Snobby but Endearing

Jane Austen

I have read other works by Austen, but this was my first go at EMMA. I have to admit, I found it tedious in many parts. That said, I was more interested in the outcomes of the characters than when I read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE or MANSFIELD PARK. All of the upper-class snobbery and the manner in which Emma and company make mountains out of mole hills was the comic genius of this novel, for me. I know this book comes under a lot of heat for its lack of lower-class representation, but isn't that the point? Isn't Emma's whole perspective supposed to be so tethered to her upper-class society that she hardly knows of "the peasant's" existence? By making Emma so oblivious, Austen was making gentle pokes at the distorted reality of England's upper crust.
For me, the most enjoyable character to read was Mrs. Elton. She was truly over-the-top, and very Dursley-ish.
I enjoyed seeing Emma's transformation from beginning to end. The most telling evidence of her changes in character was the way she started thinking of Harriet's feelings over her own when Frank's engagement to Jane came to light. I also felt that Emma's final acceptance of the Harriet/Mr. Martin pairing was a clear sign that Emma is not some bratty snob, but merely constricted by the views on society that came "natural" to her, given her particular upbringing and circumstance.