【正文】 ead the heroine to moral perfection and finally lives a happy life with the heroine. Lacking discipline at an early age, Emma has long been keen to get fatherlike love and guidance. So Austen produces a smart mature guy, George Knightley. Mr. Knightley is definitely a critical character in Emma39。s prestige in the village of Highbury is owing to the fact that she takes an active part in social activities. View of Friendship Kind and Helpful (With Miss Taylor, Harriet and Bates)In the novel, Emma acts as the leader in Hartfiled and even in Highbury society. She has many friends and is respected by the people in the village. There are three characters who have great impact on Emma.Governess: Miss Taylor and Mrs. WestonMiss Taylor has been in the Woodhouse family for sixteen years. For Emma, Miss Taylor acts less as a governor than a friend. Between them it was more the intimacy of sisters...They had been living together as friend and friend very mutually attached. (Austen: 1) Later Miss Taylor gets married with Mr. Weston. Although Emma feels gentle sorrow to lose Miss Taylor at home and does not know how to endure the change, she is still happy to see Miss Taylor marry such a gentleman and have her own home and family. And Emma even boasts that she makes the match herself proudly. Emma has been aware of the difference between Miss Taylor and Mrs. Weston and tries not to interrupt Mrs. Weston’s normal family life although there is only half a mile away. But every time Emma has some problems and trouble, she still turns to Mrs. Weston for help. For example, when Mr. Elton shows his love to Emma and Emma finally finds out that she has made the wrong match, which may hurt two people, Harriet and Mr. Elton. She turns to Mrs. Weston for fort as she knows Miss Taylor is a friend and panion such as few possessed: intelligent, wellinformed, useful, gentle, knowing all the ways of the family, interested in all its concerns, and peculiarly interested in herone to whom she could speak every thought as it arose, and who had such an affection for her as could never find fault. (Austen: 2)New Friend: HarrietHarriet Smith is a seventeenyearold girl that Emma knows at Mrs. Goddard’s school. Emma admires Harriet’s pretty appearance and finds out Harriet very engaging, not inconveniently shy, not unwilling to talk. The friendship with Harriet happens to make up for the loss of Miss Taylor’s panion. Emma guesses from Harriet’s appearance and style that she must be born in an upper class family, so she should help Harriet detach herself from Harriet’s bad acquaintance, such as Mr. Martin, a coarse and unpolished farmer in Emma’s eye. Emma decides to do what Miss Taylor did to her。s dinner invitation。 and some arrowroot of very superior good quality was speedily dispatched to Miss Bates with a most friendly note(Austen 354).
When Emma does all these, she does not attempt to show off or get a great reputation. Her concern is sincere. She adopts a positive and active attitude toward social life. Her active participation, planning, organizing a variety of social activities in Highbury village are praised。ve not any meat to eat. Having observed Jane39。s intimacy with Harriet is of wonderful significance, because ladies, as socially weak members, ought to be united and help one another. Those girls who merely care for their own happiness actually transgress the duty of woman for woman. Though Mr. Knightly criticizes Emma39。s welfare can achieve fulfillment. She also believes that women need to take optimistic and trustworthy attitude to social life. Females should take an energetic part in social activities, and ought to bear in mind that they not only play the role of wife and mother, but also an indispensable portion of society.
Emma can be a typical example of who takes portion in social life lively. Emma39。s various values ??such as wealth, friendship and love, and uses concrete examples to demonstrate them. The third chapter analyzes three major social causes that contribute to the formation of Emma’s values: family and surrounding neighborhood, feminism at that time and economic background. The last chapter is the conclusion of this thesis. I put forward my ideas on modern women’s growth after reading this novel.Chapter Two Emma’s Views of Values View of Wealth Attitude towards Her Father’s PropertyHighbury is where the story takes place. In this village there are various classes of people, represented by landed aristocracy Woodhouse, a retired battle Weston, Priest Elton, farmer Martin, Widow of Priest Bates etc. Possession of wealth of diverse populations is different.The most direct expression of the possession of wealth is the annual ine. Jane indicates the positions of different classes at the wealth pyramid in the most direct way, the amount of wealth owned. The top of the wealth pyramid in Highbury is undoubtedly the Woodhouse family. Their annual ine is more than thirty thousand pounds, being the heart of Highbury society.Emma, ??as the beneficiaries of this ine, has an obvious advantage in her demeanor. She boasts that she is a rich single woman, but always very decent, smart and likable. She used to think she will never be married because she believes the authority many married women could get from their husbands’ is not more than she can get in the Hartfield.After Emma’s sister Isabella’s marriage, Emma is the real ruler of the household of Hartfield. Her father is poor in health, so he is totally dependent on Emma’s female strength and judgment. So Emma has been the mistress ever since she was twelve. She manages the house with skillful diplomacy. She lives well off in the delicately protected village Highbury. She lives in a large house with “l(fā)awn, bushes and its own title”. Every time Emma goes to a party, she has her own carriage instead of walking there. What’s more, the novel presents the wealth of Woodhouse in the food at the dinner, Minced chicken, baked oyst