On Emma's Growth From Callowness To Maturity

As one of the greatest realistic novels in the world and her distinctand best novel, Jane Austen's Emma is about the heroine's painful processof removing illusion onto moral and emotional maturity and gainingself-recognition out of the errors. Her personality is constantly developingand becoming mature. The use of psychological theory in this thesis toexplore the theme of Emma's growth in Emma results not only in a newunderstanding of Emma, but also in a greater appreciation of Austen'sgenius in characterization.This thesis consists of three chapters. The first chapter shows that asa novel depicting character's growth, the growing world of the heroineEmma is based on Austen's own life experience. Austen's family life andsocial world have been reflected and mirrored in the heroine Emma'sgrowing process. The second chapter analyzes that Emma's growth is hergrowing process in psychological, religious and social aspects. After aseries of blow to her narcissism and perfectionism, she grows graduallyand comes into self-realization. Emma's Christian cycle of sin,repentance, redemption and regeneration indicates her growth in religiousconsciousness. Marriage has been the fusion between personal and sociallife. In the beginning, Emma refuses the marriage and regards it as athreat to her personal life. Her gradually accepting marriage and herwomanhood indicates her growth in social aspect. The third chapter points out that in the novel, Austen combines actions with realisticcharacterization and serious moral concerns to depict the process ofEmma's growth vividly. Emma's growth in ttree aspect prompts hermoral growth. On her journey to maturity, She errs as a result of hercallowness, suffers as a result of her errors, grows morally as a result ofher sufferings and achieves happiness as a result of her moral growth.When Emma actually sees her mistakes and the harm they have causedothers as well as herself, she finally realizes her errors and begins to comeinto maturity. Her true maturity is the moral regeneration after undergoingher moral growth. Aftar a painful introspection of her snobbery and vanity,finally, her moral value comes into regeneration.The thesis explores the contradication between woman role imposedby the society and personal aspiration to social influence during Emma'sgrowing process, and points out that we should learn how to beself-positioned and socially-positioned, as we work to move towardself-recognition and meet the same dilemma of Emma on her road tomaturity. Emma's awakening and self-promoting impetus on her road tomaturity illuminates us that one who wants to achieve true maturity mustlearn enough to improve while undergoing growth of self.