What would Elizabeth and Emma think of each other?
I've had this crazy thought for a year or two now. I know it's entering into the realm of Austen fanfiction (which is not normally my thing), but...
What would Jane Austen's heroines think of each other?
Would they like each other? Would they get along? Who would be better friends with whom?
Elizabeth Bennet
Marianne Dashwood
Elinor Dashwood
Fanny Price
Catherine Morland
Emma Woodhouse
Anne Elliot
For those of you who have read all the books (or seen all the movies---though it doesn't count if you've seen Mansfield Park but not read the book! I've never seen a movie Fanny Price that was anything like Austen's Fanny Price!), what do you think?
I've always thought that Austen's heros would pretty much get along. They all seem to be cut from the same cloth (although Henry Tilney might be slightly annoying to Darcy just a little bit, if he got into one of his "moods"). But the female characters seem so strikingly different in some ways, that I'm not sure.
What do you think?
For the sake of this question, I'm going to assume we're talking about the characters more at the beginning of their stories rather than the end. Here's my two cents:
While I don't think they would completely dislike each other, I don't see Emma and Elizabeth becoming fast friends. I think Elizabeth might be slightly annoying to Emma. I'm not sure why. Maybe not--since Emma does get annoyed at reserved people, and Elizabeth certainly isn't reserved.
On the other hand, I think Elinor Dashwood and Anne Elliot would be great friends. :) I think Elizabeth and Anne would really appreciate each other as well. Elizabeth's close relationship with such a sweet, kind person as Jane makes me think she would really like Anne as well. I think Anne would appreciate Elizabeth's liveliness. But then again, who would the sweet Anne Elliot not like (on this list, of course)??
The end-of-novel Fanny Price would be a great mentor to Catherine Morland. Of course, so would everyone on the list except for Marianne Dashwood. Ok, and Emma too. Emma would not be a very influence on Catherine. She has too much of the wild imagination in her. I think Catherine and Marianne would be good friends--or at least good enough to enthrall each other with stories of romantic attachments.
This has become an especially interesting question to me now with the modern adaptations that Pemberley Digital has done and is currently doing. They've essentially created a model where all of their JA stories are happening "in world." So, for example, Emma in Emma Approved uses software that Darcy's company, Pemberley Digital, created. Emma, Lizzie, Jane and all of the other PD characters are living in the same world and theoretically could meet and know each other.
There are a lot more pairings I could discuss, but I want to hear what you think. Do you agree or disagree with my assessments? What do you think about the other possible pairings? Who would be especially good friends? Who might find the other person uninteresting or annoying?
What would Jane Austen's heroines think of each other?
Would they like each other? Would they get along? Who would be better friends with whom?
Elizabeth Bennet
Marianne Dashwood
Elinor Dashwood
Fanny Price
Catherine Morland
Emma Woodhouse
Anne Elliot
For those of you who have read all the books (or seen all the movies---though it doesn't count if you've seen Mansfield Park but not read the book! I've never seen a movie Fanny Price that was anything like Austen's Fanny Price!), what do you think?
I've always thought that Austen's heros would pretty much get along. They all seem to be cut from the same cloth (although Henry Tilney might be slightly annoying to Darcy just a little bit, if he got into one of his "moods"). But the female characters seem so strikingly different in some ways, that I'm not sure.
What do you think?
For the sake of this question, I'm going to assume we're talking about the characters more at the beginning of their stories rather than the end. Here's my two cents:
While I don't think they would completely dislike each other, I don't see Emma and Elizabeth becoming fast friends. I think Elizabeth might be slightly annoying to Emma. I'm not sure why. Maybe not--since Emma does get annoyed at reserved people, and Elizabeth certainly isn't reserved.
On the other hand, I think Elinor Dashwood and Anne Elliot would be great friends. :) I think Elizabeth and Anne would really appreciate each other as well. Elizabeth's close relationship with such a sweet, kind person as Jane makes me think she would really like Anne as well. I think Anne would appreciate Elizabeth's liveliness. But then again, who would the sweet Anne Elliot not like (on this list, of course)??
The end-of-novel Fanny Price would be a great mentor to Catherine Morland. Of course, so would everyone on the list except for Marianne Dashwood. Ok, and Emma too. Emma would not be a very influence on Catherine. She has too much of the wild imagination in her. I think Catherine and Marianne would be good friends--or at least good enough to enthrall each other with stories of romantic attachments.
This has become an especially interesting question to me now with the modern adaptations that Pemberley Digital has done and is currently doing. They've essentially created a model where all of their JA stories are happening "in world." So, for example, Emma in Emma Approved uses software that Darcy's company, Pemberley Digital, created. Emma, Lizzie, Jane and all of the other PD characters are living in the same world and theoretically could meet and know each other.
There are a lot more pairings I could discuss, but I want to hear what you think. Do you agree or disagree with my assessments? What do you think about the other possible pairings? Who would be especially good friends? Who might find the other person uninteresting or annoying?
Thanks for indulging my bit of fantasy fanfiction! :-)
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| For me, Kate Beckinsale plays the perfect Emma. Perfectly snooty, yet still charming and irresistable. :) |
I think Emma would like anyone she could bend to her will! (And I do love Emma in spite of this.) So I think she would latch on to Anne Eliot (though there is the age difference), since Anne seems more willing to be influenced (esp at the beginning). And maybe Emma would like Fanny, though perhaps Fanny is too good for Emma to like completely.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think Elizabeth and Elinor would get along, since Elinor reminds me a little of Jane Bennet and Jane and Elizabeth are close. They have differing personalities, but neither of them is silly.
Fun thoughts! :-)