcy!  He's the perfect Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle is the perfect Elizabeth. 

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Price and Prejudice? Not yet. But we'll get to that, too. Probably another argument between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy much like Mr. Knightley and Emma...

*SHOCKED* 

[sprite]

Emma's a spoiled little snob who has nothing better to do with her time but meddle in other people's love lives.

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Emma's a spoiled little snob who has nothing better to do with her time but meddle in other people's love lives.

Yep.

[Reporter]

*SHOCKED* 

Should have been Pride..., huh?

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Should have been Pride..., huh?

No...Shocked that you haven't read it yet.

[Reporter]

Emma's a spoiled little snob who has nothing better to do with her time but meddle in other people's love lives.

Good observation. I agree. But why is she like that? She obviously has no trainings in match-making. And Mr. Knightley says she didn't quite meet the requirements of having made a match other than just hoping or guessing for a successful match.  Surprising that she does not know her own shortcomings. When she claimed she matched Ms. Taylor and Mr. Weston and that she succeeded, her father said she shouldn't be doing that anymore. She said she just had one or two more, especially for Mr. Elton. Correct?

[Reporter]

No...Shocked that you haven't read it yet.

Oh, why are you shocked? I will get to it when our discussion comes around it. What others of Jane Austen have you read? English major way back, huh? Like in college?

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Oh, why are you shocked? I will get to it when our discussion comes around it. What others of Jane Austen have you read? English major way back, huh? Like in college?

I'm shocked because it sounded like you're a Jane Austen fan (?), but you haven't any of her other work, especially one of her better ones.   I didn't majored in english lit or anything like that. I just like to read A LOT. It's an enjoyable hobby.