Dorothy,
Thank you for your well-considered response!
It's a very interesting social history question as to whether gentlemanly
enthusiasm for hunting was beginning to wane by the time JA wrote Emma. I
don't have time to research that question today, but maybe Nancy will
already have some insight into it?
I will confess that I was being sly in the way I posed my question ¨C¨C in my
reference to hunting NONHUMAN animals. It is my belief that in Emma, Jane
Austen covertly depicted the metaphorical hunt for HUMAN animals, and
hinted at this theme via (who else?) Shakespeare.
Here are the passages in Emma that illustrate this theme, can you tell
which Shakespeare plays I'm talking about?:
Ch. 5:
[Knightley]: ¡°¡I do not pretend to Emma¡¯s genius for *foretelling* and
guessing. I hope, with all my *heart*, the young man may be a Weston in
merit, and a Churchill in fortune.¡ªBut Harriet Smith¡ªI have not half done
about Harriet Smith. I think her the very worst sort of companion that Emma
could possibly have. She knows nothing herself, and looks upon Emma as
knowing every thing. She is a flatterer in all her ways; and so much the
worse, because undesigned. Her ignorance is hourly flattery. How can Emma
imagine she has any thing to learn herself, while Harriet is presenting
such a delightful inferiority? And as for Harriet, I will venture to say
that *she* cannot gain by the acquaintance. *Hartfield* will only put her
out of conceit with all the other places she belongs to.¡¡±
Ch. 9:
[Emma]: ¡°¡You and Mr. Elton are by situation called together; you belong to
one another by every circumstance of your respective homes. Your marrying
will be equal to the match at Randalls. There does seem to be *a something
in the air of Hartfield* which gives love exactly the right direction, and
sends it into the very channel where it ought to flow.
The *course *of true love never did run smooth¡ª
A *Hartfield edition of Shakespeare* would have a long note on that
±è²¹²õ²õ²¹²µ±ð.¡±
Ch. 23:
Small *heart* had Harriet for visiting. Only half an hour before her friend
called for her at Mrs. Goddard¡¯s, *her* *evil stars* had led her to the
very spot where, at that moment, a trunk, directed to The Rev. Philip
Elton, White-*Hart*, Bath, was to be seen under the operation of being
lifted into the *butcher¡¯s* cart, which was to convey it to where the
coaches past; and every thing in this world, excepting that trunk and the
direction, was consequently a blank.
¡.
¡°Will Mr. Frank Churchill pass through Bath as well as Oxford?¡±¡ªwas a
question, however, *which did not augur much.*
Ch. 26:
While waiting till the other young people could pair themselves off, Emma
found time, in spite of the compliments she was receiving on her voice and
her taste, to look about, and see what became of Mr. Knightley. This would
be a trial. He was no dancer in general. If he were to be very alert in
engaging Jane Fairfax now, *it might augur something*. There was no
immediate appearance. No; he was talking to Mrs. Cole¡ªhe was looking on
unconcerned; Jane was asked by somebody else, and he was still talking to
Mrs. Cole.
Ch. 47:
Why was the evil so dreadfully increased by Harriet¡¯s having some hope of a
return? *It darted through her, with the speed of an arrow*, that Mr.
Knightley must marry no one but herself!
Ch. 49:
She felt for Harriet, with pain and with contrition; but no flight of
generosity run mad, opposing all that could be probable or reasonable,
entered her brain. She had led her friend astray, and it would be a
reproach to her for ever; but her judgment was as strong as her feelings,
and as strong as it had ever been before, in reprobating any such alliance
for him, as most unequal and degrading. Her way was clear, though not quite
*smooth*.¡ªShe spoke then, on being so entreated.¡ªWhat did she say?¡ªJust
what she ought, of course. A lady always does.¡ªShe said enough to shew
there need not be despair¡ªand to invite him to say more himself. He
*had* despaired
at one period; he had received such an injunction to caution and silence,
as for the time crushed every hope;¡ªshe had begun by refusing to hear
him.¡ªThe change had perhaps been somewhat sudden;¡ªher proposal of taking
another turn, her renewing the conversation which she had just put an end
to, might be a little extraordinary!¡ªShe felt its inconsistency; but Mr.
Knightley was so obliging as to put up with it, and seek no farther
explanation.
Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure;
seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little
mistaken; but where, as in this case, though the conduct is mistaken, the
feelings are not, it may not be very material.¡ªMr. Knightley could not
impute to Emma a more relenting *heart* than she possessed, or a *heart *more
disposed to accept of his.
Cheers,
ARNIE
On Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 8:59?AM Dorothy Gannon via groups.io
<dorothy.gannon@...> wrote:
I believe you¡¯re right, Arnie. There is also, in Emma, no mention of
grounds, coverts, etc., in which the landowner might hunt or shoot game.
We¡¯re given descriptions of other aspects of the property of the two main
landowners ¨C the Knightly and Woodhouse estates. Gardens, gravel walks,
strawberry beds, and avenues of trees meant for strolling or admiring the
view. Mr Martin¡¯s farm has a summer house. Again, all of these civilized
pursuits. Also, from what we¡¯re told, landowners have flocks of turkeys,
pigs, etc., which supply them their meats.
Mrs Collins has cows and poultry ¨C though Mrs Norris has none ¨C she's
probably spunging off Mansfield, whose poultry yard and dairy maid she
intends to use to hatch the four pheasants¡¯ eggs she¡¯s given by Sotherton¡¯s
housekeeper.
Was this perhaps a sign of the times? The more modern gentleman and
landowner, who need not go out and shoot a brace of partridge to supply his
kitchen?
Dorothy
Arnie wrote:
ME, EARLIER: "Tell me if I'm wrong, but it occurred to me this morning
that *Emma* is the one of the six completed novels which has no character
who hunts nonhuman animals. Have I missed something?"
ELLEN'S REPLY: "Do all six novels have hunting scenes? Or shooting birds?
S&S we are told of this; MP, Persuasion they go shooting. Henry Tilley has
hunting guns in his room but in the novel does he hunt or shoot?. That
leaves P&P where men go fishing. I don¡¯t remember any hunting, shooting or
fishing in P&P"
Ellen, I didn't say that the other 5 novels besides* Emma* have hunting
scenes, only that the other 5 novels have characters who hunt nonhuman
animals.
NA: Henry Tilney has hunting dogs, and John Thorpe shoots.
S&S: Willoughby hunts.
P&P: Bingley shoots birds and Darcy & Mr. Gardener fish for trout.
MP: Henry Crawford is a hunter with dogs.
Persuasion: Wentworth and Charles shoot together.
It's very interesting, therefore, that* Emma* does not include any
indication of hunting of nonhuman animals.
Arnie Perlstein