Who Is The Madwoman In Emma?

Emily Dickinson’s advice to “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—“ exemplifies the theories put forth by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar in “The Female Swerve.” This concept that nineteenth century women authors have strayed from the predominantly masculine literary world, is illustrated in Jane Austen’s Emma through her characters’ actions and behaviors. Gilbert and Gubar refer to the “madwoman in the attic” as the female character of a novel who embodies a woman author’s rage and struggle towards a patriarchal society. In Emma, this character is Mrs. Churchill. Although Austen restricts her physical entrance into the novel and writes her as a silent role, doing so only serves to further conceal the true angst and anxiety of a prevalent female author in the nineteenth century.

In nineteenth century literature, women writers were essentially not permitted to achieve true authorship. Authors such as Jane Austen had to conform to patriarchal standards set not only in literature, but society as well. A woman writer could not publish her name to gain credit for her work, which in turn forced her to write from the perspective of a man to achieve acceptance.

Generally, aside from the heroine, the female characters of a novel serve as foils to the protagonist. However in Mrs. Churchill’s case, where she lacks as a foil to Emma, she exceeds as a foil to a typical woman in the nineteenth century. Austen’s intent while writing Mrs. Churchill’s role was to uphold the value of “The Female Swerve” that “a literary woman must shatter the mirror that has so long reflected what every woman was supposed to be” (293). A woman of this time was thought to be well tempered and abiding to her husband’s wishes. This era would even accept an even tempered woman, however Mrs. Churchill is far from either.

It depends entirely upon his aunt’s spirits and pleasure; in short, upon her temper. To you—to my two daughters, I may venture on the truth. Mrs. Churchill rules at Enscombe, and is a very odd-tempered woman; and his coming now, depends upon her being willing to spare him (111).

Austen could not speak freely of her opinions towards a woman’s behavior and position in society. Doing so would only further enhance the oddity of a woman’s literature work that already exists according to Gubar and Gilbert.

The traditional style that Austen portrays in her writing effectively obscures the true anger and rebellion of a female author in the nineteenth century. In Emma, Mrs. Churchill serves as camouflage for Austen’s own outlook on her society and position in a patriarchal literary society. It is only from behind this mask, that Austen can allow her own inner madwoman to scream and rage against the confines of her world.

Does Austen use Mrs. Churchill’s m

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