At first glance, it is easy to draw obvious parallels between
Austen’s characters and our beloved wizarding friends. Obviously,
Knightly and Emma are Harry and Ginny,right? Or maybe they
parallel Hermione and Ron? Let’s examine this a little closer.
Mr Knightly = ?
Who of the bunch fits the profile of a Mr. Knightly? Let’s review
Knightly’s character traits. He is extremely responsible, wise,
and level-headed. He is the one who balances Emma. Everyone else
only sees her as a perfect flawless girl - someone to be admired.
Knightly clearly cares for Emma as well, but he also acts as her
compass. He is not afraid to tell her when she is not living up
to her potential. In essence, Knightly knows that a true friend
is not afraid to disagree with you when necessary.
When you look at these characteristics, there is only one person
who embodies these qualities. Hermione repeatedly puts her own
happiness on the line to help her friends. She is the source of
wisdom and reason. If Harry and Ron were left to their own
devices, Lord knows they would have never survived passed Book 1.
She is always there to stop their foolishness and offer a logical
solution even if it isn’t the popular thing to do. A prime
example of this is the Firebolt incident in Book 3.
Emma = ?
I know I should leave Emma for the end, but I can’t resist
jumping from Knightly to Emma. Once Mr. Knightly is assigned to
Hermione, I know there are a lot of people who would want me to
just say that Emma is Ron...and they lived happily ever after...I
promise I am not a Ron hater, but it is impossible for me to say
that Ron is Emma. Seriously, does he have any of the
characteristics of Emma? Poise, grace, popularity, polish,
celebrity...sure that sounds like Ron to me.
The truth is that Emma isn’t perfect. Everyone loves Emma and
builds her up in the eyes of the community. Emma even convinces
herself that she is the person that the citizens of Highsbury
want her to be, but she knows deep down that there is more than
what she shows the world.
Knightly is Emma’s perfect match. He knows that there is so much
more potential locked inside of her. He also sees her flaws and
calls her out on them. He also knows that it is okay to be flawed
and our flaws are what make us human. True love means embracing
someone completely, not loving the person you want them to be.
If you accept that Hermione is Mr. Knightly it seems just as
logical that Harry is Emma. Before the Harry/Ginny and
Hermione/Ron legions jump through the computer screen, please
hear me out.
Hermione is there through all of Harry’s ups and downs. Everyone
around him idolizes him because he is the Boy Who Lived. Ron
enjoys the celebrity that comes with being best friends with the
boy who lived and Ginny has been infatuated with him since birth.
They see him as wonderful and amazing and perfect. Ron will jump
down the throat of anyone who dares criticize his famous friend.
Only Hermione is willing to praise Harry for his brilliance and
scold him for his foolishness.
I am not saying that they have a deep-seeded, burning passion for
each other. I understand that there are levels of love. Not every
relationship between a man and a woman is romantic. I hope that
you, dear readers, can accept that Hermione and Harry have total
respect and admiration for each other. I do not believe that
there can be a greater order of love, at least if you consider it
a love between friends.
Fans of Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny need not read any further...
...for those of you who want to believe that it is a romantic
love that exists between Harry and Hermione, I remind you that
the story does not end with the epilogue. If you believe that
these characters are real, dynamic characters alive in an
alternate universe, there is still hope.
I cannot imagine that these stories are not real. They have
become such a huge part of who I am that I cannot let go. I
imagine our friends are living their lives in the wizarding world
and we were cursed to be the muggles that are not allowed in.
If the story continues beyond Book 7, then there is no end.
Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny paired up during a very stressful
time in their lives. It is easy to turn to the closest person for
comfort during times of crisis. It is also easy to see the error
of your ways when the sky clears and the sun comes out again. Let
us hold out hope!!
Austen’s characters and our beloved wizarding friends. Obviously,
Knightly and Emma are Harry and Ginny,right? Or maybe they
parallel Hermione and Ron? Let’s examine this a little closer.
Mr Knightly = ?
