读书报告爱玛.doc

My Reflection On EmmaAbout the author: Jane Austen was a major English novelist, who was born on 16 December, 1775, at the rectory in the village of Steventon, near Basingstoke, in Hampshire. She was the seventh of eight children and was educated mainly at home and never lived apart from her family. She had a happy childhood amongst all her brothers and the other boys who lodged with the family and whom Mr. Austen tutored. From her old sister, Cassandra, she was inseparable. To amuse themselves, the children wrote and performed plays and charades, and even as a little girl Jane was encouraged to write. The reading that she did of the books in her fathers extensive library provided material for the short satirical sketches she wrote as a girl.At the age of 14 she wrote her first novel, Love and Friendship and then A History of England by a partial, prejudiced and ignorant Histirian, together with other very amusing Juvenilia. In her twenties Jane Austen wrote the novels that were later to be re-worked and published as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey. After her fathers death in 1805, they all suffered financial difficulties and were forced to rely on the charity of the Austen sons. It was alsoat that time, while on holiday in the West country, Jane fell in love, and when the young man died, she was deeply upset. Later she accepted a proposal of marriage from Harris Bigg-Wither, a wealthy landowner and brother to some of her closest friends, but she changed her mind the next morning and was greatly upset by the whole episode. She never married. Then, in July, 1809, her brother Edward offered his mother and sisters a permanent home on his Chawton estate, which was a small but comfortable house that Jane Austen needed in order to write. In the seven and a half years that she lived in this house, she revised Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudiced and published them(in 1811 and 1813) and then embarked on a period of intense productivity. Mansfiled Park came out in 1814, followed by Emma in 1816 and she completed Persuasion(which was published together with Northanger Abbey in 1818, the year after her death). None of the books published in her life-time had her name on them-they were described as being written “By a Lady”. In the winter of 1816 she started Sanditon, but illness prevented its completion. Jane Austen had contracted Addisons Disease, a tubercular disease of the kidneys. By May 1817 she was so ill that she and her sister, Cassandra, living near Janes physician, renting rooms in Winchester. Tragically, there was no cure and Jane died in her sisters arms in the early hours of 18 July, 1817. She was 41 years old. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral. Jane Austens apparent reticence in matters of contemporary politics has often provoked comment from critics. Her writing style structured English literature of 18th century neoclassicism and 19th century romanticism. About the novel:Emma is essentially a comedy of manners, a work in which the characters move inside a highly restrictive code of conduct and must walk a fine line between the socially acceptable and unacceptable if they are to survive. But at the same time the central character, Emma Woodhouse, is a marked departure. Austen is writing very close to the peak of her powers, and her amazing talent for observation, subtle irony, and flashing wit endow Emma with tremendous charm and interest.Of all Jane Austens heroines, Emma Woodhouse is the most flawed, the most infuriating, and, in the end, the most endearing.The characters in the novel:Emma Woodhouse, the main character. She is 21 years old. On one hand, she was beautiful, kindhearted and clever, on the other hand, she was selfish, pamper and subjective. She sweared that she will not be married, her aim is to help others to find their lovers. But at the end of the novel, she realized that she had fallen in love with her good friend, Mr Knightley, who always stayed with her and helped her quietly.Mr George Knightley, 37 years old. He was a single gentleman who was serious but filled with reason. He was among the few people who can see and point out Emmas shortcomings. Emma often cinsidered him as a standard to measure other men. And the most important was that he was in love with Emma continuously.Mr Frank Churchill, a young gentleman who attracted almost every person who knows him, people not only like him but also admired him. He likes singing and dancing. Though he was born in a rich family, he also has a good temper. He and Emma were of equal position on the scale, the two families were of equal rank. But Mr Knightley did not like him because he thought he was too young and was not mature enough.Jane Fairfax, the niece of Miss Bates. Although she was an orphan, she was a polite woman filled with grace, besides this, she was a genius in music. Her talent in music was so outstanding that even Emma was jealous of her.Harriet Smith, a young and beautiful gilr but not very clever. She was a child burn out of wedlock, taught in the neaby board and lodge school after graduation. Emma was her protecter more than a friend.Emma instigated Miss Harriet to refuse the young famer, Mr Martins love. On the contray, she hoped Mr Elton will love Harriet and they would get married. However, at last, the fact proved that her thought was a false, big joke, it was just based on Emmas own wishful tinking. In the end, Miss Harriet still married with Mr Martin.Philip Elton, a young minister who was overwhelmingly ambitious but covered with kind and honest appearance. At the beginning, Emma tried to make a match between he and Harriet. Ironically, the consequence was Mr Eltons target was herself. In other words, he loved Emma. When refused by Emma, he found an another rich girl to marry soon.Augusta Elton, Mr Philips wife. She always tries to deceive by covering up ones real purpouse and often prides herself on being out of the ordinary. So Emma did not like her very much.Mrs Weston, who was called Miss Taylor before married. She worked as Emmas tutor for 16 years, in addition. she was also the best friend of Emma.Miss Bates, a good friend of Mr Woodhouse. She was an old virgin who was kind enough but light in her head. In Emmas words and deeds, it shows contemptuous towards her. Luckily, Mr Knightley pointed her bad deeds, which made Emma feel very ashamed. And then she changed her attitude towards Miss Bates.About the heroine:EmmaEmma is the heroine of this novel. The author tried to described her in two aspects: the change of her moral code and her thought of womens rights.At the beginning, Emma was described as an almost perfect woman. Young, beautiful, polite ,brilliant, graceful and so on. In the novel, almost everyone liked her and respected her. However, in the middle of the novel, Emma shows more and more