The Imperfect Heroin in Prose Fiction

The Imperfect Heroin in Prose Fiction

There is one particular feature that sets the novel apart from any other literary genre. Literature has the ability to transport you into a world that is a product of individual imagination yet the realism expressed in the novel serves as a tool or road that leads to the emerging of conceived images. It is a time travel that has the ability to restore any period of growth in society and humanity in general. Many times we refer to the novel when deciphering morality and lifestyles of earlier centuries. Philosophers and writers hypothesized on the definition of this genre and how it differentiates from earlier works. Jane Austen wrote several books that have been studied for their content of realism. Emma depicts domestic realism that is expressed mainly through the heroin of the novel.

Ian Watt, author of an acknowledged theory written on the novel, The Rise of the Novel wrote: "it (the novel) surely attempts to portray all the varieties of human experience, and not merely those suited to one particular literary perspective: the novel's realism does not reside in the kind of life it presents, but in the way it presents it" (Watt 364). Earlier works portrayed the lives of kings, gods, and heroes. Most aimed to serve with a moral or were of metaphysical value. There was a sense of transcendence into eternity. Philosophers of the aesthetics claimed only that which can transports us beyond time and space is a true work of art and this was what most writers of early literary works aspired, immortality. What sets the novel apart from this romantic view is its imitation of reality. The novel rejects the universal and embraces the particular; "the study of the particulars of experience by the individual investigator, who, ideally at least, is free from the body of past assumptions and traditional beliefs; and it has given a peculiar importance to semantics, to the problem of the nature of correspondence between words and reality." (watt 365).

The character of Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen's novel depicts the realism in prose fiction. The novel Emma recounts the story of a twenty one year old woman in the Regency of England who is beautiful and intelligent yet very self-conscious and overindulged. The pursuit of marriage to attain higher social standard serves as the main plot. The audience is presented a world of the wealthy social class through the life style of the books heroin, Emma. There is a struggle in the development of her character and a comedy in the errors she makes. Although written in third person point of view, we comprehend the occurrences through Emma's point of view. She is a particular character with a unique account of experiences. As the reader, one is often bemused about Emma's apprehension of morals and her predominant concern of etiquette and rules of society.

Emma Woodhouse is introduced as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition". (Austen 55) Her world is described as carefree and untroubled. She roams in a high-class society where she is greatly respected. Above all her father holds a very high opinion of Emma. There is downside to all this fortune: "The real evil indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself: (...)" (Austen 55). This portrayal of Emma's character foreshadows that her high self-consciousness will be the cause to several complications in her life. Throughout the novel, one gets acquainted with Emma's most personal contemplations. This allows comprehension of her way of thought. Her observation of occurrences is always present impelling the reader to occasionally doubt her reflections.

Emma is the heroin of the novel. The influence of realism changed the portrayal of the hero in the literary work essentially. No longer was this character flawless. The hero became a character of imperfections in prose fiction. M. M. Bakhtin in his essay, Epic and Novel, says, " Only that which itself is developing can comprehend development as a process." (Bakhtin 47). Emma is rather slow in the emotional development of her character yet this adds to the sense of realism. She must first experience in order to comprehend and due to her self-awareness she must fail to see she is mistaken several times. Emma is praised by her surrounding, never criticized nor ever having to suffer the consequences of her actions. Harriet Smith is a friend of Emma's who becomes the subject to Emma's failed matchmaking. She is a foil to Emma. Although Harriet is beautiful, Emma makes her even more beautiful. "She was a beautiful creature when she came to you, but in my opinion, the attractions you have added are infinitely superior to what she received from nature." Says Mr. Elton to Emma. Emma receives all the encouragement from others for her deeds. Her doings are highly acknowledged.

The name chosen by Jane Austen for the main character is very typical for the genre of the novel. Authors tend to choose a name that does not bring any expectations along with it. Emma is a very common and simple name that does not naturally reveal anything about her character. "The primary function of the name (...) is to symbolize the fact that the character is to be regarded as though he were a particular person and not a type." (Watt 370) The proper name will give the reader a more believable view of the character, an individual whose existence does not seem to far off. The character of Mr. Knightley, on the other hand, has a slight connotation to his name. A knight is associated to courage and honour. His name "sounds authentic and (...) yet suited to the personalities of the bearer." (Watt 370). Although his name carries an implication, the reader must first meet the character in order to become aware of this.

The only character who criticizes Emma's action. Mr Knnightley is a friend of her father whom she has known from very young age. He develops from being the faint and only voice of doubt to extreme criticisms and eventually attained her innermost love. When Emma convinced Harriet to decline Mr. Martins proposal, it was Mr Knightley who recognized; "Emma, this your doing. You persuaded her to refuse him." (Austen 97). Emma feels uncomfortable after every argument with Mr. Knightley but she would not approve of his opinion for is she always felt her own vantage point was preferable. It is due to these very rare moments of self-doubt that Emma attains life as a character. "She did not always feel so absolutely satisfied with herself, so entirely convinced that her own opinions were right and her adversary's wrong, as Mr. Knightley." The quarrels were