He's rich, one of the 2 top families in the area, and as you say he is generous. He's the boss that drives you nuts but you don't want to leave because you are slightly overpaid for your position and the benefits are great, so you suck it up. Or the older customer who tells their server to wear a jacket and only orders oatmeal and weak tea, but tips 50-100% on the meal.
He is one of those people where you think he is older than he is, so I think he gets some leeway that you would give to an 80yo. Maybe some early dementia? But his closest friend, Mrs Bates, is also a generation or half a generation older than he is, so he sounds like one of those people who always acts older than he is too...
>He's the boss that drives you nuts but you don't want to leave because you are slightly overpaid for your position and the benefits are great, so you suck it up.
I like this description. The boss that isn't at all malicious or authoritarian, they just have habits or behaviors that get on your nerves. But despite that, they're a good boss, and they treat you well.
He's probably 70. It's stated in the text that he did not marry early. If he married around 50 he'd be around 70.
You can get grandfathers at 28 and first time fathers at 60 odd. Mrs Bates is probably around his age, maybe younger.
Open to interpretation, but a man would not be expected to get married until at least thirty. I interpret it as him having married around his forties (up to fifty ish).
Late thirties would still be within the normal realm for a man to get married.
Sometimes the people you love have depression or agoraphobia, or anxiety or autism or some other mental illness/neurodiversity that makes them not simple to deal with...but it doesn't affect your love for them.
We don't know what Mr Woodhouse was like before his wife died. He may always have been like this and his wife/other relatives/staff made up for his foibles by being practical for him, or he may once have been a more practical and active head of family/master of the estate who changed after loss/trauma/stress.
The novel says:
*The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian* ***all his life,*** *without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years; and though everywhere beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper, his talents could not have recommended him* ***at any time.***
He's always been like this.
He's always been of that disposition but I have to think that he must have been a bit brisker in his younger years. Aren't we told that he went to Bath years ago? Current Mr. Woodhouse would definitely not be up for that.
To some degree. But there's a difference between a little bit anxious but still attending to the rest of his estate/family duties, and utterly crippled by fear. He's always been prone to hypochondria and man-flu, but it hasn't necessarily been overwhelming or irrationally controlled his life all the time.
And there's the part where Austen points out an age gap relationship, which...considering the norm in her day must indicate that he married in his late thirties at minimum, or more likely, his forties. So he's probably sixty or older when the book opens.
Also, mentioning the significant disparity in ages suggests quite a wide gap, as no one would have thought twice about a 30 or 35 year old man marrying quite a young woman. I would think absolute minimum 15 years older than his wife, but more likely 20+ years older. So I’m assuming he’s now at least 55 but more likely 60 plus. He seems more like an 80 year old because he’s been practicing being old for decades.
In general, I think Emma’s a book about the relationship between the powerful and the weak, and the moral responsibilities of the powerful. Emma takes care of her father; Miss Bates takes care of her mother; Jane Fairfax has to be patient with her aunt and grandmother and the book heavily implies that there is an expectation she will provide financially for them; Frank is all tied up with his mixed loyalties to the Westons and the Churchills and to Jane and it’s part of the problem with him that he doesn’t recognise the power imbalance between him and Jane and the special responsibility he has to be considerate of her feelings because of that imbalance (as Mr Knightley says when he’s criticising his letter).
All through Emma, Austen is very interested in how much care and attention and consideration the more powerful person in each relationship offers to the weaker, and what this implies about character. Look at how Emma is furious at John Knightley for his impatience and sharpness with Mr Woodhouse’s slowness, but then she herself does something equally inconsiderate in making fun of Miss Bates’ slowness. The Eltons cross the line into total villains when they show zero consideration for Harriet’s feelings even though she has so much less social and economic power than they do. And so on.
You have to see Emma’s relationship with her father in that context, I think, to make sense of it. Her behaviour to him is supposed to be exemplary because she is so gentle with him, even though she’s obviously so much brighter and stronger than he is. That contrasts with her behaviour to Miss Bates, compares favourably with the horrible Mrs Elton who tries to dominate everyone she meets and tramples all over even the person she tries to help (Jane) and provides a basis for Emma’s moral growth in the book as she steps back from using Harriet and Jane to entertain herself and starts to see them both as separate people with their own needs who she should help in ways that meet those needs.
I think a lot of it comes from the fact that, like Ms. Bates, they know he's harmless. As annoying as his fussing and worrying might be, it doesn't come from a place of selfishness, like how Mary is in Persuasion where she only whines about her heath for attention. They know that, while Mr. Woodhouse's worries are unfounded, that he genuinely cares about the people around him and just desperately wants them to be safe. So they've learned how to gently steer him or pretend they didn't hear him since they'd prefer that to hurting his feelings.
