tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post2562545528103436394..comments2023-10-08T05:53:31.844-07:00Comments on Frigate to Utopia: Learning the Art of Charity in EmmaLit~Lasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05371293247684677108noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-57951815400336660312019-12-10T07:04:48.278-08:002019-12-10T07:04:48.278-08:00I have a similar interest this is my page read ...I have a similar interest this is my page read everything carefully and let me know what you think. <a href="https://www.donorpoints.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.donorpoints.com</a><br />salmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09138437575279571808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-17365113497691463272013-08-09T23:00:32.566-07:002013-08-09T23:00:32.566-07:00I wish I were more enthusiastic about Plato, but T...I wish I were more enthusiastic about Plato, but The Republic really soured me on his philosophy. I'm not actually sure I buy his division of the human - but it is very influential, especially to someone like Jane Austen, who if she didn't receive a classical education, almost certainly imbibed some of it from what she read and her brothers and father.<br /><br />Oh, I don't think Mr. Knightley is unlikeable at all because of his faults - I just get cranky with critics who claim Austen sets him up as an uncriticized mouthpiece of virtue. Such characters are not for our beloved authoress!ibmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16914380316134426353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-70840234528954670232013-08-08T16:31:35.304-07:002013-08-08T16:31:35.304-07:00Your analysis of the three revelations makes sense...Your analysis of the three revelations makes sense to me, especially since they're all social progressions. You should write something on it, I'm curious about the Platonic progression too.<br /><br />Why would I every write anything on the subject when you've just directed me to three fascinating-sounding works? ;) Definitely adding them to my TBR. As you point out his jealousy is a fault, but he wouldn't be so likeable without it, in my prejudiced view. Lit~Lasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371293247684677108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-55244109797074472732013-08-03T19:50:48.337-07:002013-08-03T19:50:48.337-07:00I think I view the revelation about Mr. Elton as t...I think I view the revelation about Mr. Elton as touching her vanity, the revelation about Miss Bates touching her actions, and the revelation about Mr. Knightley touching her heart - working inwards from her self-perception and control of new friends, to the sphere of deeply rooted relationship conflict with longtime acquaintances, finally into her dearest friend. So it's a social progression, and one that I think also mirrors classical concepts of the virtues - there seems to be almost a Platonic progression of what is revealed in each one?<br /><br />I could be totally making all this up, though. I've not read anything (at least not that I recall) that sets up the revelations this way.<br /><br />The accusation of Mr. Knightley as too perfect is very common...but I think very much flawed in both reading judging Austen's psychological accomplishment. J. F. Burrows, both in his monograph on "Jane Austen's Emma" and one of my favorite books ever, "Computation into Criticism: An Experiment in Method", and John Hagan, building on Burrow's work in his essay "The Closure of Emma" (this last you can find in JSTOR, the first is a bit hard to find, the middle one is reasonably common in midsize university libraries with a decent Austen collection) - all three of these pieces explore the idea that Mr. Knightley is not intended to be a mouthpiece of virtues. Yes, he is exemplary - but he is also jealous, prone to his own blindness (his argument with Emma over Harriet and Robert is full of him dismissing quite plain truths).<br /><br />I would happily add an essay on Mr. Knightley by you to my list of excellent Emma analyses!ibmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16914380316134426353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-48490414794939199832013-08-01T18:20:09.959-07:002013-08-01T18:20:09.959-07:00Yeah, I simply can't be convinced P&P is t...Yeah, I simply can't be convinced P&P is the best. Even Emsley's analysis of Emma struck me most! ;)<br /><br />She goes a little bit into E's revelations building (reasons why their only partial, especially the first time) but I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they build. (Or is there an essay on it I can read?)<br /><br />Yeah, there's definitely stuff out there on Mr Knightley and Edmund as mentor/father figures, and Emsley does a good job of refuting the extremes of that theory on both E and MP. She does think Mr Knightley is too perfect though, and I don't _feel_ that way. I guess I should work out why not in an essay or something. (Something to watch out for in my next reading.)Lit~Lasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371293247684677108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188363566174884239.post-45795991727530438142013-07-23T18:47:27.539-07:002013-07-23T18:47:27.539-07:00Oooh, as another person who quite identifies with ...Oooh, as another person who quite identifies with dear Emma, this is such a good review!<br /><br />It's a very good point that Emma goes through at least three major epiphanies/reevaluations. Does Emsley talk about how they build upon each other, how each one reveals one aspect of Emma's growth?<br /><br />I also like the examination of Emma's growing in all types of love - and I like that while Mr. Knightley is a big part of her growth, her biggest insights come from self-examination, rather than external scolding or humiliation ;)ibmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16914380316134426353noreply@blogger.com