Who of the bunch fits the profile of a Mr. Knightly? Let’s review
Knightly’s character traits. He is extremely responsible, wise,
and level-headed. He is the one who balances Emma. Everyone else
only sees her as a perfect flawless girl - someone to be admired.
Knightly clearly cares for Emma as well, but he also acts as her
compass. He is not afraid to tell her when she is not living up
to her potential. In essence, Knightly knows that a true friend
is not afraid to disagree with you when necessary.
When you look at these characteristics, there is only one person
who embodies these qualities. Hermione repeatedly puts her own
happiness on the line to help her friends. She is the source of
wisdom and reason. If Harry and Ron were left to their own
devices, Lord knows they would have never survived passed Book 1.
She is always there to stop their foolishness and offer a logical
solution even if it isn’t the popular thing to do. A prime
example of this is the Firebolt incident in Book 3.
- Mr. Knightly = Hermione
Emma = ?
I know I should leave Emma for the end, but I can’t resist
jumping from Knightly to Emma. Once Mr. Knightly is assigned to
Hermione, I know there are a lot of people who would want me to
just say that Emma is Ron...and they lived happily ever after...I
promise I am not a Ron hater, but it is impossible for me to say
that Ron is Emma. Seriously, does he have any of the
characteristics of Emma? Poise, grace, popularity, polish,
celebrity...sure that sounds like Ron to me.
The truth is that Emma isn’t perfect. Everyone loves Emma and
builds her up in the eyes of the community. Emma even convinces
herself that she is the person that the citizens of Highsbury
want her to be, but she knows deep down that there is more than
what she shows the world.
Knightly is Emma’s perfect match. He knows that there is so much
more potential locked inside of her. He also sees her flaws and
calls her out on them. He also knows that it is okay to be flawed
and our flaws are what make us human. True love means embracing
someone completely, not loving the person you want them to be.
If you accept that Hermione is Mr. Knightly it seems just as
logical that Harry is Emma. Before the Harry/Ginny and
Hermione/Ron legions jump through the computer screen, please
hear me out.
Hermione is there through all of Harry’s ups and downs. Everyone
around him idolizes him because he is the Boy Who Lived. Ron
enjoys the celebrity that comes with being best friends with the
boy who lived and Ginny has been infatuated with him since birth.
They see him as wonderful and amazing and perfect. Ron will jump
down the throat of anyone who dares criticize his famous friend.
Only Hermione is willing to praise Harry for his brilliance and
scold him for his foolishness.
I am not saying that they have a deep-seeded, burning passion for
each other. I understand that there are levels of love. Not every
relationship between a man and a woman is romantic. I hope that
you, dear readers, can accept that Hermione and Harry have total
respect and admiration for each other. I do not believe that
there can be a greater order of love, at least if you consider it
a love between friends.
Fans of Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny need not read any further...
- Emma = Harry
...for those of you who want to believe that it is a romantic
love that exists between Harry and Hermione, I remind you that
the story does not end with the epilogue. If you believe that
these characters are real, dynamic characters alive in an
alternate universe, there is still hope.
I cannot imagine that these stories are not real. They have
become such a huge part of who I am that I cannot let go. I
imagine our friends are living their lives in the wizarding world
and we were cursed to be the muggles that are not allowed in.
If the story continues beyond Book 7, then there is no end.
Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny paired up during a very stressful
time in their lives. It is easy to turn to the closest person for
comfort during times of crisis. It is also easy to see the error
of your ways when the sky clears and the sun comes out again. Let
us hold out hope!!
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So we have been planning this page ever since we started this
site back in April. As you may or may not know, Jo (yes, we are
on a first name basis...haha) has said on numerous occasions that
Jane Austen is one of her favorite authors. To provide an exact
quote, “Jane Austen is the pinnacle to which all other authors
aspire.” Jane Austen’s Emma is a novel that is particularly
special to Rowling.
site back in April. As you may or may not know, Jo (yes, we are
on a first name basis...haha) has said on numerous occasions that
Jane Austen is one of her favorite authors. To provide an exact
quote, “Jane Austen is the pinnacle to which all other authors
aspire.” Jane Austen’s Emma is a novel that is particularly
special to Rowling.
