Author: Barbara Cornthwaite
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What Does Mr Knightley see in Emma?
Emma is possibly Jane Austen’s least-liked heroine, vying only with Fanny Price for the title. Readers who dislike her cite her arrogance and busybody tendencies, and some see her as nothing more than a spoiled young adult who hurts innocent characters like Miss Bates and Harriet Smith. Even Jane Austen said she thought no one…
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The Genius of Jane Austen’s Characters
Jane Austen has a knack for creating sympathetic and admirable and yet very human characters. None of the heroes or heroines are too good to be true; they all have their foibles and weaknesses as well as their strengths. Captain Wentworth, for example, is brave and charming, but allowed resentment to dictate his actions and…
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A Letter from Mrs. Elton
Ah, Mrs. Elton. The perfectly-drawn portrait of a self-important female with a penchant for meddling. We know from Emma that she was in the habit of communicating regularly with her elder sister Selina, the one who, as Austen tells us, “was very well married, to a gentleman in a great way, near Bristol, who kept two carriages!” I…