As Chapter XV in Volume II of Emma begins, it shows the general population of Highbury saying nice things -- passing along positive comments -- about the new addition to their neighborhood, "Mrs. Elton." Emma will only continue "her first contribution" and talk "with a good grace of her being 'very pleasant and very elegantly dressed.'"
Emma notices, soon, that Mrs. Elton's manner toward herself changes, becomes less friendly and more reserved. And both the Eltons start being obnoxious to Harriet.
(Isn't that typical? Haven't we all observed like behavior, two centuries later [lol - "progress"!])
In her description author Jane Austen applies the "going up -- going down" metaphor which we've seen her use before... lifting--lowering; raising--sinking:
------------------------ [excerpt from the novel] -------------- In one respect Mrs. Elton grew even worse than she had appeared at first. Her feelings altered towards Emma. -- Offended, probably, by the little encouragement which her proposals of intimacy met with, she drew back in her turn and gradually became much more cold and distant; and though the effect was agreeable, the ill-will which produced it was necessarily increasing Emma's dislike.
Her manners, too -- and Mr. Elton's, were unpleasant towards Harriet. They were sneering and negligent. Emma hoped it must rapidly work Harriet's cure; but the sensations which could prompt such behaviour sunk them both very much. ------------------ [end, excerpt]
And cannot everyone also relate to the feeling: sometimes when someone starts acting snotty, you can kind of have a sense of where it's coming from -- like, "Ah, he's been talking to so-and-so," or "Yes, she must have gotten that idea from her husband -- a little pillow talk, drawing closer to each other in their relationship by making someone else the 'common enemy' -- 'the one we'll look down on -- for today, anyway' ...awful people, lol" (It "sinks" them...)
------------------- [novel] ----------------- They were sneering and negligent. Emma hoped it must rapidly work Harriet's cure; but the sensations which could prompt such behaviour sunk them both very much. -- It was not to be doubted that poor Harriet's attachment had been an offering to conjugal unreserve, and her own share in the story, under a colouring the least favourable to her and the most soothing to him, had in all likelihood been given also.
She was, of course, the object of their joint dislike. -- When they had nothing else to say, it must be always easy to begin abusing Miss Woodhouse; and the enmity which they dared not shew in open disrespect to her, found a broader vent in contemptuous treatment of Harriet. --------------------- [end, novel excerpt]
Several kinds, and levels, of "stuff" going on, in this chapter of Emma, with layers of reasons, or causes.
Mrs. Elton was so forward, at first, Emma drew back so then Mrs. Elton becomes a little huffy -- "cold and distant." And then the author tells us, the manners of both Mrs. Elton and Mr. Elton become "unpleasant" towards Harriet.
So we know -- Mrs. Elton pulls back in friendship efforts with Emma, because Emma gave her the chill cool breeze in attitude, but Harriet did not give coolness, she was very open-hearted and polite and respectful to the Eltons when she visited along with Emma, so why are they picking on her? -- right?
Well, three reasons:
1. The pillow-talk -- what the author calls "conjugal unreserve" (now we're married, we can talk about all kinds of stuff, including putting down some of our neighbors to try to convince ourselves of our superiority...)
"It was not to be doubted that poor Harriet's attachment [to Mr. Elton] had been an offering to conjugal unreserve, and her own [Emma's] share in the story, [the story of -- Harriet liked Mr. Elton, and Mr. Elton liked Emma, while Emma had been trying to set the other two up with each other] under a colouring
the least favourable to her and the most soothing to him,
had in all likelihood been given also...." [Mr. Elton's evidently been "spinning" the story to favor himself -- back in Austen's time, the term "spin" wasn't used like it is today -- "colouring" is how she describes it, same thing.]
2. The Eltons take a socially snooty attitude toward Harriet because they'd like to be that way to Emma, but cannot due to Emma's place in the community -- "Highbury...afforded her [Emma] no equals. The Woodhouses were first in consequence there. All looked up to them." And so -- "...the enmity which they dared not shew in open disrespect to her [Emma], found a broader vent in contemptuous treatment of Harriet."
And 3. The Eltons' personalities and their values sort of show us that they are the type of people who might very well run out of topics for conversation after they are done complimenting themselves and each other. ...They probably like to join together to put down other people to make themselves temporarily feel "better."
As part of these kinds of conversations with his new wife, an added psychological benefit for Mr. Elton is that he can work off, and displace, his hurt pride and irritation over Emma having tried to set him up with Harriet while all along he had assumed Emma to be flirting with him. To his new wife, Mr. Elton can recount it "under a colouring the least favourable to [Emma] and the most soothing to him...."
----------------------- [excerpt] ---------------- [Emma] was, of course, the object of their joint dislike. -- When they had nothing else to say, it must be always easy to begin abusing Miss Woodhouse; and the enmity which they dared not shew in open disrespect to her, found a broader vent in contemptuous treatment of Harriet. -------------------
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I have one more Van Morrison song I must Recommend -- the artistry of Van the Man cannot be contained in just one week...
On Google, type in
van morrison, the last waltz, caravan
and play / listen / watch.
The song "Caravan" is also on Van Morrison's 1970 Moondance album, which I've been listening to a lot, lately.
The album version is excellent -- (that whole album, Wow). But Morrison's live performance of "Caravan" (indicated above) with The Band during a 1976 concert in San Francisco is a rock-and-roll tour de force. Powerful fun, and a lift for the spirit...
...Turn up your radio
And let me hear the song
Switch on your electric light
Then we can get down to what is really wrong...
Rock out...
-30-
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