Social Norm In Jane Austen's Emma

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“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”-Jane Austen. Jane Austen lived in a time where women were oppressed because of their gender, so she wrote as an outlet and lived vicariously through her characters. One example of this is Emma, a novel written in 1815 about a clever, strong-minded girl living in a man’s world. Emma Woodhouse is the main character in the novel, but there are other female characters in the novel that represent Austen’s feminist mindset such as, Miss Bates, Jane Fairfax, Harriet Smith, and Isabella Knightley. Jane Austen broke the social norm as she wrote about the women in her famous novel, Emma, who exemplify …show more content…
Austen carefully orchestrated each detail of Emma’s personality and actions so that the reader can get a clear understanding of who she is and how she views the world. While she can be a little selfish and impulsive at times, Emma has a fierce independence about her that was not common in women of the 1800’s. Emma claims that she never wishes to marry because she doesn’t want to give up her freedom and she already has enough money to support herself, money being the main reason for marriage in the 1800’s.
It is clear to the reader that Emma is the feminist in the novel in the way that she differs from her sister and surrounding women in Hartsfield. For example, Isabella Knightley represents what women were expected to be like at that time. She is quiet and doesn’t stand up for herself when her husband insults her. While his degradation of Isabella infuriates Emma, Isabella cowers under his slights and keeps quiet. Instead of a partnership, their relationship is more like that of a master and slave, which makes Emma want to marry even less than she already …show more content…
Miss Bates’s circumstances in the novel were women in the 1800’s worst fear. Through her character, the reader is allowed to see the effects of male dominance on women. Miss Bates grew up in the higher social class with her father and brother, whom were well respected in town. When her father and brother died, Miss Bates didn’t have anyone to support her and her mother, so they have to live off charity from others. It’s a hard life for Miss Bates and her mother, not only because of the financial hardships, but also because of the embarrassment Miss Bates and her mother go through. Miss Bates was well respected before her father’s death, but after his death that respect turned to pity. While Miss Bates lives a hard life and is the prime example of how limited women were in the 1800’s, she remains positive and optimistic throughout the novel.
Lastly, Harriet Smith is the perfect example of what women were expected to be like in the 1800’s. She is a quiet, soft-spoken girl who is easy to manipulate. She has no real ideas of her own and constantly seeks out Emma’s guidance to help her make her own decisions. For example, when Mr. Martin asked for Harriet’s hand, Harriet’s immediate reaction was to go to Emma to ask for her opinion on the matter because she needed someone else to help her make the decision. Harriet would make the ideal wife because she does what she is told to do without thinking
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