Discovery-_Emma

As human beings we all experience life in a similar way embarking on our journeys as individuals in the large world. Through life’s journey we make a range of discoveries that impact on us in number of ways. Most of these discoveries are minor and shape us in a subtle but consistent way much like the chisel of the sculptor but every now and then we experience life altering discoveries or epiphanies that cause us to reflect on who we are or where we are going which alters our fundamental individual values. The novel Emma by Jane Austen shows discovery through the protagonist Emma who learns through self reflection to be more considerate of others. The theme of discovery is also a theme of many other composers as it is a quintessential component of life and relationships and allows us to develop a greater understanding of self and others. These include the movie “The Blind Side” directed by John Lee Hancock. It follows the story of Michael and his life struggles, he discovers that although you may encounter struggles in life there is always a way to conquer them. Discovery is then further depicted in the song “The Reason”, Hoobstank that shows through first person narration and reflective tone a sorrowful look at his past. The central theme of Austen’s novel Emma is discovery and self reflection. Perhaps the main discovery for the novel’s main character and title Emma is her discovery of real love towards Mr Knightley. Austen takes the reader on the journey with Emma as her friendship with Knightley evolves into a deep and passionate love of him. Emma decides that love is for her and ends up marrying Mr Knightley quite contradictory to her thoughts at the start ('I have never been in love and it's not my way.'). Austen cleverly develops the character of Emma throughout the novel by taking her through a series of relationships with other characters with Emma initially experiencing love vicariously through others. Emma’s first experience of love is the failed relationship between Harriet and Mr Elton and through the use of dramatic irony Austen allows the responder to gain insights of Mr Elton’s intentions before the characters being that of Emma and Harriet. A further understanding is also gained of Mr Elton when he appears to be offended at the idea of Emma even considering him to be a match for Harriet("If it were admissible to contradict a lady,") Elton is characterised by Austen as being quite ungentle man like and snobbish in this scene. Emma seemingly not learning from this discovery then sets her sights on a new visitor to town Mr Weston’s son Frank Churchill. Emma knowing nothing about Frank immediately judges him as gentlemen like and engages in playful flirtation with him. Austen’s clever use of the characterisation of Mr Knightley and his perception of Frank helps to promote the idea that Frank is unsuitable for Emma and or Harriet. Mr Knightley says some wise philosophical statements that allow the reader to see his perception ("There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do if he chooses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution. Respect for right conduct is felt by everybody.") Perhaps the climax of the novel is towards the end when Emma eventually learns of her love towards Knightly. When Harriet professes her love for Knightley and not Frank as Emma had thought she has a sudden epiphany in which she learns of the love she has for Knightley.( "I hope I know better now, than to care for Mr Martin, or to be suspected of it."). Emma’s possessive response is (“Nobody must have my Mr Knightley!”). This use of possessive exclamation really emphasises that Emma has finally realised her love for knightley and must have him. Although a gradual change Emma in the end realises that other people deserve respect and it is not her right to meddle with other people’s lives. Austen also develops the other characters in her novel as they embark on their own journeys of discovery. The character of Harriet is a good example of this. At first Austen creates empathy for Harriet by describing her as short plump and handsome. The reader is then taken on Harriet’s journey as she struggles to find love and acceptance ("Her character depends upon those she is with; but in good hands she will turn out a valuable woman.") Shows through Emma’s dialogue that she believes Harriet will find a suitable upper class gentleman that she could marry. Eventually, Harriet makes the discovery that she does not have to pretend to be somebody that she isn’t or need to rely on Emma and others. Harriet however did not just suddenly realise this it took a significant event to force her realisation. Harriet had originally intended to wed Mr Martin a well to do farmer however persuaded by Emma ("'I lay it down as a general rule, Harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him. If she can hesitate as to "Yes," she ought to say "No" directly.'") decides to decline his proposal. Austen uses plot incidents to emphasise that Harriet should have stayed with the well to do farmer Mr Martin. This is shown when Mr Knightley frowns upon the actions of Emma. It allows the reader to perceive the fault in Emma’s ways and promotes Knightley’s characterisation as gentlemen like and wise. Another key event in the novel encouraging Harriet’s discovery is the persuasion of Emma telling Harriet of Mr Elton’s feelings towards her even though Emma does not know Elton’s true intentions. Therefore when Emma’s plan unravels and fails Harriet seems heartbroken at the fact that Elton does not even consider her as a match. In fact Elton is very disgusted by the idea that he should marry such a lower class person like that of Harriet.