Hey, I started reading
Emma again! Many apologies to
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
perhin_madoc_gamgins for my laziness. I know we were going to read along together but now I'll have to catch up! :)
Anyways, I think there's some interesting parallels between Emma and her father, Mr. Woodhouse, which might be explored later in the novel. They're both very self-assured (Mr. Woodhouse knows best about "wholesomeness," and Emma is entirely certain about her matchmaking), they both have a selfish nature (Mr. Woodhouse especially, but Emma too - shown through her disregard for others' independent thoughts and actions), they're both narrow-minded and self-centered (Harriet Smith's friends
must be unsuited for her; her superior beauty and nature
must be wasted in Highbury. Everyone
must be feeling the same as Mr. Woodhouse. Change
must be the most terrible thing ever.) and they both are controlling and manipulative in a good-natured way (Emma is dead set on her matches, and Mr. Woodhouse does his best to keep everything the same and to his liking). I'm sure someone's done a psychological analysis of these characters. ;)
I think where they differ so far is that Emma takes a more proactive role, while Mr. Woodhouse is a passive influence on others - a benign "oh I wish you did it
my way" kind of guy.
At this point, I'm most interested in Harriet Smith's actual character - is she as perfect as Emma thinks she is?
