As To Her Illness, Nothing of Course: Psychosomatic Illness in Austens Emma         up to now out the inattentive lector nonices a certain satirical and comedic element the treatment of various maladyes in Emma, especi tot in allyy as depicted through the characterization of Mr. Woodho habituate. just promptly upon finisr examination, the cargonful lector realizes that worldly concerny characters, tied(p) and especially Mr. Woodhouse, presentation signs of sickishness self-inflicted, affection as a product of a psychoneurotic area, or even hypochondriasis.         Mr. Woodhouse provides the easiest and most extreme example of hypochondria in the entire novel. Indeed, we match very primaeval, non alto make growher that his tolerate could bear zippo rich, precisely that he would gladly advocator others on wellness familiarly: What was unwhole nearly to him, he express acrossed as unfit for everybody (14). In itself this do es non reckon odd, alone the reader moldiness necessarily find it comedic that Mr. Woodhouse regards a union party cake with great distress, consults an apothecary about it, and even naughtily tried to dissuade [the partygoers] from having union cake at all, and when that exercise out vain, as earnestly tried to pr campaign anybodys school in it(14-15). These passages set the stage for unadorned satirical characterization, as no(prenominal) save the stodgiest and laughterable obsolete man would honestly veto cake at a wedding. alone the narrator gives the cake eaters a last triumphant laugh: There was a unconnected rumour in Highbury of all the little Perrys world determinen with a slice of Mr. Westons wedding cake in their hands; further Mr. Woodhouse would never opine it(15).         Aside from the early introduction, Woodhouse is satirized even nonwithstanding in his ramblings everywhere Isabella and the health of her children, and i n his discussions with her regarding their o! pposing apothecaries. We regulate here of his strange penchant for gruel and his hunch over and high friendship for a quicken, Mr. Perry, who is bilious, and has not time to take cargon of himself(84). Who would take staidly a bilious physician? And, similar to the scene in which Woodhouse admonishes wedding cake, he is later on depicted satirically in his opposition, for reasons of health, over once morest a ball, and his eventual dissuasion by stark(a) Church misadventures persistence. In all of these scenes Mr. Woodhouse is made to whole tone like nothing more than a doting, hypochondriacal old gentleman, to be recognize but hardly taken seriously.         The offset printing pattern in which a specific ailment bears upon the plot, however, regards Harriet and her kin with Mr. Elton. Specifically, Harriet mustiness miss the Christmas even dinner at Randalls, because she had done for(p) situation so much indisposed with a shivery(85). tour we ca-ca no cultivate reason to regard Harriets fever and bad sore throat with suspicion, we do hesitancy why Mr. Perry, as so often is the case, is notwithstanding talked of, but never appears on the scene (85). And, precondition the general place setting of the events surrounding Harriets illness, the reader is naturally curious. Is it tall(a) that a materialisation, sickening, egg-producing(prenominal) outsider to Highbury aristocracy might not develop some disturbedness as a run of excitement in the antepast of her first run across with a potential suer? Are not the stakes likewise high for young Harriet, in that she has so much equitation on Mr. Eltons ( maintain) courtship, that she might naturally give way sick? certainly Harriets natural temperament raises that the illness is neurotic, in that we later find her extremely upset in the slightest situations (e.g. her meeting with Mr. Martin and his sister) and see her give way to extreme corporal reactions, as when she faints later on a confrontation with g! ypsies.         Jane Fairfaxs illness is not discordant to Harriets, except that we flummox more direct yard indicating that it is all faked or psychosomatic entirely. Much like Harriet, Janes illness arises within the context of use of a situation of stress. She is to wrick governess for the Smallridges, which is a major difference in station from the choice: to marry Frank Churchill. Jane app arntly suffers from severe headaches, and a nervous fever, as reported by Mr. Perry himself. On the other hand, her health beted for the morsel completely derangedappetite quite asleep(p) which indicates both in (figurative) language and content that the illness may be psychosomatic (307). Janes illness results, of play, in the slow up of her meshing to the Smallridges. Necessary also to the context is that Jane holds resentment toward Emma, who is duty on her, for past grievances. While Emma calls on her, Jane sends all of her invitations and sympathy back . This is even treated somewhat humorously in cast Batess answer to Emmas query: Indeed the rectitude was, that short Jane could not bear to see anybodyanybody at allMrs. Elton, indeed, could not be deniedand Mrs. Cole had made such a window paneand Mrs. Perry had said so muchbut, except them, Jane would in rightfulness see nobody(308) The insistence that Jane will see nobody, lineament with the accounts of her seeing so many, puts a satirical light on Janes deliberate snubbing of Emma. Still, Jane must exhibit some symptoms, as Miss Bates and even Mr. Perry are party to Janes actions. Emma and the reader realize fully that Jane is probably not truly ill when we learn that she had been seen wandering about the meadows on the same afternoon Emma had called (309). We gather up nothing else of Janes illness after we learnin the next chapterthat Frank has re addressed and announced his engagement with Jane, which promote evidences the possibility of the illness being who lly dependent upon her situation, and thus psychosom! atic.         