shortcomings, maybe because she was born in a rich family and loved by her father completely. For example, she was a selfish girl. When Miss Taylor got married, she only thought for herself that she became lonely, only thought from her part that Miss Taylor gave up an abundant and cosy life, turned to be a housekeeper. So she thought her teacher was not really happy. But in fact because of love we can see Miss Taylor felt very happy and led a content life. Besides, Emma often does things on her thought and willing, regardless of other people. Like she encouraged Harriet to refuse Martin, and forbade her to communicate with him.Subjective was Emmas another weakness, which we can see from her decision to make a totally new Harriet. She arranged almost Harriets all activities, and decided who she could get along with, how to settle her business, she wanted to control Harriets thought.Additionally, Emma was conservative. Actually, she was a mixture with reactionary and conservative. On one hand, she pursued equal rights for women, and wanted to become an independent woman. On the other hand, she had a strong family status opinion, which could improved on the way that she look at the marriage. She insisted in the property and the family position were the key of the marriage.But at the end of the novel, we can see a new Emma. Under Mr Knightleys help, Emma did a lot of changes, she tried her best to overcome her shortcomings. I can remember apparently what she said at last “Kowning the Martins is a happy thing.”So, we can see the change in Emmas moral code, from perfect to unperfect, and last to real perfect. This is one clue of the novel, and the author ueses a method called sarcasm.Another clue is Emmas thought of womans right. This clue hidden in the story not as easy as the first one, but decided the develpoment of the story. First, we can see it from Emma controling Harriet for a long time, which reflected on her marriage. Second, Emma tried to undertake the leader in her hometown, Heberi, which reflected on her attending all kinds of activities frequently. Third, Emma decided not to get married forever, so she refused Mr Eltons love and she felt shamed for being loved by him. Fourth, she flirted with Mr Franklin on purpose.The womans rights doctrinism refers to that women call for the equal rights as men on politics, society and economics. It first came from the women in middle class, and Emma is a typical of middle class. She relyed on her fathers property to lead a cosy life, she did not want to get married, because she knew as soon as one married she will become a mans subsidiary. She did not want to become a mans subsidiary, she wanted to enjoy equal rights like man. The following words are apparently: I never think of getting married like a nomal woman, if I fall in love with someone, that will be a thing out of the ordinary. But, I will not be in love, it is not my life style, not my natural instincts. Meanwhile, I think I will never fall in love. Besides, Im sure that if I change the life I owed now Im a big and totally fool. Because, I dont need property, I dont need position and I dont need work. I believe few women who get married will become the hostess of her husbands family, like I am the hostess of Hartfield, also I will never hope that Im loved and Im so important. This like in my fathers heart I was the best and right forever.”Just because Emma has the thought for calling for equality, she was busy in finding a husband for Harriet, refusing Mr Elton and flirting with Mr Franklin. But in the end of the novel, to our surprise, Emma get married with Mr Knightley. She became a humble, obedient waman, which was the most ironical in the novel. She had chance to search for equality, maybe to enjoy the equal rights, but she led the chance go away. In other words, she rejected the equal rights unexpectedly.The theme of the novel:Emma like the other works of Jane Austen, the story and details is centered on the heroines act to choose husband. She tried her best to reveal a phenomenon in the society in England, a bad habit that woman tried to find financial guarantee and raise their economic position through marriage. And the ugly manners and morals of that time that the whole society attach importance to family status, regardless of the womens feeling and their rights as a human.The main famale characters in Emma all pursuit the equal communication and exchange on thought and affection with male. They call for equal rights on society status, persisted in observing, analysing and choosing the male independence. At that time in England, this was nearly a loud shouts for revolting, a challenge for the system of the society.My feeling after reading:After reading this novel, I knew a society, in which people were all polite and had good manners, no matter if all received a good education. It seemed that, in that society all women were fair maidens and all men were gentlemen. As if there were no quarrel, no violence, no cheat and people all had a cosy and quiet life.I also knew a girl, who is beautiful, dilligent and wealthy. She fancied herself a mastermatchmaker and set in motion a laundry list of schemes to pair off the Highbury residents. She is a mixture character, mixed kindhearted with selfish, mixed honest with subjective, mixed clever and ardour with conservative and so on. Failing to realize the extent of her shortcomimgs and the consequences of such hurtful behavior, Emma was finally confronted by Mr knightley. Afterwards, embarrassed and ashamed, she reevaluated her life and began to make amends, in hopes of becoming a better person. She is a brave girl, she can face her weakness and make her mind to chenge them, which is not all people could do.Actually, Emma is not inherently bad, she just can not control the need for fresh blood, her different and new thoughts. However, we must admit that she is privileged, pampered young lady who decided to play cupid for her friends, but finnally found that people dont fall in love according to her plan, so created a lot of mistakes and rediculous things. So, in my opinion, everything has its orbits and regulal pattern to develop, we people can not put our willing on it, otherwise, things will develop towards the opposite. Speaking for the love, it is decided by too many things, only someones willing can not work.Besides, I knew a gentleman, a true gentleman, Mr Knightley. He was a famous minister and he was kindhearted. For example, he often send some food or clothes to the poor, he never discriminate against the people whose society position was low, on the contray, he always gives hands to them. So from him, I learn that if one person want to be kind, he can always find ways to achieve it, no matter how many difficulties, he can overcome.Another feeling is that during that time in England, the marriage seemed like a transcation, it was bui