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Article: Jane Austen and the pleasure-principle. (Conference Papers).
- Article from:
- Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Jane Austen Society of North America. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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MY POINT OF DEPARTURE IS the scene near the start of Emma in which Mr. Knightley and Mrs. Weston discuss Emma's new intimacy with the orphan Harriet Smith. Mr. Knightley is strongly opposed to this relationship; he fears Harriet's ignorance, lowly status, and abject dependence on Emma is "'doing them both harm"' (89). However, Mrs. Weston points out that opposing Emma's new choice of a companion is futile:
"Pray excuse me; but supposing that any little inconvenience may be apprehended from the intimacy, it cannot be expected that Emma, accountable to nobody but her father, who perfectly approves the acquaintance, should put an end to it, so long as it is a source ...