Although I have read only three chapters, and the title is simply Emma, the name of the main character, it gives me a strange feeling that something big is going to happen to her, and it’s a feeling I’ve had ever since I picked the book up. I don’t know why, but between this title and the way the text is written it gives me an eerie vibe, as if something bad is going to happen to this seemingly sweet young girl. Right away the plot starts with her losing Miss Taylor, who is “less a governess than a friend” to Emma and her sister, when Miss Taylor leaves the home and gets married (Austen, 3). The way Emma is described as being so clingy to her and the way her father is perceived as almost anti-social to me, I can’t tell what is quite going on.
I feel like there is foreshadowing going on within these first couple of chapters because it describes how Emma thinks of herself as a match maker, yet she ironically cannot find a match for herself because unlike her sister and Miss Taylor, she is not married. So at first I was thinking possibly the change Emma undergoes is one of her romanitc status, but then again that wouldn’t be much of a plot. I can’t help but feel like this story is going to end in a death or something tragic, all because the title is solely her name. I’m assuming that because of this significance of naming the book after her, it’s obviously based around her, and because of this some large change is going to happen. But, I cant’ quite figure out what and I can’t shake the strange feeling that this simple title is giving me. For a character with such a meek, timid personality it’s odd the story will somehow revolve around her, because after all something must happen or it woulnd’t be critical to name the it after her.
I agree, there will be a major plot twist in this novel. With the changes already taking place in the first three chapters gives us an idea that many more are to come. When we see how Mr. Woodhouse "hates change of every kind," it foreshadows that more change is to come. (Austen 5). I'm not sure whether it will be something completely tragic that takes place, or just something that throws us as the reader off. Jane Austen is doing a great job giving us an eerie feeling like you said, to expect more.
ReplyDeleteI would give you a 24/25 because I feel that your opinion is backed up with evidence from the novel and you properly weaved in a quote. Also, the title was not formatted correctly so that was the only thing to work on.
ReplyDelete