Emma interview

Mr William Harmondsworth: “Jane, thankyou for meeting with me. I trust you had a comfortable journey? I must say I am pressed for time this morning, shall we begin? There has been an acknowledged interest in your book and I have requested your presence here today to discuss the motif behind your story. There seems to be an almost exclusive focus on the gentry class in our society. Why is that?”
Jane Austen: “Yes, Emma is a novel directed toward the gentry class. The reason I chose this approach was based on the theory that the genteel have money to spend on books and the time you need to read and appreciate them. This particular novel not only provides entertainment to readers, but also serves educational purposes. It gives subtle insights into our current societal issues; the importance of marriage, attitudes towards and reasons for marriage, the status of women in society - with a dowry of thirty thousand pounds, Emma’s success in finding a suitable husband should she p...