Period Drama Heroines #9: Emma Woodhouse

"People--their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations--there I am the expert."

~Emma Woodhouse, Emma (2009)

Emma is fascinating. As we all know, Jane Austen wrote of Emma, "I have created a heroine whom nobody but myself will much like." Far be it from me to dare to differ with Jane Austen, but... how could you help liking Emma?

The best word to describe Emma Woodhouse's personality would be vivacious. Emma is brimming with fun and lightheartedness,

bubbly mirth and optimism. She's sweet, entertaining, and delightfully, humorously meddlesome.

But Emma is not without her faults. In fact, Emma's entire story is about the development of her character. It's the only one of Jane Austen's novels to feature a character's name as its title--and that's not a mistake. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion are all about those traits and how they're exemplified in the books' characters. Mansfield Park is about a specific place, a girl who grew up in that place and how it influenced her life. (Northanger Abbey is a little different. Maybe I'll write about Northanger Abbey in a later post. That is, if I can write a sensible post without gushing like a fan-girl over Henry Tilney.)

Romola Garai as Emma (2009)

Emma is, in short, about Emma. The book begins by telling us about Emma Woodhouse, who is handsome, clever and rich, and who has thus far gone through life with very little to distress or vex her. Jane Austen didn't waste any time in getting to the point about her heroine (unlike Leo Tolstoy, who allegedly didn't introduce the heroine into Anna Karenina until the thirtieth chapter). Emma is the focus of the story, and around Emma the first sentence revolves.

Back to what I was saying: Emma isn't perfect. From the very beginning, she shows herself to be thoughtless and even a little condescending in her treatment of her friends. She believes herself to know exactly what is best for everyone. In fact, she believes that she can find the perfect match for each one of her friends. I love the scene in the 2009 movie in which Emma's sister and Mr. Knightley's brother are getting married. (Emma, incidentally, predicted their marriage.) Mr. Knightley leans over the back of the pew and whispers to Emma, "Lucky guess." Emma raises an eyebrow and replies, "Nothing lucky about it. Just talent... and intuition."

Romola Garai as Emma (2009)

Emma definitely has a slight superiority complex, but she is genuinely interested in the well-being of her friends. She truly wants Harriet Smith to find a good match. When she advises Harriet against marrying Robert Martin because he isn't rich, she is displaying snobbishness, but she's also acting in what she thought were Harriet's best interests.

Louise Dylan and Romola Garai as Emma and Harriet Smith (2009)

"Well, look here. 'The wealth and pomp of kings.' Kings. What does that suggest?... Perhaps court. And 'the monarch of the seas.' Seas? Maybe a ship." (Emma, 2009)

Unfortunately, she carries all this a bit too far. "One day," Mr. Knightley reproves, "you will bitterly regret your meddling." But as yet, Emma doesn't regret her meddling. She greatly enjoys planning matches and getting involved in everything. I have to take a moment here to rave about Jane Austen's brilliance. Just listen to this passage from chapter nine. "She was sorry, but could not repent. On the contrary, her plans and proceedings were more and more justified, and endeared to her by the general appearances of the next few days." Does that not hit the nail of human nature on the head?

Gwyneth Paltrow and Toni Colette as Emma and Harriet (1996)

Emma's penchant for wit and humor endear her to many (including the reader) but, again, sometimes she carries it too far. At the Box Hill excursion, she thoughtlessly insults Miss Bates through trying to be funny. Cue the Mr. Knightley lecture. (Go, Mr. Knightley!) Emma doesn't stop to think about Miss Bates' feelings because Miss Bates doesn't fit into her little circle of friends. She isn't young or pretty or brilliant enough to meet with Emma's complete approval.

However, lest you think that I'm coming down too hard on Emma (I'm not, really I'm not! I'm just seeing a lot of myself in her), she is not unwilling to admit her faults once she finally realizes them. And it takes Mr. Knightley's rebuke to wake her up. "What have I done?" When she understands the full impact that her unkind words had on Miss Bates, she does everything she can to make amends.