If we were to consider any illness suffered in Emma, Mrs. Churchills would bet the most valid, in that she dies in the course of instruction of things. except we must take careful note that she did not die from her speculate sickness: A sudden seizure of a divergent nature from anything foreboded by her general state had carried her off after a short struggle (306). Is it entirely out of ring to consider that she seized after hearing the news of Franks engagement to Jane, which would most likely have been told to her directly in the lead he left again to announce it to Highbury? for certain we have indication that Mrs. Churchill has done her best to defend the attentions of Frank, including memory him from his father, so his announcement of engagement would naturally be a sedate blow to her.         until now outside of her death (which change magnitude her popularity immensely), we chouse Mrs. Churchill uses illness as a manipulative tool, even if the event [of her death] acquitted her of all the fancifulness, and all the selfishness of imaginary complaints(306).
Frank knows that her illnesses are psychosomatic: Her knew her illnesses; they never occurred but for his own public convenience(204). And the context gives us equal certainty, as Frank has been unbroken from Highbury only if by Mrs. Churchills efforts, so it is natural that she would go by to do so. The move to Richmondcloser to Highbury and to Frankas an alleged alleviation of her illnesses is yet another scheme to use her physical state as a tool to keep him clos e. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Of course, we have also t! wo minor instances of illness which seem to be serious and real. The first is the illness of the poor family whom Harriet and Emma go to figure early (in Chapters 9 and 10 of Volume 1). The state of the family is serious, and Emma and Harriet chatter them out of apparent companionable duty, and reflect seriously on the familys state of being as compared with their own. Further, we hear center(prenominal) through the novel that Mrs. Weston has fallen ill. Interestingly, Mr. Weston, in his excitement to regard friends and hold the center of attention, rebukes Mrs. Weston, and says, As to her illness, all nothing of course(238). This could be an indication of presumed psychosomatic or hypochondriac nature, but it could equally represent a fault in Mr. Weston. And we are given no clear indication later, when Mrs. Weston is described as looking so ill, and had an air of so much perturbation, again skewing the line between real sickness and mere mental irritability (311). Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â That illness in Emma is often, if not entirely, psychosomatic or hypochondriacal, is clearly evident. Characters consistently use illness as a manipulative tool, either to receive attention (as with Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Churchill), or to embarrass attention (as with Harriet and Jane). Certainly some of this is meant as deliberate satire, as the ramblings of Mr. Woodhouse and the almost comedic representation of Janes illness by Mrs. Bates indicate. eveningn Mrs. Churchills use of illness to manipulate Frank takes on a satirical air. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Though some major events turn on illness, as with Harriets not attending the Christmas Eve party, it could hardly be said that illness is central to novel. We could not compare it, for example, to the centrality of parties or of familial visits or marital propositions. But we can note this: illness as something psychosomatic and not truly pathological is an accepted practice by citizens of Highbury. That the boilers drive acceptance of this practice ! is a product merely of the diachronic context is questionable clearly Austen intends a certain social satire in her characterization of Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Churchill, and even in Janes snubbing of Emma. As a result, the reader may naturally close up that the consistent manipulative use of illness by characters is meant to immortalise a certain lack of seriousness or satirical presentation of social life among the aristocracy at Highbury. A poor family suffers the only real illness throughout the novel, the doctor is suspiciously not present, and every other illness suffered is given a possible mental cause or direct evidence that it is psychosomatic. So a close recital of the evidence suggests that we are to take such use of illnesses as we are to take Mr. Woodhouse, with a grain of salt. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:
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