Analysis of chapter 19 to 21 of Emma by Jane Austen

Hi everyone, today I am going to talk about the section between chapters 19 and 21 from the book “Emma” by Jane Austen.

Before I start the analyzing part of my presentation, here is the plan :

I will begin with the introduction of the main idea of this section and then I will talk about the characters and the themes. After that, I will summarize and analyze that part of the book to highlight the main elements with the help of the literary devices. 

At the end, I will make a deeper analysis of another section of the book that reflects the same main theme as the part that I am about to analyze.

Those chapters highlight the the rivalry between Emma and Jane but also the social class and her self-reflection on the judgment she passes on others.

In chapter 19, Emma and Harriet are taking a walk. They decide to go see the Bates after M. Knightley told Emma that she doesn’t visit them often and shows negligence towards them.

During the visit, they learn by a letter that Miss Bates received, that Jane Fairfax is coming back to Highbury for 3 months.

That delights (réjouis) the Bates because Miss Bates and Jane’s Grandmother haven’t seen each other for 2 years. 

The Campbell, Jane’s adoptive family, who are living in London are about to leave for Ireland to see their daughter who just got married a few months ago with M. Dixon. Emma keeps thinking that if Jane didn’t leave with her parents there must be an affair between her and M. Dixon. Furthermore, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon strongly wished for Jane to accompany her parents on their trip to Ireland, but she preferred to go visit her family because she was feeling a little unwell, and the countryside air might do her good. Emma, using the excuse that she and Harriet were expected by her father, managed to escape from the Bates' residence to avoid having to listen to the letter being recited by Miss Bates.

In this chapter we can see that Emma dont pay attentionto the Bates because thei are not at the same social class. This show that despite efforts on her part, she still remains attached to her ideas

In this chapter, Harriet is behind the other characters and we can see that Miss Bates takes more places than evfery carracter in the room. She is a comic fugure because she always exaggerate what happend for exemple when she received jane's letter or when she learns that Jane is sick.

this also shows the anxiety-provoking aspect from the village of Highbury because a simple lette become a huge evenment for everybody.

we can see that although Emma's judgment of others is sometimes incorrect as for M.Elton. but but she still continues to form ideas about people when there is no evidence to support her ideas as we can see at page 122. this shows that even if she is in a stage of questioning her judgment on others, her ideas are stronger than her.

however there is an element that could go in the direction of Emma's suspicions. At page 122 (lire) we can see that M. Dixon saved tje life of Jane and this ellement may be the begining of an relation or a sort of debt to M. Dixon.

Chap 20

In this chapter, we learn that Jane is an orphan due to the death of her father, who was a lieutenant and passed away in the colonies. Her mother died of sadness when Jane was only 3 years old. However, her father had saved one of his friends, Colonel Campbell, who later conducted a search to find the girl to whom he owed his life. At the age of 9, young Jane was adopted by the Campbells, who provided her with a comfortable life and a good education. However, since Jane did not have a large personal fortune to be independent, it was decided that she would become a governess to earn her own living.

Yet, at 18, Jane's parents couldn't bear the idea of her leaving home, even though she had the skills to be a governess. They postponed their daughter's departure, even though Jane knew she couldn't live in comfort with them forever. She was determined to start a new life at the age of 21, leaving behind the luxury she had been accustomed to. Her decision to visit her family in Highbury is entirely truthful, and Emma's suspicions of a potential romance between Jane and Mr. Dixon are unfounded.

Highbury, therefore, receives the long-awaited visit not of Mr. Frank Churchill but of Jane, which doesn't please Emma. It becomes evident that Emma does not like Jane, but she cannot provide a clear reason for this. Mr. Knightley sheds some light on this, as he had told Emma that Jane is the accomplished young woman Emma would like to be. This idea troubles Emma and does not leave her in peace. She is even taken aback by Jane's manners and becomes fascinated by her during her first visit to the Bates. However, Emma is not the only one captivated by Jane, and the attention given to her starts to irritate Emma. The fact that she can't decipher Jane's intentions also disturbs Emma. We learn that Jane met Frank Churchill in Weymouth, but Emma's attempts to learn more about him have yielded no results.

Here, we can see that social classes are very important because Jane who was in rather low social class rises in society even though she was born poor. The fact that Jane was able to have access to a social circle and a higher education is an important element because this is what will train her and put her on the same level as Emma as a rival.

the fact that Jane has a very different future from Emma puts them in opposition because although she has a similar education, their future is completely different and Jane must be an accomplished woman to fend for herself in this world.

We can also see that Jane is single and independant. This show a link between the two girls who fight stereotypes against women.

Mr. Knightley said something important to Emma Page 127. This is the beginning of their real rivality. The fact that it’s Mr. Knightley who said that is very important because he had in a lot of case a good interpretation of the situation. I dont go further at this point because it will be a part of my analisis.

We see in this chapter that Jane fell ill just after Mr. Dixon and Miss Campbell's wedding. it is also said that Jane is enjoying the last months of freedom with her family in Higbury. these two elements can be interpreted in two ways:

Jane cares and loves her family deeply despite social differences and infrequent contact. this option shows that indeed, Jane is more mature and a more accomplished version than Emma

Or

there may indeed have been a link between Dixon and Jane and she prefers to avoid Dixon on the pretext of illness and missing her family. this possibility goes in the direction of Emma's suspicions.

In Chapter 21, we learn that despite his keen insight, Mr. Knightley did not realize that Emma still held some grievances against Jane, even though he had seen a significant improvement in their relationship. Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse, and Emma began discussing the previous evening they spent in Jane's company. Emma is the only one who finds fault with Jane, which sparks a debate among them. Just as Mr. Knightley was about to announce important news to Emma, Miss Bates and Miss Fairfax make their appearance and announce that Mr. Elton has married Miss Hawkins. This is the news that Mr. Knightley wanted to share with Emma, and this new development elicits reactions from everyone. However, their recent acquaintance confirms that Mr. Elton's love for Emma was insincere. Yet, Emma is concerned about how Harriet will receive the news and how she will feel.

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