Family relationships Essay -- English Literature

Family relationships It is debatable whether family relationships are central to the novel ‘Emma’ and are indeed the foundations on which Highbury is built. Families may be viewed as objects of satire, as those featured are a source of financial rather than emotional support. Throughout the novel, status is built upon class position, material possession and finance, its characters eager to display such ‘qualities’. This essay shall demonstrate the emphasis placed upon wealth and social status, identify and interpret corresponding family units, as well as explore the use of match-making and marital agreements. The large proportion of families, contradict the perception that family relationships are the core of the novel and the foundations of Highbury life. For, families featured are predominantly broken or incomplete. The Woodhouses’ are one of the more prominent examples of rich yet emotionally lacking families in Highbury. For, the relationship between Emma and her father involves constant humouring on Emma’s part. Mr Woodhouse is an example of Austen’s use of exaggerated and satirical humour in order to emphasise the inadequacies of many families and individual members. With the death of Emma’s mother, a governess Ms Taylor acts as a replacement and the only source of emotional dependence for Emma. However, in light of Ms Taylor’s marriage to Mr Weston, it can be said that the clear source of family support and intimacy is removed, deepening the instability of the Woodhouse family at Hartfield. The absence of strong family relationships with regards to the Woodhouse’s, reinforce ideas that relationships are not at the core of society. The relationship between Mr Weston and his son Frank Churchill... ...or financial motives. Austen therefore suggests that many choices were made even though husband and wife did not even respect each other and indicate the impact of money in society. Although socially appropriate marriages, according to status are still apparent by the end of the novel, some superficiality associated with characters ceases to continue. In particular, Emma with regards to initial match-making schemes and the initial narrow minded views that she possesses. Emma and Mr Knightly, Harriet with Mr Martin and Jane with Frank Churchill contradict the frequent number of marriages based upon the wrong reasons in the 18th century. There is hope therefore; that the new families created would have valued the importance of family relationships to therefore change the foundations of Highbury, so that they would have indeed become central to the society.