The lovely Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma (1996)

Emma doesn't realize that she's in love with Mr. Knightley until she realizes how much she doesn't deserve his love--as one of my friends pointed out, it's actually a parallel of our relationship with Christ. Once she finally comes to grips with her feelings, the meddlesome part of her personality begins to fade away. Mr. Knightley, the true hero of the novel, is the one who brings about Emma's change. His proposal to Emma, beautifully acted in the 2009 miniseries, is followed by Emma's best line in the whole movie. "I find I... do not know what to think." For once the verbose, witty and always-correct Miss Woodhouse is completely at a loss for thoughts as well as words.

The just-as-lovely Romola Garai as Emma (2009)

But they don't live happily ever after quite yet. There is still the question of what will become of Mr. Woodhouse. Cue my second favorite Emma line in the 2009 movie: "You know I love you, and I always will. But we can never marry. That's all." Here is Emma's selflessness finally brought to light. It was hidden a little too long, but now each one of us can see it and admire her for it. She's willing to give up happiness with Mr. Knightley for the sake of her father--to paraphrase Mr. Knightley: "Well done, Emma."

(See the clip below for Emma's Selfless Scene--don't you just love the little hand-holding thing at the end? Have I mentioned how much I love Mr. Knightley?)

And that's my analysis of Emma Woodhouse. She's vivacious, she's funny, she's hasty, she's conceited, she's sweet, she's meddlesome, she's repentant, she's loving, she's delightful.

She's Emma.

Quote Of The Week 2

"I'm not saying she was very silly. But one of us was silly, and it wasn't me."

~Squire Hamley, Wives and Daughters (1999)

Period Drama Heroines #10: Jo March

"I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end." ~Josephine March, Little Women

I'm starting at the bottom with my list of period drama heroines, and so Jo March will begin this series.

I love Jo, don't get me wrong. She isn't at the bottom because I don't like her; she's at the bottom because there are so many others that I like even more. Clear? Okay,

good. Somebody had to be at the bottom, and Jo usually gets left behind anyway, so she's used to it. "Well, of course Aunt March prefers Amy over me. Why shouldn't she? I'm ugly and awkward and I always say the wrong things. I fly around throwing away perfectly good marriage proposals." (Little Women, 1994)

Louisa May Alcott created Jo (partly from her own memories of herself as a girl) in 1868, and since then Jo has been loved by readers all across the world. Oddly enough, she's not a model heroine--Alcott spends more time discussing Jo's faults than extolling her virtues. "A quick temper, sharp tongue, and restless spirit were always getting her into scrapes, and her life was a series of ups and downs, which were both comic and pathetic." For a mid-Victorian novel written for girls, such a heroine was not the fashion. Girls' books of that day tended towards pale, beautiful maidens who fainted on couches and spent their time being rescued by dashing heroes or dazzling their friends at balls. But not Jo. "I hate to think that I've got to grow up, and be Miss March, and wear long gowns, and look prim as a China aster!" she complains.

Jo isn't a wishy-washy heroine. She's different. She's fiercely loyal, wonderfully clever, unashamedly frugal, happily imaginative, protective of her sisters while longing to be by herself, and she writes compulsively. (My kind of girl.) Her sister Beth says, "You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone."

June Allyson as Jo in Little Women (1949)

Of the four close-knit March sisters, it is Jo who is destined for greatness. When the girls discuss their castles in the air, Jo envisions a stable full of Arabian steeds, a library of books, a magic inkstand that never runs out and the satisfaction of having done some great deed for the good of humanity. "I think I shall write books and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream."

