As Emma and Harriet depart, Emma undermines her goodwill by
describing the poor as picturesque—“These are sights, Harriet, to
do one good. . . . I feel now as if I could think of nothing but
these poor creatures all the rest of the day.” However, Emma exhibits
that she is aware of her fickleness and vanity when she adds, “[A]nd
yet who can say how soon it may all vanish from my mind?” Emma’s mixture
of self-delusion and self-knowledge is complex, and it is ambiguous
how much credit we are meant to give her for her assistance to the
poor and how much condemnation she deserves for her rapid return
to obliviousness.
In chapters 11 and 12,
Austen provides context for Emma’s repudiation of marriage by focusing
on the marriage with which Emma is most familiar—that of her sister
and Mr. John Knightley. Isabella’s attentiveness to her children,
husband, and father are admirable, but the novel’s treatment of
Isabella as a simpler, less dynamic woman than her sister implies
that it does not take very much intelligence or vigor to be a good
wife and mother. Furthermore, Isabella and John’s gender-typical
behavior is somewhat boring, as the two seem to lack the sort of
charisma and personality we see in Emma and Mr. Knightley. Isabella
is caring, emotional, and somewhat silly and weak, while John is
rational and purposeful but too willing to damage the feelings of
others.
As they conspire to keep the family peace, Emma and Mr. Knightley
compare favorably to their siblings. Though Mr. Knightley is more
reasonable and dignified than high-spirited, impulsive Emma, they
share a similar intelligence and get along with each other very
well. Their relationship does not seem to be built upon gender stereotypes,
and their amiability suggests that Emma might in fact be satisfied
in a married life.
