When Opportunity Arises, The Climber

and so Emma falling in love was not entirely off the table! The match-maker gets matched in a lovely resolution that brings the story to fruition. The ending of Emma is perfectly satisfying, and no loose ends were left untied.

Despite how wonderful the novel was, Autumn de Wilde’s recent movie adaptation of Austen’s classic does not do it enough justice. One of the aspects of Emma that makes the novel so appealing is that the reader can follow along with Emma’s inner thoughts. Although Emma is an outwardly flawed character, by understanding her mindset, the reader becomes sympathetic to why she acts the way she does ㅡ a lot of it has to do with her upbringing. This particular aspect of the novel is special, for none of Austen’s characters in her other books seems to be as intimate with the reader as she is. In Pride and Prejudice, for example, Austen focuses on both Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, and in Sense and Sensibility, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood share the spotlight, but in Emma, the reader only really knows Emma. And despite what Austen predicted, the reader grows to love her. In de Wilde’s adaptation, however, the viewer, unless having read the novel, does not really know Emma’s situation and mentality, and thus, is left to view her as just arrogant.

Beautiful scenery and lovely costumes decorate the movie set well. And one of De Wilde’s most original additions is the bit of unprecedented humor she incorporates, but the casting of this movie, unfortunately, ticks off more negative checks than positive ones. Perhaps Anya Taylor-Joy’s underwhelming acting had to do with the script write, but nevertheless, Taylor-Joy made Emma seem like an inconsiderate, selfish, untouchable character. Even in the moments where the reader was supposed to sympathize with her (for example, after the numerous times Emma’s match-making failed), Emma came across as more bothersome than anything else.

It’s difficult to see one of Great Britain’s most classic novels only mediocrely displayed, but any true Austen fan will always appreciate Emma, despite its disappointing movie adaptation. In spite of being a lengthy novel, every minute of Jane Austen’s masterpiece is well-worth the time. To experience the joy, the laughter, and the relatedness in almost every chapter of this precious work is priceless. And being able to see the development of such a flawed character into a mature, married woman makes the novel complete.

Although Austen’s books are stereotyped as being “girly romance novels”, boys, who have a mature appreciation for literature, could also be able to find an interest in exploring the satire and character development of Emma. Teenage girls may find this novel intriguing, too, for Emma is said to be just like the 200-year-old version of Cher from Clueless, a popular teenage movie. Emma is probably meant to attract the adult population in general, considering that it is more difficult to follow and comprehend for younger readers, but it can be enjoyed by the younger generations as well. And as probably assumed, British literature enthusiasts would definitely enjoy this classic novel.

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