Often “classic” novels are avoided by young people because they are "old and boring." Teens and twenty-somethings think that these old books aren't relatable and offer no excitement. As an avid reader of the classics, I’d like to argue that this is not true! Particularly, I’d like to recommend one novel that is just as exciting and dramatic as any modern book. "Emma" by Jane Austen is the story of a strong young woman involved in a messy love triangle in early 19th century England. The main character, Emma Woodhouse, is a 21-year-old woman who lives alone with her father. Emma’s mother passed away when she was very young, and her sister married and moved to London with her husband. As her father is old and somewhat sickly, she is accustomed to being the “head of the household.” What her father lacks in health, he makes up in wealth. It's safe to say that the Woodhouses are at the top of the social ladder. Emma is a little spoiled, and tends to get her way of things. Not only is Emma rich, but she is very smart, witty, outspoken, and friendly. As a result, she is esteemed highly in the society of her small town, Highbury.
The story begins when Emma’s governess and best friend, Miss Taylor, marries Mr. Weston, a match Emma made herself. (She considers herself to be quite the matchmaker and enjoys playing in other people's love lives.) After the marriage of Miss Taylor, Emma is left alone in her home, Hartfield, with her father, so she seeks the company of a new young lady by the name of Harriet Smith. Although Emma is Harriets superior in social class as well as age, Emma plans to nurture and refine Harriet to make her more of a "lady," in order to set her up with a suitable husband. Harriet’s redeeming qualities are her beauty and kindness. She receives a marriage proposal from a Mr. Robert Martin, but Emma has other plans to groom Harriet for a richer, higher society man, Mr. Elton. Emma, Harriet, Robert Martin, and Mr. Elton are four of the components of what I like to call a messy love triangle, which is more of a love octagon. The other half includes Miss Jane Fairfax, another young woman equal to Emma in age who is staying in Highbury with her aunts and great aunt, Mr. Frank Churchill, the son of Mr. Weston who lives with his aunt in another town due to certain circumstances, Mr. Knightley, a dear friend of the Woodhouses, and Miss Augusta Hawkins, a young lady from a nearby town.
It seems that in the time of this novel, it was every young person’s ultimate goal to get married, but just marrying wasn’t enough. Everyone wanted to “marry up,” whether that meant marrying someone much richer, in a higher social class, etc. Everyone that is, besides Emma. She is of the conviction that she will never marry. After all, she is already the head of her own home. The Woodhouses are richer and higher in society than anyone else in Highbury (besides maybe the Knightleys). Emma is determined to remain independent and rule her own household, as well as keep her dad company for the rest of his life. However, as mentioned earlier, Emma does like to play matchmaker. Which is why she convinces Harriet to deny Mr. Martin’s marriage proposal, as Emma does not believe he is good enough for Harriet. Instead, Emma continues trying to set up Harriet with Mr. Elton. Just when Emma is thoroughly convinced of Mr. Elton’s attachment to Harriet, he confesses his love to Emma. Of course, Emma refuses, and is forced to break the news to a despairing Harriet. Mr. Elton suddenly leaves Highbury and returns just a few weeks later with a fiancée, Miss Hawkins. She turns out to be a snotty, condescending woman, who is not fond of Emma and Harriet for obvious reasons. With two members of the love octagon out, we are left with a hexagon: Emma, Harriet, Jane Fairfax, Mr. Martin, Frank Churchill, and Mr. Knightley.
When Emma first meets Frank Churchill, she finds him handsome and flirtatious. They hit it off right away, and Emma even thinks about reconsidering her resolve never to marry. Mrs. Weston likes to play matchmaker as much as Emma (well, as much as Emma did before she messed up with Harriet and Mr. Elton). Mrs. Weston thinks Emma and Frank would be the perfect pair. She also has some thoughts on Mr. Knightley and Jane; she is convinced Mr. Knightley is in love with Jane, who is the picture of beauty, elegance, and musical talent (which was a much admired talent at the time). However, for all of her attributes, her downfall is her reserve and unfriendliness. Meanwhile, Harriet has refocused her love interests after the sneering looks she is constantly under from the Eltons. An act of kindness from Mr. Knightley towards Harriet transforms him into a shiny object of interest in her eyes.
Not only is Emma a great role model and relatable character, but her story is full of drama and romance. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I will say, a few twists at the end make for a very surprising ending! However, throughout the story, Emma holds true to her own virtues. She always looks out for those that she loves. Although she may be a bit spoiled and a little too outspoken, she is always honest and kindhearted. It’s hard to find a strong female character like her in even more modern books, and even harder to find another messy love web like in Emma. Emma is written with taste and class. It’s a classic for a reason; it’s a legitimately good story, and definitely not just a boring old book. So, don’t be afraid to give those old books a chance. They may be more exciting than you think!
