When Jane
Austen, Yes “Plain Jane” Austen Exposed The Whole English World To The Fires Of
Unrequited Romance-Exhibit Number One “Emma”
By Sarah
Le Moyne
Whatever her
personal situation concerning her love life or lack of love life Jane Austen
was the queen of the romantic novel, maybe the gothic romantic novel as well
given some of the edgy locales she had her characters hang out in. Everybody
else today on the pot-boiler, harlequin romance best-seller list owns a debt of
gratitude to Jane for seriously, great literature seriously bringing the genre
to the light of day. Of course, Hollywood and other locales have had a field
day making cinematic hay out of her novels. That is the case here as well with
this made-for-television rendition of her classic busy-body tale, Emma.
Needless to
say, the whole plot revolves around Miss (Ms. today but let’s not be
anachronistic so Miss) Emma Wodehouse, she of the landed estate and of extreme
class, social and etiquette consciousness-for others in need of serious romance
leading well leading to the altar of course. Naturally our Emma is personally
impervious to love’s call-it does not suit her character as she gladly tells
one and all. So she goes through her passes first getting her governess to the
altar (to the distress of her crotchety father) and then her friend (whom she
almost drops the ball on with her distressingly high sense of class-gentleman
famers acceptable but real in the dirt farmers go to the back of the line. To be sure she had own, unacceptable, suitors
and had taken an interest in one Mister Churchill who in the end turned the
tables on Emma having all along been secretly engaged to a gal who she though
beneath her.
Don’t worry
despite her scatter-brained efforts and her own lack of any serious
accomplishments (or desire for such deeds) she will one day have an epiphany
and realize that he was head over heels in love with a gentleman farmer who she
had known forever. Thanks Jane-and all you romance novelists who have feasted
off her ideas should be doing so as well. Not Jane’s best for story line but
okay to watch if not to read.
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