History of the book Emma by Jane Austen essay part 2
History of the book Emma by Jane Austen essay part 1
According to Neil Wenborn, “despite a proliferation of editions from the early years of the 20-th century onwards, R.W. Chapman’s edition of Emma, published by the Clarendon Press in Oxford in 1923 and reprinted at intervals since, remains the standard scholarly edition” (35). R.W. Chapman states that Jane Austen avoided the depiction of deep feelings (Chapman 6).
In Lionel Trilling’s edition of the novel Emma, the editor provides the essay “Emma and the Legend of Jane Austen” that can be found in the introduction section of the riverside edition of the novel issued on 1957 in Boston. He states that in Emma, the author uses the genre of the so-called “intellectual idyll”, which has been identified by many critics, including Schiller. According to Lionel Trilling, Jane Austen is aimed at exploring the limits of intelligent love relationships and the conception of human interactions, which was described by Plato and Socrates (12). In his later collection Beyond Culture, he continues to explore Emma as a unique literary work, including his essay on Jane Austen’s criticism. He believes that Emma is aimed at teaching people, although he characterizes it as “a very difficult novel” (Trilling 12).
Stephen Parrish’s edition of the book Emma was published in 1972. In this edition of the book, there is much bibliographical information. Stephen Parrish is focused on numbering the chapters from one to fifty five as it is a newer edition of the book, while older editions were based on the original text of the author, which restarted the numbers of the chapters at one with the beginning of each of the three books or volumes of the novel (Parrish 3).
In addition, the novel Emma was edited by Fiona Stafford in 2008. The book was edited with a comprehensive introduction by Fiona Stafford, providing much important information on the novel. This edition includes a chronology and additional suggestions for enhancement of the further reading of the novel (Stafford 3).
Jane Austen’s talent was concluded in the ability to skillfully use free indirect speech combined with irony. She became one of the most influential and highly honored novelists not only in English literature, but also in World Literature. It has been found that in modern day culture, Jane Austen’s novels and the details of her personal life have been used as source for adaptation in films and theatrical productions. Thus, there are many adaptations for films and theater. Some of the recent adaptations based on the novel Emma were a great success with the public. Olivia Williams depicted Jane Austen in the BBC drama Miss Austen Regrets, which came out in 2007. Anne Hathaway portrayed a young Jane Austen in the film Becoming Jane which was produced in 2007. In 2010, Emma was used in a stage adaption by Michael Bloom at the Cleveland Play House, Ohio. In 2012, Emma was used as a stage adaption by Dr. Vicki Ooi of the Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection in Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong.
The adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma appeared not only in the UK, but also in the United States and other countries of the world. For example, “between 1970 and 1986, seven feature-length films or television miniseries, all British were produced based on Austen novel, in the years 1995-1996, however six additional adaptations appeared, half of them originating in Hollywood and the rest influenced by it” (Troost & Greenfield 1). The advertising of films was based on the established Hollywood traditions. The researchers are interested in the way Austen’s novel Emma influence contemporary film productions, providing criticism of some elements of the plot, which leads to depiction of social inequality (Troost & Greenfield 12). Practically all Austen films produced in the middle 1990s, like the novel Emma, provide ironic representation of romantic love and the reality of women’s lives. According to researchers, Jane Austen can be viewed a heroine of our times because she was a feminist with strong personality traits:
Having all come out almost at once, and being aware of that, they direct themselves at audiences equally aware-people who have read about the films and the stars in newspapers and magazines, which also feature articles about what it means that Jane Austen is the heroine of our moment (Troost & Greenfield 19).
As irony is the major feature of our times, Austen’s novel Emma helps people to better understand the meaning of ironic ads, ironic articles, ironic poems, ironic sitcoms and other works that are produced today. Irony is closely connected with the expression of freedom. Although Jane Austen is considered to be a Romantic writer, she effectively uses irony to express herself (Haggerty 89). According to researchers, Jane Austen is “a satirist or a novelist detached by definition from her society, and therefore, able to change the way readers see the world” (Troost & Greenfield 19). However, it is necessary to understand the difference between the irony presented in the novel Emma and the irony of present day film adaptations. Today irony does not mean “saying one thing and meaning another” (Troost & Greenfield 20). Austen’s irony is based on morale, while modern irony does not acknowledge morale. Austen’s novel Emma depicts simple form of morale. As a result, many film adaptations “have a single obvious, reiterated moral: that lovers deserve to enjoy one another, as viewers deserve to enjoy movies” (Troost & Greenfield 20). Emma, the main character of Austen’s novel, was a beautiful woman, but who was reluctant to marriage and family ties:
She always declares she will never marry, which, of course, means just nothing at all. But I have no idea that she has yet ever seen a man she cared for. It would not be a bad thing for her to be very much in love with a proper object. I should like to see Emma in love, and in some doubt of a return; it would do her good. But there is nobody hereabouts to attach her; and she goes so seldom from home (Austen 22).
