Emma Read-Along Discussion: Week 2

Not quite as far behind as I was last week! Still plugging along at the reading. I can't quite pinpoint what it is about Emma that I struggle with so much. It doesn't grab my attention as well as Pride and Prejudice or even when we read Northanger Abbey. I like Emma the character well enough, but I'm not a fan of her cutting remarks about Jane Fairfax and I don't like Frank Churchill's character very well. Anyway, to follow the read-along schedule go to Amber's blog at Seasons of Humility and check out her take on this section. Here are this week's questions and my observations:


Discussion Questions:


1. Has your opinion of Emma changed at all during this past week's reading? What stood out to you most about her words and thoughts regarding Harriet, Mr. Elton, Frank Churchill, and/or Jane Fairfax?


I don't know that my opinion has changed. I just think Emma is full of herself and that is shown by her behavior with Frank Churchill. The little cutting things that she says to him about other people shows how immature she is. Although, I guess I am pretty immature since I do the same thing from time to time!

 2. What are your first impressions of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill? Do you find one more intriguing/mysterious than the other?


First impressions are that Jane is kind of a washed out un-inspiring kind of girl, but that could be Emma's view of her because Emma seems a bit jealous of her. So if you can't find something wrong with someone I guess it is best to make something up? Frank Churchill is a self-centered man-child. I don't know what his game is with Jane or Emma, but I don't like it!

 3. Which character do you admire the most at this point?


Maybe this is the problem with Emma for me. No character is capturing me. Maybe I can say that I admire Mr. Knightley. I love that he tells Emma like it is. He's honest and he's kind.

 4. If you were a character in this book, which character do you think you'd most like to be matched with from what we know about everyone so far? [I'm thinking romantically, but you can also say who would be your best match as a friend or relative. :)]


I would have to say Mr. Knightley again. For one, I like the older men! ha! But he seems to be the only mature/sensible person in this cast of characters.


Favorite Quotes:




"Miss Fairfax is naturally so pale, as almost always to give the appearance of ill health.--A most deplorable want of complexion."


"But, my dear sir, cried Mr. Weston, if Emma comes away early, it will be breaking up the party. And no great harm if it does, said Mr. Woodhouse. The sooner every party breaks up, the better."


"Perry tells me that Mr. Cole never touches malt liquor. You would not think it to look at him, but he is bilious--Mr. Cole is very bilious."


"I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."


It looks like this week's quotes I picked reminded me once again of Jane Austen's humor!








Words That Interested Me:


Inebriety: Formal or humorous. Make drunk; intoxicate


Éclat: Brilliant display or effect. Social distinction or conspicuous success.


Connexions: I know what this means, but I loved the spelling of it!


Beaufet: Once again I know this is buffet, but I love the spelling of it!


Huswife: I'm really not sure what this is as my dictionary didn't pull up a definition. It looks like a version of housewife, but yet it seems to be an object rather than a person.


Cavil: Make petty or unnecessary objections.


Recontre: Archaic variant spelling of rencounter. Whatever that means! ha!


Espalier: A fruit tree or ornamental shrub whose branches are trained to grow flat against a wall, supported on a lattice or a framework of stakes.


piquet: A trick-taking card game for two players, using a 32-card deck consisting of cards from the seven to the ace.


Thoughts:


Oh my goodness! Mr. Elton is something else! Why are the pastor's in Jane Austen's books always such foppish boors?! He truly does think himself something! I totally thought Emma got put in her place when he declared himself to her! Mr. Knightley had told her that Mr. Elton was interested in her and not Harriet, but Emma couldn't see it because of her schemes. I had to laugh at the whole proposal scene, but then I had to feel just a tad sorry for Mr. Elton for being mis-led. Emma is so mis-guided where Harriet is concerned. I don't think she intends to be mean, but she really does raise Harriet above her upbringing and it is causing Harriet great heart-ache. Emma needs to put away her match-making skills and concentrate on maturing her own self! I think there tends to be a lot of dialog in Emma and little action. It is kind of dragging for me. And the long chapters are killing me!!


On to the next section. Chapters 11-18 and Vol. III Chapters 1-6.