#mrs. churchill

[bethanydelleman]

The late event had softened away his pride and he was, earlier than I could have anticipated, wholly reconciled and complying; and could say at last, poor man! with a deep sign, that he wished I might find as much happiness in the marriage state as he had done -Emma, Jane Austen

Throughout the entire novel, Mrs. Churchill is blamed for being the prideful one and for leading the uncle. And yet here we have it from their adopted son: the uncle was as proud as the wife, though more able to be convinced. I don't read that last line as sarcastic either (especially so close to her death), the uncle must have really loved Mrs. Churchill. He wasn't hen-pecked, he was happy.

These are characters we never meet, but who shape the story from afar. The information we have about Mr. and Mrs. Churchill is almost all second and third hand, but Mrs. Churchill always gets more blame. I feel like one of the mysteries of the novel is whether that was fair or not.

[diana-daphne]

Mr. Knightly you are so not subtle I love you

[firawren]

[matryoshkabitch]

[didanagy]

EMMA (2020)

dir. autumn de wilde

[nasty-bog-boy]

theres just something so deeply tender about the relationship between Emma Woodhouse and her father. like Jane Austen really broke out the big guns to depict such a tender, sensitive relationship between a father and a daughter without losing the flaws of the characters or making something unbearably sweet.

when Jane Austen decided to write Emma one of her main goals was to create an unlikeable heroine and honestly? she does do a pretty good job of that. Emma does behave poorly throughout the novel, turning people into her little playthings, letting her insecurities dictate her behaviour and of course the infamous Miss Bates insult.

but through her love of her father Emma never becomes someone we stop rooting for. Jane Austen shows how Emma isnt some irredeemable, selfish person. shes lonely and misguided but shes also full of love and care for the person who depends on her competely.

shes never seen the sea! she declares she will never marry because she cant leave him! she trys to reject Mr Knightley because she wont even move to the estate next door without her father!

and she never resents him!

Emma loves and cares for her Father, she might laugh at some of his quirks and hurt others feeling but she never wishes to leave him just to make her life easier. i think it shows Jane Austen at her most tender and kind, even in trying to create a flawed heroine who can act in a genuinely unpleasant way towards others Austen also creates one of the most heart-warming parent/child relationships in all of her books.

idk i can never truly dislike Emma Woodhouse because we see so clearly how she is not a bad person at heart. she makes mistakes and she regrets them and she puts her fathers happiness above her own always! she means a lot to me!

[neverscreens]

— EMMA.(2020).

Part One, 454 Screencaps.

Part Two, 454 Screencaps.

Part Three, 454 Screencaps.

Like or reblog if it was useful, every interaction shows us that we should keep making screencaps for y'all ♡

[lizziestudieshistory]

Sometimes I'm truly baffled by literary criticism, particularly as a historian. Researchers seem to make huge leaps of logic that have little backing in sources (nevermind the text of the novel!) that leaves me reeling... For example, I borrowed my best friend's copy of Emma to read the introduction and I'm still working out how you can argue Austen is making a comment on Waterloo, the French, etc. by her choice of name for Frank Churchill and a small comment by Mr Knightley. It just seems like such a huge assumption based on a very small amount of evidence?

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Propaganda :

Frank Churchill : In defence of Frank Churchill - I know he can be a bit of a dick but he does love Jane and makes her happy (eventually). And even though he is mean about her to throw people of the scent it's so obvious that he just wants to talk about her as much as possible because he is obsessed. And yes the piano is impractical but he sacrifices his pride and lets everyone think that he would go all the way to London just for a haircut so he can buy Jane something extravagant. And yes he's an idiot for getting her a massive piano for a tiny house but even though he's a dumb-dumb he's it's still very sweet and I personally would love to be bought a piano. And as much as Jane loves Mrs Bates maybe she's grateful for something that will give her a little break from all her talking while still bringing her pleasure.

Mr Knightley :

[underrtheskinn]

Emma (2020)

[bethanydelleman]

Why did Frank Churchill hide his relationship with Jane Fairfax? Thanks.

Short Answer: Because Frank doesn't want to be disinherited.