Despite her dreams of wealth and fame, Jo is anything but mercenary. She writes stories to help support her family, not because she covets filthy lucre. Her generous spirit is always on the lookout for someone to help. "If lack of attention to personal finances is a mark of refinement," she announces in the 1994 movie, "then I say the Marches must be the most elegant family in Concord!" When Marmee needs money to travel to Washington and nurse Father, Jo unhesitatingly sells her hair--her "one beauty"--rather than beg from Aunt March. Later Meg finds her crying over the loss of her hair, but she assures Meg that she isn't sorry: "I'd do it again tomorrow, if I could."

Another of Jo's attributes is her open frankness and honesty. This wasn't exactly an admirable trait for a young lady in those days, but Jo blithely ignored convention and said what she wanted to say. The 1994 movie adaptation (which IMHO is the best so far, though a truly faithful movie has yet to be made) portrays Jo as a "strong-minded woman" with decided feminist tendencies. Though I don't completely agree with this version of her, she had a few good things to say. "I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country." Some parts of this movie were blatantly feminist and rather out of character at times, but this quote from Jo sounds like something she might say.

Katharine Hepburn as Jo in Little Women (1933)

Of course, Jo's most oft-used expression is her trademark, "Christopher Columbus!" anytime something surprises her. This, too, was not particularly becoming for a proper young lady. Nor was her "bad trick of standing before the fire, so [she] burns [her] frocks." Nor was her love of the outdoors, her liking for boyish games, and her scorn of frills and fine feathers. Jo is a hard worker and doesn't mind doing menial tasks--in fact, she says it frees her mind. In her poem A Song from the Suds, she says, "I am glad a task to me is given/ To labor at day by day;/ For it brings me health and strength and hope/ And I cheerfully learn to say,/ "Head, you may think; Heart, you may feel,/ But Hand, you shall work alway!"

Though this isn't mentioned in the book or any of the movies, I imagine that Jo's refusal of Laurie's proposal made a few neighbors' tongues click with disapproval. Laurie was young, rich, handsome, charismatic, and head-over-heels in love with Jo (or so he thought). He could offer her everything she'd ever wanted, and the match seemed meant to be. "Everybody expected it." But Jo knew that she and Laurie weren't compatible, and in the end she married the wonderful Professor Bhaer.

Winona Ryder and Christian Bale as Jo March and Laurie Laurence

Jo knows right from wrong--and she's not afraid to follow her conscience instead of following the crowd. While in New York, writing for sensational newspapers, she tries to ignore the doubt that creeps into her mind despite the happiness of sending money home. Is she really doing the right thing? Professor Bhaer is the one who brings her to her senses, and as she burns the trashy stories, she laments to herself, "If I didn't care about doing right and didn't feel uncomfortable doing wrong, I should get on capitally." But there's the rub-- Jo does indeed care about doing right.

Winona Ryder as Jo in Little Women (1994)

So that's "my Jo," in a nutshell. Or, at least, that would be Jo in a nutshell if it were proper for young ladies to crack nuts. Which it was not in Jo's times, but Jo cracked and ate nuts anyway.

Because that's just the way she is.

Period Drama Heroines Series

Announcing... Miss Dashwood's Period Drama Heroines series. I love writing about my favorite characters in period drama, so this shall be a fun opportunity.

I have seen quite a few lists of "top ten heroines", but a mere list isn't enough for me. I need to devote a whole series to my favorite period drama girls; a few sentences summarizing each just doesn't cut it. I'm too fond of words for that. :) You can expect to see film stills, quotes, a lot of text written by yours truly, and perhaps a movie clip showing Such-and-Such Heroine At Her Best.

Later, I also plan to write a series on period drama heroes. That list wasn't too hard to compile--there are nine heroes that I admire very much, and after a little thinking I came up with a tenth one. :P Just to make it all even, you know.

So my series will begin on Tuesday and will have cover ten heroines from period drama. On the left, you can see which ten heroines will be included. However, I'm not going to tell you where these girls fall on the list--that will be for you to find out. (Feel free to guess, however.)

New Background

This blog has been in existence for one week, and I've already changed the background. :) Don't worry, I don't plan on changing it every week, but I wasn't pleased with the first one. It was too difficult to read the text on the side column, so I changed it to a more neutral background with lighter colors. Do you like this better, or is it still not quite right?

