Emma

1 Pages 369 Words

There are two basic arguments I would like to bring up. One of those arguments is “why or how is Emma marrying her brother-in-law?” The other argument I would like to bring up is a line between Mr. Knightly and Miss Taylor. The line is “I am sure you always thought me unfit for the office I held.” “Yes,’ said he, smiling. ‘You are better placed here; very fit for a wife, but not at all for a governess.”(I.IV.33)
When looking at my first question I debate with myself on what the time would approve of. I am not sure of the thoughts or feelings of people in that time. Are they ok with such a marriage? I found it weird that it was not even a debate in the book. No other characters even questioned the marriage. My thoughts on this is that it must have been ok in that time to marry within the family or just because the relationship was created through marriage
Looking at my second argument was a controversial question in class. I brought up the above like and believed that is meant that Emma had taught more to Miss Taylor than Miss Taylor had taught to Emma. Overall I was wrong. Almost everyone else in class saw it as Emma had in a way tamed Miss Taylor into doing what she was told. Basically Emma was turning her into a good wife. The other point I would like to bring up with the same above line is that it gives more of a basis to see Mr. Knightly as being an uptight individual. Of course, this is only viewed as such if it was taken the way that I assumed it meant. When Mr. Knightly says “You are a better place here; very fit for a wife, but not at all for a governess” (I.IV.33) you can assume (without reading on) that he meant that she is not a very good governess and would be better fit merely being a wife. I see this as her not being able to teach Emma as much as Emma taught her....