Jane Austen's novel Emma is about people and what they want, and what they think they want and what they imagine they possibly could or should want. Marriage, as a societal institution, is the "mirror" each character stands in front of, to "see," and show, who they are.
In Volume I of Emma, Mr. Elton assumes (or hopes?) that Emma's attentions are for him, straight up -- he does not see the machinations, the schemes and hints, which Emma has put into motion to lure him to be in love with -- Harriet, not herself.
Mr. Elton sees Emma as an excellent opportunity. He does not see her as a politely civil, dignified neighbor who is "out of his reach" socially -- and he does not substantively "see" Harriet at all.
Part of the reason for this is that he is regarding Emma, and seeing what he wants to see.
Rereading Emma, and -- curiously -- the #MeToo movement currently in the news, caused me to recall a crazy scene in the Woody Allen movie, Play It Again Sam: the main character, Allan Felix, has been left by his wife and he feels very insecure and unconfident about beginning to date again.
His friends, married couple Dick and Linda Christie, try to help him get back into dating. Linda tells Allan there's a single woman in her therapy group whom he could meet.
Linda says, "It'll strictly be sex. She's too weird for a relationship."
ALLAN: I don't mind just sex....
----------------- On the date, Allan is sitting on a sofa; the girl, whose name is Jennifer, is sitting next to him, being very alluring. The lights are low.
JENNIFER:
Allan, I won't deny it. I'm a nymphomaniac. I discovered sex very early. I slept with everybody. My schoolteacher, my sister's husband, the string section of the New York Philharmonic.
I want to have sex all the time, play all the time -- otherwise you're just down, and why be down? The best way to get up is sex.
I'm not like most women. They're so inhibited, they never want to do anything. I believe in having sex as often, as freely, and as intensely as possible.
[Allan sort of lunges / pounces, to take her in his arms.]
JENNIFER (resisting him, indignantly)
What do you take me for?!
CUT to: EXT. Night
Allan is going down the steps from Jennifer's apartment, to the street.
ALLAN:
How did I misread those signs?
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"Jennifer" is apparently a poseur (I love the French version of the word poser) -- a person who likes to weave stories about herself and strike poses: I'm this; I'm that; I'm sexy.
She is unprepared to put her story into actual action.
Having sex is not her main activity; telling stories about herself is her main activity. (When you think about it, all the stuff she has told about herself in the Group Therapy sessions is probably a series of untrue stories, as well. For her, group therapy would function as an audience... back when this movie was made, they hadn't invented "reality shows" yet.)
(..."How did I misread those signs?" LOL)
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Woody Allen has made a movie per year for decades. All of his movies are worth watching or studying: however, if you were being sent away to a desert island forever and they would only let you take three Woody Allen movies on DVD with you, the ones you should bring are
Play It Again Sam,
Annie Hall,
and
Manhattan.
Jane Austen wrote six novels: if you were being sent to the desert island and you were only allowed to bring with you two of her books, I would recommend you pack
Pride And Prejudice
and
Emma.
Rolling Stones albums for Desert Island:
Let It Bleed
Exile On Main Street
Sticky Fingers
and
Beggars Banquet.
Bob Dylan albums / Desert Island:
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde On Blonde
Bringing It All Back Home
Blood On The Tracks
__________________________________
(Where is this desert island? Right? It's sounding better and better...)
-30-
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