The Very Best of Period Drama Weddings

I love weddings. I think most girls my age do, and if you're a period drama nut like I am, a good movie somehow doesn't seem complete without a marriage (or at least the promise of one) at the end.The beautiful bride... the church bells chiming... the beaming groom... the adorable flower girls... the happy families... the silk and satin dresses (ah, old-fashioned fashions!)... the sunshine and birds singing (because, hey, it's a movie!) all combine to make a deliriously happy finish to a good film.

So now I'm curious. Which period drama wedding is your favorite? I'm going to run through a list of my favorites and explain why I love them so much, then if you like you can drop me a line in the comments and tell me which one you love best.

I should probably begin with A&E's Pride and Prejudice, since this was the very first Jane Austen adaptation I ever saw. Of course I had seen weddings in movies before, but this one marked the end of the longest movie I'd ever seen (so far), the happiest ending I'd ever seen, and the best. movie. ever.

Um, I'm a little biased.

I just had to include two pictures here because I love both of them. The first picture shows Lizzy and Darcy leaving the Longbourn church amid a shower of rice (or is it snowflakes??). The obvious joy on their faces is the best part of this picture. Hooray for happy endings--and for Darcy's long-awaited smile!

What makes this wedding so special is the fact that it's a double wedding. This man and this woman... and this man and this woman. This picture is not as exuberant as the previous one (is it just me or does Darcy look a little too intense?) but it clearly shows how happy everyone is. Elizabeth appears to be holding some sort of white larkspur, from what I can tell, and Jane's bouquet is unrecognizable. (Bad quality picture, sorry.) I prefer Jane's dress, but I like Darcy's waistcoat better than Bingley's. You can see the soft winter sunshine streaming in the windows at the back--I just love the color scheme in this picture!

Moving on to Sense and Sensibility. Character has won out over charisma as Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood are joined in holy matrimony. Hands down, the most wonderful part of this scene (for me) was the chiming church bells. Joy! Happy ending! Loose ends all tied up! Click here if you would like to hear Patrick Doyle's score for this scene, Throw The Coins. You can also hear it on my playlist at the bottom of the page.

I might add that this wedding is not a double wedding. Elinor and Edward do exit the church with Marianne and the Colonel, but as matron of honor and clergyman, not fellow newlyweds. It is assumed that they've already been married. Isn't Marianne's dress lovely? According to IMDB, it was trimmed with straw. Double points for creativity! Interestingly enough, she appears to be carrying hothouse flowers. :)

Bleak House came to a very un-bleak end with Esther Summerson and Alan Woodcourt's outdoor wedding. Though Esther's hairstyle throughout the second half of the movie was not to my liking, her hairstyle for the wedding was so pretty. The rosebuds in the back nicely complemented the sort of headband/wreath she was wearing in the front. And her dance with Alan... everybody say "awww!"

Bleak House may take the prize for having the funniest wedding scene--who doesn't laugh when Mr. Stinkbug Skimpole appears at the buffet, mooching as usual. Esther's reaction and Alan's pulling her back into the dance never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Fiddler on the Roof may not be on your typical period drama list, but it is one of my favorite movies and contains one of my favorite weddings. Tzeitel and Motel are such a sweet couple, and deserve a happy ending... unfortunately their wedding doesn't end too happily, through no fault of their own. But before the SPOILER Cossack soldiers ransack the village and ruin the villagers' party END OF SPOILER, the wedding celebration is an exuberant portrayal of Jewish family tradition. You can see a video of the famous Bottle Dance here.

Tzeitel's veil reminds me somewhat of a lace curtain--considering how poor Tevye's family is (why don't they have a surname??), it may very well have been a lace curtain once. Curtain or no, it's still beautiful, and her dress is simple Victorian elegance. (This movie is set in 1905.)

