Jane Austen. Emma's Flaws and society's flaws.

We must learn to see society and ourselves with flaws. What does Emma learn to see about herself and how does the reader see her progression towards self knowledge?

Society and individuals must learn to see the faults within themselves. In Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, the character of Emma Woodhouse embodies the faults of her society. The faults of society, being the fact that it is a hierarchical system, in which people are placed into separate class structures. Emma Woodhouse does not see these flaws within herself and the flaws of society until very late in the novel. The reader becomes aware of Emma’s flaws very early in the novel, and the first line of the book foreshadows her flaws. Her flaws also become evident on many other occasions such as Mr. Elton’s declaration of love, Mr. Knightley criticising how rude Emma was to Miss Bates, Frank Churchill’s engagement to Jane Fairfax, Mr. Knightley’s declaration of love, and the marriage of Harriet Smith and Robert Martin. E...