Letters of Sense in Emma

Abstract

Mary A. Favret in Romantic Correspondence asserts that letters reflect “interior spaces and female vulnerability” (Favret, 1993, p.4). The sentimental letters of epistolary form usually with a feminine feature are disguised to present the writer’s revolutionary political views in the historical moment of Romanticism (Ibid., pp.9-10). Letters of writing truly indicate the individual identity and the status of the writer, which often shows one’s privacy and the “interiorized moments—domestic details, closed circles of family and friends, the inner workings of the mind.” (Ibid., p.12) The ability to write a good letter is a sign of being well bred. Through analyzing the letters in Emma, this essay found: First, a letter could highly present the writer’s courtesy and give the reader the first impression before the first meeting; second, a letter for proposal expressing the sincerity and emotion of the sender could be helpful to obtain the lover’s heart; third, the manners to write and answer may manifest in the responding speed, the length and content of the letter and as an indirect notice to avoid face to face embarrassment and show attitude. Moreover, handwriting could be influenced by family members, education and genders; fourth, the functions of letters in Emma could be distributed to delivery of information, emotional attachment, requirement, invitation and clarification. In short, Jane Austen presents her view that letter writing as an important tool of communication in the 19^th century represents the sense of manners of the corresponders in Emma.