Long Answer: Frank likely knows his father's history, while his mother wasn't disinherited because she already controlled her own fortune, she was disowned by her family. It was only her illness and death that reconciled Mr. Weston and the Churchills and ultimately led to Frank's adoption. He will not risk being thrown off himself.

Relevant quotes:

Miss Churchill, however, being of age, and with the full command of her fortune—though her fortune bore no proportion to the family-estate—was not to be dissuaded from the marriage, and it took place, to the infinite mortification of Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, who threw her off with due decorum.

The boy had, with the additional softening claim of a lingering illness of his mother’s, been the means of a sort of reconciliation; and Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, having no children of their own, nor any other young creature of equal kindred to care for, offered to take the whole charge of the little Frank soon after her decease

for as to Frank, it was more than being tacitly brought up as his uncle’s heir, it had become so avowed an adoption as to have him assume the name of Churchill on coming of age. It was most unlikely, therefore, that he should ever want his father’s assistance.

Frank is clearly trying to bring his aunt around to the idea of him marrying where he pleases, but he has apparently failed on that front. The only hope he has left is that she will die soon. And we know her health has been declining throughout the novel so it’s not a crazy plan, but it is a morally distasteful one.

Relevant Quotes:

His [Frank’s] importance at Enscombe was very evident. He did not boast, but it naturally betrayed itself, that he had persuaded his aunt where his uncle could do nothing, and on her laughing and noticing it, he owned that he believed (excepting one or two points) he could with time persuade her to any thing. One of those points on which his influence failed, he then mentioned. He had wanted very much to go abroad—had been very eager indeed to be allowed to travel—but she would not hear of it. This had happened the year before. Now, he said, he was beginning to have no longer the same wish.

(The other point clearly being allowing him to marry where he wished)

Also, Frank can't tell his father a thing because aside from Miss Bates, Mr. Weston is Highbury's worst and least repentant gossip.

Relevant Quotes (Mr. Weston telling everyone a “secret”):

Mr. Weston’s parting words. “For the present, the whole affair was to be completely a secret. Mr. Churchill had made a point of it, as a token of respect to the wife he had so very recently lost; and every body admitted it to be no more than due decorum.”—Emma had promised; but still Harriet must be excepted. It was her superior duty.

“About Jane Fairfax. Did you ever hear any thing so strange? Oh!—you need not be afraid of owning it to me, for Mr. Weston has told me himself. I met him just now. He told me it was to be a great secret; and, therefore, I should not think of mentioning it to any body but you, but he said you knew it.”

“I had a few lines on parish business from Mr. Weston this morning, and at the end of them he gave me a brief account of what had happened.”

“It is to be a secret, I conclude,” said he [Mr. Weston]. “These matters are always a secret, till it is found out that every body knows them. Only let me be told when I may speak out.—I wonder whether Jane has any suspicion.”

He went to Highbury the next morning, and satisfied himself on that point. He told her the news. Was not she like a daughter, his eldest daughter?—he must tell her; and Miss Bates being present, it passed, of course, to Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Perry, and Mrs. Elton, immediately afterwards. It was no more than the principals were prepared for; they had calculated from the time of its being known at Randalls, how soon it would be over Highbury; and were thinking of themselves, as the evening wonder in many a family circle, with great sagacity.

This shows why Frank can’t tell his father. And Mr. Weston does travel to London, so his gossip may well find its way out of Highbury.

Does this make Frank a bad person? I mean, I don’t know. Frank keeping the engagement secret isn’t much worse than Edward Ferrars, though Frank does deliberately flirt with Emma to hide his status as engaged. Neither Frank nor Edward could marry if their mother/aunt disinherited them because the woman they are engaged to are so poor. However, in a society so concerned with familial duty, marrying against your parent/guardian’s wishes seems to be frowned upon.

I think Frank’s situation is slightly worse because he is banking on someone dying for him to be happy.

[diana-daphne]

Mr. Knightley being a hater (he’s right)

[didanagy]

EMMA (2020)

dir. autumn de wilde

[antigonenikk]

to me???? theyre in love.

[kurtismcilroy]

Part 2 to the previous poll! ^^

[werewolfetone]