I think her characters are vividly alive, she had a
wonderful facility for dialogue, a dry and sometimes
scathing sense of humor and she crafted seamless plots
with such lightness of touch it appears effortless. And
speaking as someone who loves to pull the wool over her
readers' eyes, nobody has ever bettered the twist Austen
managed in ‘Emma.’
- J.K. Rowling
wonderful facility for dialogue, a dry and sometimes
scathing sense of humor and she crafted seamless plots
with such lightness of touch it appears effortless. And
speaking as someone who loves to pull the wool over her
readers' eyes, nobody has ever bettered the twist Austen
managed in ‘Emma.’
- J.K. Rowling
Well, reader, you know as well as I just how must our friend Jo
loves to pull the wool over our eyes. (Even though, I am not too
sure pulling things out of left field and character assassination
counts as pulling the wool over our eyes.) Armed with this
knowledge, I think it is a useful exercise to examine the
characters in Emma and see if any parallels can be drawn between
them and our little wizarding friends.
Stay tuned for the answer to the question, Who is Rowling’s Emma?
Emma Woodhouse:
Mr. Knightley:
Harriet Smith:
Frank Churchill:
Jane Fairfax:
As mentioned above, Emma is loved by all – she is the pretty,
elegant, graceful young woman in the community that brings
everyone together socially. The beginning of the novel finds
Emma elated over a successful match she credits herself with.
Her governess, Miss Taylor, has just married their neighbor, Mr.
Weston. Emma has resolved herself to stay single forever and so
she gets her kicks thinking that she is the perfect matchmaker.
She takes Miss Taylor’s marriage as proof that she must continue
in this vein.
Emma’s next project becomes her dear friend Harriet. Harriet is
the sweet girl-next-door type who is a bit inexperienced when it
comes to the upper-middle class world social visits and grand
balls. Emma takes her on as a protégé and tries to mold her into
a suitable bride for the man she deems acceptable. To Harriet,
Emma’s opinion is as good as fact. Harriet adores Emma and
follows her blindly (even when Emma decides that Robert Martin,
the man Harriet has a crush on, is not good enough for her). This
relationship only serves to encourage Emma’s high opinion of
herself. Harriet fuels Emma’s confidence in her own intelligence
and wit. (Don’t get me wrong. Emma is incredibly lovable. She is
so well-intentioned that it is hard to resent her over-
confidence.)
Emma lives with her widowed father who completely adores her. She
is the sweetheart of the town. The other families in the book,
Emma’s own family, Harriet and Miss Taylor all think she is
totally and completely wonderful. Her only reality check lies in
the character of Mr. Knightley. He often comes to visit Emma and
her father. He not only engages Mr. Woodhouse in conversation,
but visits with Emma as well. He always manages to see through
Emma’s latest scheme and isn’t afraid to tell her so. Even with
all her confidence and encouragement from others, no one’s
opinion seems to affect Emma the way that Mr. Knightley’s does.
Of course, no one knows Emma as well as Mr. Knighltey. As
predicted, Emma fails miserably at her matchmaking game. Her
first target for Harriet is Mr. Elton, a clergyman in the
community. What Emma doesn’t know is that Mr. Elton plans to
elevate his own social status by marrying a woman with an
appropriate dowry. Emma continues to invent situations in which
Mr. Elton must interact with Emma and Harriet. She is thrilled by
his interest in spending time with them. What she doesn’t realize
is that Mr. Elton interprets all of Emma’s efforts to mean that
Emma is interested in him. This ends disastrously with Mr. Elton
proposing to an outraged Emma and Harriet having her heart broken.
Meanwhile, all of Highsbury is in a tizzy because Mr. Weston’s
son, Frank Churchill comes to visit. The entire town has
speculated about Frank for so long that they can’t get enough of
him when he arrives. This leads to a series of grand balls and
social visits. Emma at first fancies a match between Frank and
herself – wouldn’t it be great to be related to Miss Talyor?
