Emma Mr Elton example essay topic

Emma Essay on the social activities& balls, their importance & enjoy ability throughout the novel etc. Throughout the novel, we see many ways in which social events & activities revolve around the central characters & the theme of status & marriage. Emma takes part in all of the activities throughout the novel, as she is the one trying to use these activities to match-make & lead others. We see Emma taking part in all of these events whether balls, painting or walking. These are taken as a luxury by Emma, whereas others such as the new arrival Mrs Elton later on in the novel suggests a music group & also attends the picnic & strawberry picking. She is using the social activities to become a more observed & respected member of the community & wants to be seen to interact with the upper class.

This shows how social activities hold an importance at this time. Everything seems to revolve throughout marriage in the novel & wherever one of the activities are mentioned, there is a distinct link with a marriage or desired proposal entwined by Emma for other characters. Emma's main objective through the novel is to find Harriet a husband. Emma, in another scheme to connect Miss Smith with Mr. Elton, suggests Harriet sit for a portrait.

This was popular among the upper classes, and Emma agrees to paint it herself. Mr. Elton is properly excited, and Emma is sure he is falling in love with Harriet. But his interest lies only in the painter, though she knows nothing of his affections. Mr. Elton only interests himself in Harriet because she is Emma's friend, and he is only interested in the portrait because Emma is painting it. Painting was an elegant & popular art skill that upper classes had the time & privilege to pursue & improve. They would paint & collect & this was also a connection not only between the characters in the novel but also the misleading edge to Mr Elton's feelings in the triangle that's created by Harriet, Emma & Mr Elton.

Mr Elton uses the popular games of charades & riddles, a game in which a word is expressed in a puzzling verse. Harriet is collecting some for a book, and she and Emma ask Mr. Elton for one. Harriet is too dull to get it, but Emma explains it to her. So intent in making them a couple, Emma imagines clues of affection in the charade. She later realizes that the praises were meant for her, not Harriet. Mr Knightly & Mr Elton are shown to be very difference here if we take the time to contrast their characters.

They are both in a similar predicament of having feelings for Emma, but Mr Elton tries to show this in a more deceiving & immature way, whereas Mr knightly shows this through friendship & advice, a more mature approach. Balls were a popular entertaining area of the time. Emma was always invited to one, as the upper classes always were due to that fact that it was who you were seen with that was very important at the time. At the crown Inn: An old building in Highbury that was intended to be a ballroom, but the lack of proper persons has left it standing vacant and unused for years. Frank Churchill, who loves dances, convinces the Weston's to hold a dance here. During the dance, he and Emma dance together, but it is Harriet who has the special night.

When without a partner, Mr. Elton snubs her; but Mr. Knightley comes to her aid. His kind act makes her fall in love with him. Music plays a part throughout the novel as a social skill. It's a respected & impressive talent to have if you can play the piano & sing & will increase your reputation as Mrs Elton's did. She even suggested that Emma & she created a music club, as it was a great love of hers.

Emma & Jane also sang & played to perform but also to entertain company in the novel. Music & Dance are important & enjoyed thoroughly throughout the novel, this is why at the balls the characters enjoy it so much. Balls in the time were the main place to impress with dance & elegance. It was a main place to meet a partner & become closer to them.

In chapter 38 of the novel, all of the guests are having a wonderful time dancing at the ball, except Harriet, who is sitting in the corner alone. When it is brought to Mr. Elton's attention that Harriet does not have a dance partner, Mr. Elton replies that"; [his] dancing days are over" and abruptly exits. When Mr. Knightley, on the other hand, spies Harriet alone at the table, he immediately "leads her to the set". At eighteenth-century formal balls, it was considered inappropriate for a man who was not already engaged in a dance to allow a woman to remain without a dancing partner. Therefore, while Mr. Elton's actions are considered an "unpardonable rudeness", Mr. Knightley's behavior earns the esteem of all of the company, especially Emma and Harriet. This specific scene in Emma not only reflects some of the desired etiquette of the time, but it also proves, through Mr. Elton's and Mr. Knightley's actions, what it takes to be Mr. Right.

As a result of these actions, Harriet decides to throw away a certain attachment that quite a few women & girls created at the time, they had diaries & they had treasure boxes just as we have. The parcel that Harriet shows to Emma contains small remembrances of Mr. Elton. Harriet prized them, but they are just trash. Realizing her folly, Harriet wants to burn them. The items are a piece of court plaster, left over from when Mr. Elton cut his finger, and a pencil without lead.

For her to have kept such insignificant trinkets is very embarrassing to hr but she decides to let the items go with Emma. There are games played throughout the novel, but one is mentioned in the book that is only usually associated with male social groups, backgammon, A board game which Emma often plays with her father. She loves him very much, and one proof of her love is her willingness to spend so many of her evenings at home alone with him, playing board games. This shows the respect that Emma had for her father & all that he represents, a married man, a rich man, the old traditions of love, & although at the beginning of the novel we see that she doesn't have any wish to marry due to her comfortable situation as a young rich girl, the social groups & activities throughout the play & the main theme of marriage persuades Emma to conceder marriage. We see this when Mrs Elton comes over & although this woman is slightly below Emma's status in position & wealth, Emma has a right to respect & look up & be lead by her as she is the married woman of the community. This is one of the reasons that persuades Emma to consider married life, as she has always been he upper woman of the community & all of a sudden this position that she enjoyed so much but took for granted, is dismissed in comparison to the married lifestyle of Mrs Elton.

Therefore Emma must hold her tongue when Mrs Elton makes some decisions & suggestions that Emma wouldn't tolerate from another person. This also shows the traditional views of the time, the hierarchy that is decided by wealth & marital status. The decisions of the past that affect the community of the time, the rules & expectations that should be followed meant that Emma had to show that she liked Mrs Elton event though it was quite on the contrary. Emma had the fortunate position where she could through a party to show her support to Mrs Elton as a new member of the Highbury community. This also shows us that a Ball or party was a fond past time & when they happened were anticipated by the whole community.