I am woman....hear me roar.....
9 years ago
Monday, March 4, 2013
Mr. Knightley
How
does the relationship between Mr. Knightley and Emma change throughout
the course of the novel? Although Austen does not directly tell us what
their relationship was like during Emma's childhood, their long and
intimate friendship is established at the novel's opening. In light of
their occasional quarrels and Knightley's criticisms of Emma, for
example, the criticism he made on Box Hill, how does Mr. Knightley feel
about Emma? Do Mr. Knightley's feelings change as the novel progresses?
If they do, what incidents account for the changes in his feelings?
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4 comments:
It seems they've been very close her entire life. Like her best friend perhaps. As Emma thinks more and more about marriage (usually for someone other than herself), and as Mr. Knightley thinks more about marriage they probably started thinking about each other a little differently. Although I think for Emma, when she realizes she should be the one to marry Mr. Knightley, it's more because she doesn't want to lose him as a close friend and confidant than gain him as a husband. It reminds me a little of child not wanting being interested playing with a toy until someone else wants it. When she saw that Harriet was interested in Mr. Knightley, she knew she wanted him for herself. I like to give Emma the benefit of the doubt and hope that she did in fact love him too, and it was just these events needed to take place before she would realize what she felt for him was more than friendship, and was in fact, love. Maybe I'm just a sap though. =)
I agree Holly, that she wanted him only when she was afraid of losing him. I think she thought she loved him but the only thing she really loved was herself and her own ego and knowing how he felt about her made her feel like she won. I think he would correct her partly because he had always looked after her but partly because he did love her and wanted to help her. He was too good for her, for sure. It made it so I wasn't even happy they ended up together. I wanted her to learn a lesson but in the end she learned that you can be a spoiled brat and get your way all your life.
He knew Emma from her infancy and I think loved her as "family" when she was little. But as she grew that loved changed to something more. Emma was more in his class so that made it helpful in that respect but I think he was a better and kinder person than she was but could see her potential if she would only let her good come out. He tried to keep her in line and hoped she would wise up, be kinder,and like people for who they were and recognize their qualities.
I don't think she only loved him because she was afraid of losing him but it was that that made her realize she loved him. I think she loved him all along.
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