"I certainly will not persuade myself to feel more than I do. I am quite enough in love. I should be sorry to be more." Meet Emma Woodhouse, a "handsome, clever, and rich" young lady and the protagonist of Austen's last and most mature novel. Unlike Austen's former poor heroines, Emma does not have any financial concerns and is therefore not dependant on marriage to secure her social and economic status. Consequently she declares that she shall never want to marry herself while she takes delight in bringing other people together. Indeed, Emma seems to be rather immune to romantic feelings and desire while the people around her fall for each other - and occasionally for Emma. Her oldest friend and only critic is the gentlemanly neighbour Mr. Knightley. When another woman eventually confesses her love for him, Emma has to reconsider her convictions regarding love... Jane Austen (1775-1817) is appreciated for her realism and irony, her biting social commentary as well as her masterful use of free indirect speech. While her plots are often quite amusing, they always highlight and criticize the dependent status of women in early 19th century England. Although Emma is considered to be her most light-hearted work, it still features an intelligent woman without much to occupy herself with and thus shows the narrow scope of even a wealthy woman's life.

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Serie / Reihe: Wordsworth Classics

Personen: Austen, Jane

Standort: Fremdsprachen