One of the criticisms of the novel Emma is “formalist criticism” that is considered to be a “universal method” of skeptical commentators. According to Frances Ferguson, the novel Emma helps to reveal different critical interpretations. In fact, these interpretations can be reflected in film adaptations. Ferguson’s analysis of Emma’s criticism highlights the role of formalist criticism, which demonstrates different ways, in which different readings and interpretations of the literary work have become the “subject of critical enquiry” (Ferguson 159). As a matter of fact, the language used by the critic is different from other critics’ essays on Emma, e.g. Tilling’s essay. Frances Ferguson is focused on the significance of the opinions, which relate to the novel Emma. Frances Ferguson’s criticism influenced the opinions of other literary critics, including contemporary critics. Gard Rogers is one of critics who discuss the role of Austen’s characters, including Emma, in film adaptations. In his essay “A few skeptical thoughts on Jane Austen and film”, he states that Austen’s novel Emma is appropriate for camera because films “use music to suggest, reflect and enhance emotion, often quite potently; and dialogue can be lifted straight from the text to specify dramatically” (Rogers 10).
Today, the novels written by Jane Austen can be found at the top of the list of the classic bestsellers. According to researchers, the international sales of books written by the English writer contribute to the increased rate of television and film adaptations. One of the well-known film adaptations is the “1996 Miramax blockbuster Emma, written and directed by Douglas McGrath and starring Gwyneth Paltrow as the heroine Austen” (Wenborn 36). The popularity of the English writer can be explained by Jane Austen’s naturalism in style of writing and in other elements of literary work. According to Thomas Henry Lister, the well-known novelist of the 19-th century, who used to write much about Austen and her novels, she “has never been as popular as she deserved to be” (qtd. in Wenborn 36). The novel Emma has become the subject for many other adaptations, including film adaptations (e.g. 1995 Clueless; 2010 Aisha), TV adaptations (e.g. 1948 Emma, live BBC TV broadcast, directed and produced by Michael Barry; 1954 Emma, live NBC TV broadcast; 1960 Emma, live CBS TV broadcast; 2009 Emma, BBC miniseries, and some other TV adaptations) and several stage adaptations (e.g. 1991 Emma, a stage adaptation by Michael Fry; 2000 Emma, a musical by Stephan Karam; 2007 Emma, a musical by Joel Adlen; 2010 Emma, a stage adaptation by Michael Bloom and many other works). The film Aisha is a modern adaptation of the novel Emma produced by the Indian film company. Aisha is represented in the form of a romantic comedy film. The film was directed by Rajshree Ojha, starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol. This film adaptation points out to the fact that Jane Austen is highly acclaimed not only in the UK and the United States, but also in India. The plot of the novel can be applied to all times and generations (Wiltshire 111). According to Penny Gay, Jane Austen’s novel Emma reflects many scenes that resemble plays; therefore recent film and television adaptations have shown “how naturally dramatic her stories are” (3).
Although the novel Emma has never been acclaimed as the most popular novel of Jane Austen’s works, many literary critics and scholars would agree that Emma may be regarded as the best literary work of the author “from the point of view of literary achievement”, which combined all the elements of Austen’s writing style, including irony, realism, morality, characterization, narrative style and tone. Today the novel Emma remains in print. Almost two hundred years people enjoy Austen’s writing, discussing the themes reveled in the novel and making conclusions reading the meaning of life, marriage and friendship. According to Laura M. White, Jane Austen’s Anglicanism reflects her engagement with the world of reality and romanticism. The novelist highlights the role of the cosmos and human nature (White 23). Although many readers are focused on projecting postmodern perspectives in the work Emma by Jane Austen, as she tends to reflect their own times, beliefs and values, Laura M. White argues that it is necessary to view Austen’s Anglicanism “through the lens of primary sources of the period, including the complex history of the Georgian church to which Austen was intimately connected all her life” (3). This approach helps to better understand the central conflict that existed between “Austen’s malicious wit and her family’s testimony to her Christian piety and kindness” (White 3).
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the novel Emma by Jane Austen has influenced popular culture, as well as literature. Although the book is over a century and a half old, it has an enormous impact on readers today. The themes discussed by the author and the unique writing style provide an opportunity to have a better understanding of women’s desires and social response to feminist issues (Debb 95). The novel Emma continues to be read by different audiences. Millions of people enjoy the novel and place emphasis on the critical responses provided by experts, literary critics, and everyone who loves literature. There are many critical essays, which represent impressive interpretations of Jane Austen’s novels. Actually, these critical essays and film, TV and scene adaptations “provide an emphatic testimony to Austen’s continuing importance and the ever-increasing pleasure afforded by Emma”(Stafford 30).
Do you like this essay?
Our writers can write a paper like this for you!
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Loading...