Emma is a novel about a young girl of twenty-one. Following the death of her mother, she is the mistress of her father's estate. She lives a life of leisure and, through her various activities, we come to see that she is a complex character, who has seemingly contradictory characteristics. She appears spoiled and self-centered, and yet many of her actions are commendable. She is judgemental and jealous, yet her manners are superlative and her quick wit and sharp tongue let her down only once when she insults an old spinster, who is deserving of her pity rather than her criticism. Emma is manipulative, yet she considers her actions to be in the best interests of others. These character traits are ex

The sexual connotations that are read in to situations where little is said directly, helps to build up an infuriatingly ambiguous plot. This frustration the reader feels can also be seen as a metaphor for the governess's sexual frustration. All these techniques help to bring the plot to its final climax, where the secrecy and ambiguity is emphasised and brought to a close.

The Victorians could not discuss sexual matters in polite society, and because it was unmentionable, they read sexual connotations into everything that happened to be left unsaid. This, of course, means that there are a large number of sexual connotations in The Turn of The Screw, as so much is left unsaid. Due to the fact that there are so many events that are almost impossible not to interpret in a sexual way, it seems that James is mocking the oppressive and prudish attitudes of the society he writes about. He uses the literary technique of meta-fiction, where he writes the novel within the restrictions of Gothic fiction (including repressed feminine sexuality) whilst also speaking disparagingly of it.

A major theme in Emma is self-awareness. The novel follows the growth of Emma's character to her final self-awareness. To highlight the change in Emma, many of her faults are suggested at the beginning. Jane Austen commented that Emma would be a character that not many people but herself would appreciate. She is described as being: 'clever, handsome and rich' (p1.) yet these compliments are quickly countered, when we are told 'the real evils, 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.' (p.1)

Some topics in this essay:
Miles Flora's, Frank Churchill, Henry James, Miss Jessel, Peter Quint, Harriet Smith, Flora Throughout, Jane Austen, Whilst Emma, Emma Woodhouse, throughout novel, sexual connotations, character traits, left unsaid, emma's character, highlight change emma, change emma, read sexual, novel directly, reader feels, directly merely, expectation realisation correction, ghost peter quint, quint miss jessel, read sexual connotations,