The best part of Dr. Harrison and Sophy Hutton's wedding at the end of Cranford was, for me, the fact that Miss Matty's veil was finally worn by a bride. Hooray for dear unselfish Miss Matty! Sophy looks so sweet in her bonnet, and though you can't see the veil too well in this picture, we know it's there. Poor Dr. Harrison waited so long to marry Sophy--what a perfect ending.

Miss Octavia "Spinster-carved-on-my-bones" Pole added a bit of fun to the wedding reception, as well. :) If you haven't seen Cranford, you may not understand that last sentence. To that I must reply, "If you haven't yet seen Cranford, what on earth are you waiting for?"

I can't describe the wedding scene of Little Dorrit. I really can't, because every time I watch it I'm left in a little puddle of happy tears (yes, I tend to cry during good movies). Arthur and Amy's wedding is sweet, it's tearjerking (who else cried when John showed up in his best suit?), it's visually stunning, it's funny. "She IS very beautiful." "Yeah. That's what I said."

So what's your favorite period drama wedding?

Quote Of The Week

I love quotes. I collect them the way some girls collect shoes or purses. I wish I could say that I have a little fat notebook into which I scribble any funny or inspiring words I come across, but I don't. Instead, I keep a Google document, into which I type any and all inspiring words I come across. Sometimes I even cheat so far as to copy and paste things. :)

Anyway, I do love quotes, and I thought it would be fun to choose a favorite quote each week to post, with an appropriate picture. For the most part, I will stick to quotes from period dramas, with maybe an occasional book or famous person quote tossed in there.

Without further ado, the Very First Quote Of The Week.

"I shall write to Mr. Bingley, informing him that I have five daughters, and he is welcome to any of them he likes. They're all silly and ignorant, like other girls. Well, Lizzy has a little more wit than the rest. But he may prefer a stupid wife, as others have done before him."

~Mr. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Sense and Sensibility Review

Since I am Miss Dashwood and I greatly admire the Dashwood sisters, I think it's fitting that my first movie review be about Sense and Sensibility. The 1995 version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, that is. It's the only version of S&S that I've ever seen or plan to see. The reasons for this are twofold.

1) It's amazing. Emma Thompson's brilliant screenplay, the perfect cast, the lovely music, the gorgeous scenery... I love this movie. Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet ARE Elinor and Marianne in my mind. I can't picture their faces any other way.

2) I'm not interested in seeing the 2008 miniseries because of the objectionable content. I usually prefer a miniseries to a regular 2-hour film, but in the case of S&S '08, the first scene is truly inappropriate (according to what I've heard). Now, of course, there is always such a thing as a fast-forward button, and I've utilized the ff at times when it's necessary. But if there's a perfectly good adaptation out there that doesn't need any fast forwarding, why bother watching the one that has an iffy part? Now don't get me wrong--I'm not saying the 2008 version is bad! I'm just saying I don't have an interest in seeing it. Plus, from what I've read, Andrew Davies stole a lot from the 1995 movie anyway. :P

Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood

So now that you know why I won't watch the 2008 version, we can get down to why I truly love the 1995 version.

As I said before, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet were made for the roles of Elinor and Marianne. They even look like sisters. I know that Emma Thompson was a little old to be playing Elinor, but I thought she did an amazing job, and I don't think she took too much liberty with the text in making Elinor 27 instead of 19. The only real problem that Elinor's "advanced age" (haha) would create is that there would be a larger gap between Elinor and Marianne. So their closeness isn't quite as believable as it would be if there were only 2 years' difference in their ages. But all that aside, Emma Thompson does a lovely job of portraying Elinor's patience, reserve and discretion. Little things (like her facial expressions, esp. that little thing she does with the corner of her mouth) really brought Elinor alive. Likewise, Kate Winslet made a beautiful Marianne--exuberant, romantic, and at times frustrated with her little sister. :)

Kate Winslet and Emilie Francois as Marianne and Margaret Dashwood

I love Emilie Francois' portrayal of Margaret. In this movie, Margaret's character was developed far more than in the book, and I enjoyed that. Margaret is rather dull and flat in the book, existing only as a walking gossip column (she's the one who tells Elinor about Willoughby cutting off Marianne's curl, etc.). In the movie, she had a personality and flair of her own; she seemed much more real. "I like Mrs. Jennings. She talks about things. We NEVER talk about things."