However, with time this attraction fades and Emma begins to
fantasize about Frank and Harriet. Harriet throws Emma for a loop
when she says that she is interested in someone much superior to
Frank. Emma knows that the only man that could possibly fit this
description is Mr. Knightley. It is not until Harriet reveals her
“love” for Knightley that Emma realizes that she loves him
herself.
We are also introduced to Jane Fairfax. She is visiting her aunt
in town. Jane is an accomplished musician, elegant, beautiful –
basically she is a more perfect version of Emma. Rather than
admitting she is jealous of Jane’s perfection, Emma decides that
she doesn’t get along with Jane because Jane is just too reserved.
Alongside Emma’s own drama in the love department is the
unfolding of Frank Churchill’s story. Frank is Mr. Weston’s son,
but was adopted by his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Churchill,
after Mr. Weston’s first wife died. He knows his aunt and uncle
will not approve of his life choices and is afraid that they will
disown him if his actions are not in alignment with their wishes.
Frank feels he is not free to express his own will until after he
inherits property from the Churchills.
Once Frank is “freed” he writes to his father and announces that
he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax. Austen purposefully
distracts her audience with the possibility of matches between
Frank and Emma or Harriet and excludes the reader from any
interactions between Frank and Jane.
This surprise engagement along with the revelation that Emma is
in love with Knightly are the famous plot twists that Rowling
loves so much. Perhaps the revelation of Tonks and Lupin’s
relationship is Rowling’s nod to her favorite author of all time?
Now that I have filled you in on the story of Jane Austen’s Emma,
we are almost ready to answer the original question. Who is
Rowling’s Emma?
loves to pull the wool over our eyes. (Even though, I am not too
sure pulling things out of left field and character assassination
counts as pulling the wool over our eyes.) Armed with this
knowledge, I think it is a useful exercise to examine the
characters in Emma and see if any parallels can be drawn between
them and our little wizarding friends.
Stay tuned for the answer to the question, Who is Rowling’s Emma?
Emma Woodhouse:
- The protagonist of the novel. She is pretty, graceful, and
extremely well liked in the community. Because she is held in
such high esteem, she tends to think highly of herself and
her talents. She fancies herself a great matchmaker; leading
to a series of disastrous pairings. In spite of it all, she
is always well-intentioned.
Mr. Knightley:
- A family friend of the Woodhouses and the brother of the
eldest Woodhouse’s husband. He is the only one who sees
Emma’s flaws and shortcomings. Not only is he aware of these
imperfections, he is always sure to point out to Emma when
she is wrong. He acts as her compass, always guiding her in
the right direction and bringing her back to reality. Because
of this, he is the greatest friend that Emma has even if she
does not always see it that way.
Harriet Smith:
- A sweet, yet plain girl who lives at a nearby boarding
school. She clearly has a bit of hero worship when it comes
to Emma. In Harriet’s eyes, her friend can do no wrong. Emma
is the most beautiful, intelligent, and elegant woman Harriet
knows. She believes herself blessed to have Emma in her life
and wouldn’t know how to live her own life without Emma as a
guide. This leads Harriet down the wrong path several times,
especially when it comes to love.
Frank Churchill:
- The son of Mr. Weston, another family friend of the
Woodhouses. He proves himself to be a little shady in his
anxiousness to ensure his claim to the estate of his adopted
father, Mr. Churchill. He plays the role of charm and
elegance when on the social scene in the community. He
especially uses Emma for his own gain when feigning romantic
interest in her. In reality, he is secretly engaged to Jane
Fairfax.
Jane Fairfax:
- The elegant and virtually flawless young woman who is the
niece of one of the townspeople. She serves as a foil to
Emma. Basically, Jane possesses every one of Emma’s graces
without the few character flaws evident in Emma’s personality.
As mentioned above, Emma is loved by all – she is the pretty,
elegant, graceful young woman in the community that brings
everyone together socially. The beginning of the novel finds
Emma elated over a successful match she credits herself with.
Her governess, Miss Taylor, has just married their neighbor, Mr.
Weston. Emma has resolved herself to stay single forever and so
she gets her kicks thinking that she is the perfect matchmaker.