(“everybody has their level”). It is at this stage she reflects on the proceeding events to the best of her ability and decides that it is not Elton that she loves but rather Knightley to Emma’s disgust. The final chapter in her discovery is her rejection by Knightley who obviously favours Emma. It is only then that she discovers that love is not all about money, wealth and the obvious class differences ("'That is the case with us all, papa. One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.') She asserts herself and follows her heart in the direction of the well to do farmer Mr Martin showing in the end that her discovery has unquestionably resulted in her gaining a better understanding of herself now that she knows where she belongs and of the power other people hold to influence her. There is no better example of how discovery inspires improved understanding of self and others than 2010’s Oscar winning film “The Blind Side” directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Sandra Bullock. This film is based on the real life discoveries of Leigh Ann Tuohy and Michael Oher as their lives come together from vastly different backgrounds to develop a bond and relationship of mother and son. The director cleverly takes the audience through their discoveries focussing on the two central characters although also confronting the profound issues of racism in the deeply racist environment of Southern USA as well as the issue of wealth and poverty in the very class-driven world of upper class American schooling. Significantly, in this film the audience is exposed to the discoveries of almost all the supporting characters. Throughout the film the courage of Michael and Leigh Ann in confronting the prejudice and hostility directed towards them from a variety of individuals is inspiring and rewarded with their ultimate triumph at the film’s conclusion when Michael becomes a professional football player in the NFL of the USA. Hancock uses various techniques to suggest the discoveries made in the film but perhaps the most common is the use of dialogue, the statement(“Your not worried he is gonna steal anything”)stated by one of leigh ann’s high class friends really demonstrates the divide in social class. This very similar to Emma in that both societies are separated between the have and have nots. Like Emma, Leigh Ann is a member of “upper class” society and is seemingly oblivious to the struggles of working class people. Both Emma and Leigh Ann realise the differences between the two social classes and go about trying to make a difference in very different ways. Emma by encouraging Harriet to marry up above her social standing and Leigh Ann taking in Michael and treating him like a son. Both discover important attributes of friendship and relationships (I decided to go to school there because my family went to school there said by Michael referring to his adopted family) which is a remarkable use of dialogue that creates suspense with the viewer and resolves a lot of the issues in the movie. Another great technique Hancock uses is the use of camera shots in the form of close ups to provide the viewer with a closer look at the emotion going on between Michael and Leigh Ann. Hancock cleverly uses this at the pivotal part of the movie where Michael is deciding whether to stay with Leigh Ann. The close up allows the viewer to sympathise with Michael about his struggles. Camera angles in “The Blind Side” like any movie are an essential way to express ideas. A clever use of a camera angle is when the huge Michael meets Leigh Ann’s son. The camera using a point of view shot of the son looking up to Michael signifying the differences between them. This becomes a rather symbolic point of the movie and an essential part of the overall discovery that although there are differences there are ways to conquer them. Another excellent comparative text is the song lyric “The Reason” by Hoobstank. This text focuses on the aftermath of a discovery and directly relates to Emma’s discovery that she has dominated and interfered with Harriet’s life. In this realisation, Emma experiences strong feelings of regret for her behaviour towards her friend Harriet. This is very much like the central character in the song who also expresses feelings of regret and sorrow for the type of person he is. The repetition of “I’ve found the reason” demonstrates his intention to change. It shows that he is reflecting on a significant event in life because it does often take a significant event in our lives to promote our own self discovery. The first person narration of the song allows the audience to engage with this character and reflect on their own life purpose and journey (“I'm not a perfect person”). This relatability of life experience is often what allows an audience to relate to a song. We all experience the emotion of love which is why many songs are about love and in the case of “The Reason” we all experience a degree of regret for past mistakes which gives the song a unique meaning for every individual depending on the reason for their own regret. The use of colloquial language assists with making the discovery in the song relevant and relatable to us. (“I just want you to know”) is a colloquial statement that really engages the reader and makes the reader think about their own lives and the discoveries they have made about themselves and other people. As with all of Austen’s novels the theme of Emma being discovery is timeless and resonates with a contemporary reader much the same as it did with the readers of Austen’s era. We are all undertaking our own life journey and are making discoveries large and small every day. We are all involved in complex human relationships involving love and friendship, happiness and sadness. We all experience a feeling of regret and hopefully optimism and hope. Like Austen’s character Emma or Michael Oher, we all develop a greater understanding of ourselves and others through our discoveries and we cannot grow as individuals without the mistakes and triumphs that generate the reflection needed to learn from our experiences.