Mr. Knightley's Strong Words
~Blog Post #2~
Topic A
April 24, 2015
by Emily Stahoviak
In Emma by Jane Austen, Mr. Knightley angrily voices his thoughts saying, "You have been no friend to Harriet Smith, Emma" (58). Mr. Knightley and Emma are in a quarrel over Harriet declining the proposal by Mr. Martin. Mr. Knightley believes Mr. Martin is an "excellent young man" and that the two would make a great couple (52). Upon the marriage proposal, Harriet looks to Emma as a guide, and ultimately declines the proposal because of her. Mr. Knightley believes that Emma "persuaded her to refuse him," but Emma only thinks it was the right thing to do in this situation (56). Mr. Martin was from a lower class, which makes Harriet look bad in her brand new life at Hartfield. Emma constantly states that Mr. Martin is "a respectable young man, but cannot admit him to be Harriet's equal" and strives to set up Harriet and Mr. Elton (56).
Mr. Knightley feels as though Emma is a bad influence for Harriet and they should go their separate ways because they are a destructive pairing. Harriet was "as happy as possible with the Martins in the summer" and Emma ruined her chance at love by being manipulative (58). Mr. Knightley believes that Harriet is going down the wrong path and that she should not feel superior to others because she herself has just entered the Hartfield society.
The social status of Mr. Martin should not have been a factor of the proposal, according to Mr. Knightley. Love and companionship should override the social stature of the two. Mr. Knightley didn't even consider the social standings into the proposal, in fact, he only feared "that Mr. Martin could do much better" than Harriet Smith (56).
I agree with Emily's post above about the significance of the argument between Mr. Knightley and Emma. I think this was an important event in the story, as it was one of the first times someone stood up against Emma. As stated above, Mr. Knightley believes that Harriet and Mr. Martin are a good match, and Mr. Martin could even do better than Harriet. Emma, on the other hand, thinks that Harriet could do much better than Mr. Martin, who she thinks is lower in social status. These differing opinions cause an argument, and Mr. Knightley goes on to blame Emma for causing Harriet to decline the proposal. He tells how he thinks their friendship is beneficial for no one. This makes Emma feel uncomfortable, as she is not used to being told she is wrong. I think this is an important moment for Emma, and I think it opens her eyes a little. She realizes she is not always right, and people may have a different opinion than her's.
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