She takes Miss Taylor’s marriage as proof that she must continue
in this vein.
Emma’s next project becomes her dear friend Harriet. Harriet is
the sweet girl-next-door type who is a bit inexperienced when it
comes to the upper-middle class world social visits and grand
balls. Emma takes her on as a protégé and tries to mold her into
a suitable bride for the man she deems acceptable. To Harriet,
Emma’s opinion is as good as fact. Harriet adores Emma and
follows her blindly (even when Emma decides that Robert Martin,
the man Harriet has a crush on, is not good enough for her). This
relationship only serves to encourage Emma’s high opinion of
herself. Harriet fuels Emma’s confidence in her own intelligence
and wit. (Don’t get me wrong. Emma is incredibly lovable. She is
so well-intentioned that it is hard to resent her over-
confidence.)
Emma lives with her widowed father who completely adores her. She
is the sweetheart of the town. The other families in the book,
Emma’s own family, Harriet and Miss Taylor all think she is
totally and completely wonderful. Her only reality check lies in
the character of Mr. Knightley. He often comes to visit Emma and
her father. He not only engages Mr. Woodhouse in conversation,
but visits with Emma as well. He always manages to see through
Emma’s latest scheme and isn’t afraid to tell her so. Even with
all her confidence and encouragement from others, no one’s
opinion seems to affect Emma the way that Mr. Knightley’s does.
Of course, no one knows Emma as well as Mr. Knighltey. As
predicted, Emma fails miserably at her matchmaking game. Her
first target for Harriet is Mr. Elton, a clergyman in the
community. What Emma doesn’t know is that Mr. Elton plans to
elevate his own social status by marrying a woman with an
appropriate dowry. Emma continues to invent situations in which
Mr. Elton must interact with Emma and Harriet. She is thrilled by
his interest in spending time with them. What she doesn’t realize
is that Mr. Elton interprets all of Emma’s efforts to mean that
Emma is interested in him. This ends disastrously with Mr. Elton
proposing to an outraged Emma and Harriet having her heart broken.
Meanwhile, all of Highsbury is in a tizzy because Mr. Weston’s
son, Frank Churchill comes to visit. The entire town has
speculated about Frank for so long that they can’t get enough of
him when he arrives. This leads to a series of grand balls and
social visits. Emma at first fancies a match between Frank and
herself – wouldn’t it be great to be related to Miss Talyor?
However, with time this attraction fades and Emma begins to
fantasize about Frank and Harriet. Harriet throws Emma for a loop
when she says that she is interested in someone much superior to
Frank. Emma knows that the only man that could possibly fit this
description is Mr. Knightley. It is not until Harriet reveals her
“love” for Knightley that Emma realizes that she loves him
herself.
We are also introduced to Jane Fairfax. She is visiting her aunt
in town. Jane is an accomplished musician, elegant, beautiful –
basically she is a more perfect version of Emma. Rather than
admitting she is jealous of Jane’s perfection, Emma decides that
she doesn’t get along with Jane because Jane is just too reserved.
Alongside Emma’s own drama in the love department is the
unfolding of Frank Churchill’s story. Frank is Mr. Weston’s son,
but was adopted by his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Churchill,
after Mr. Weston’s first wife died. He knows his aunt and uncle
will not approve of his life choices and is afraid that they will
disown him if his actions are not in alignment with their wishes.
Frank feels he is not free to express his own will until after he
inherits property from the Churchills.
Once Frank is “freed” he writes to his father and announces that
he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax. Austen purposefully
distracts her audience with the possibility of matches between
Frank and Emma or Harriet and excludes the reader from any
interactions between Frank and Jane.
This surprise engagement along with the revelation that Emma is
in love with Knightly are the famous plot twists that Rowling
loves so much. Perhaps the revelation of Tonks and Lupin’s
relationship is Rowling’s nod to her favorite author of all time?
Now that I have filled you in on the story of Jane Austen’s Emma,
we are almost ready to answer the original question. Who is
Rowling’s Emma?
| To Be Continued... |
| The Players |
| Plot Summary |
Updated!
| * * * |