Emilie Francois as Margaret Dashwood

Edward's character is also better developed in the movie than in the book--at least, in my humble opinion. I think that we get to know him best through his rapport with Margaret (at least at the beginning). The little things he does, such as pushing the atlas under the table with the toe of his boot, lending Elinor his handkerchief, sword-fighting with Margaret on the front lawn (cutest scene ever!) just serve to make him more endearing.

Hugh Grant and Harriet Walter as Edward Ferrars and Fanny Dashwood

And Edward's proposal is perhaps one of the best of period drama. The book's description of his feelings is wonderful and I love it, but who can resist, "My heart is--and ever will be--yours"? So sweet! This part was beyond doubt better than the book.

Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars

Colonel Brandon, however, may very well be my favorite character in S&S. Alan Rickman acts the unlikely hero splendidly--yes, maybe he's a little older than 35, but that's okay. His devotion to Marianne is best expressed in that scene when she is ill at the Palmers': "Miss Dashwood, give me an occupation or I shall run mad." That's my mom's favorite scene in the movie (LOL), but my personal favorite is when he is reading to Marianne as she's recovering. Not much happens, but it's a lovely little vignette showing their developing romance.

Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet as Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood

And we cannot possibly forget the hilariously funny characters--the ones who don't display sense or sensibility! Mrs. Jennings, Sir John Middleton, Charlotte Palmer and Mr. Palmer provide comic relief when it's most needed. Who can help laughing (even through a few tears) when Mrs. Jennings offers Marianne olives after Willoughby rejects her? Charlotte Palmer is a great example of "the acorn never falls far from the tree". :P

Elizabeth Spriggs and Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Jennings and Charlotte Palmer

And, of course, Mr. "If-only-you-would-stop" Palmer is humor itself. Why on earth did he marry an idiot like Charlotte? Probably her mother bribed him with olives. He seems like the kind of guy who would like olives.

Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer

And the wedding scene at the end... sigh. Patrick Doyle's lovely music, Colonel Brandon's handsome uniform (ah! regimentals!), Elinor and Edward's obvious happiness, Marianne's gorgeous wedding dress... second sigh. I need to watch it again.

Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant as Elinor and Edward Ferrars

What's your opinion of this lovely film? (I'm well aware of the fact that I didn't address Willoughby at all in this review--I'm saving him for a post of his own.)

Introduction (Or Preface, Or Foreword, Or Whatever You Want to Call It)

Here it is, my very first blog post. If you want to know who I am and why I'm here, check out my profile. I call myself Miss Dashwood because I like the name--also, because I love the characters who own that name. You will notice that I didn't specify whether I am Elinor or Marianne. My quiz results (see the sidebar) say that I am Elinor, but I am really a mix of both, with a little bit of Margaret thrown in. (Join me in the West Indies, anyone?)

Some days I feel like Marianne and want nothing more than to roam the wild outdoors in the rain, sing and play the pianoforte, read a thrilling tale of romance and breathe the scent of wildflowers. Other days, I am more like Elinor and feel practical, sensible, and reserved. I want only to curl up with a good book and improve my mind, sipping a cup of fragrantly steaming tea while making sure that the household accounts are in order and that Margaret's hair is washed. :) At still other times, I wish I had my own tree house and a gorgeous atlas that could take me on a swashbuckling journey of imagination.

I hope you'll enjoy reading the ramblings from a girl who loves hoopskirts and bonnets, English country dancing and high tea, happy endings (in the rain!), BBC miniseries and good thick books. If that is the sort of thing you like, then you've come to the right place. It's yet another period drama blog.