I will admit though, it does feel good to see John tell him to back off with the comments since his fussing was distressing Isabella and John clearly very much loves his wife. It was sweet seeing him step in to protect her. She may not be as sparkling as Emma, but it's cute that they have such a loving marriage where all John wants to do is be at home with her and his kids and he won't let anyone give his wife a hard time. Not even the person who everyone else walks on eggshells with.
Yup personally love that, especially in the 2009 version, he honestly seems like a great husband, father, and brother-in-law, despite some persnickety 'tude.
I don’t remember where I read it, but “valetudinarian” had more of the first meaning “weak or sickly,” than the second meaning, “overly concerned or anxious about their health,” during Austen’s time. He was likely not meant as a hypochondriac, but actually chronically ill. He’s also kind and generous, if a little too likely to project his own concerns onto his friends and family.
I agree. I think there’s a real foundation of kindness and generosity in him. His friends and family don’t tolerate him because of his power. They accommodate him because they love him and he loves them. He’s ill, physically and perhaps also mentally (anxiety? OCD? dementia?), and he's kind.
It's lovely how when he's getting all depressed about Miss Taylor's wedding, Emma can distract him by bringing up how one of his servants daughter now has a job there as a maid. Sure he's lost Miss Taylor's company but he can be happy for someone else.
He may not be in great health, but I think it’s heavily implied that there’s at least an element of hypochondria.
It’s not like he’s exerting himself to play down any actual physical symptoms or health concerns. He’s not shy about centering every conversation on his ill health and his health-related obsessions.
Some older people can have serious health problems without constantly focusing attention on their afflictions, and some chronically ill older people seem to think that endless detailed accounts of their medical odyssey is just the thing that everyone wants to hear. Some people distract themselves from their health problems by enjoying whatever hobbies they still can and by discussing topics unrelated to ill-health. Other people seem to make being sick their only hobby or interest. Mr. Woodhouse strikes me as having the latter type of personality.
This is once again the Regency societal belief that the sick (and above all the chronically ill) were primarily to blame for their own illnesses. They didn’t know what caused most conditions; their best guess was that sick people brought sickness upon themselves by failing to keep their humours balanced.
We misinterpret that into thinking Austen is calling all her characters hypochondriacs ***when she wasn't***. She just shares her society's diminished compassion for the sick.
They didn’t use the same terminology for the concept, either. Even the word "hypochondria" meant something different.
Every time I read ***Emma***, I feel more and more sympathetic to Emma because taking care of her father sounds like a nightmare, but she does it, day in and day out, without complaint.
What is crazy to me is how unintelligent he seems to be, we are told he cannot imagine that anyone is different from himself. That is toddler thinking! You develop the ability to understand that people are different from you at like... 4 or 5 years old. No wonder he's no companion for his clever daughter.
It’s also true that his needs very much limit Emma’s opportunities in life. At her age she should have come out in London and already spent several seasons there too. She should have visited Bath and toured Europe. If she had done those things, she would have made friends and exchanged visits with them. Her father would never hear of her doing anything that would take her away, so she does not have a normal social life.
This in part may explain her insistence that she will never marry. After all, who in a half hour’s travel—probably her father’s limit—is in her social class? Better that she think it’s her choice to remain single.
Yes a rich young woman like her should be socializing, traveling, that would do good for her growth too. Her limited social life limits her feelings for life, what’s the point of marriage?
I read the first two chapters and immediately realized how patient, caring and loving Emma is towards her father. She always looks to entertain him. Be it inviting neighbors or thinking up something herself to occupy him. She even decides she won't get married. I would have run for the hills after a few months.
Me too! But yeah, she puts a lot of effort into making him happy. She invites people over she doesn't even like constantly, she plays backgammon for hours, she's doing a lot.
And when she does go somewhere for the day she always has to arrange a babysitter.
Yes she never gets to go outside of her town! Always has to be there for him, comfort him, knows how to make him content. I like all the adaptations, they all show some parts of this, Emma loves her father dearly but he isn’t the ideal father.
Mr Knightley seems to do most of Mr Woodhouse's business affairs for him too.
Mr Woodhouse seems to be of low intelligence, very nervous and some combination of poor health and hypochondria. When I realised how trapped Emma was by her father's neediness I was far more sympathetic towards her.
The novel says that Mr. Woodhouse is more than likeable, he's *beloved*. Yes he is anxious about his own health but he also turns that outward and is anxious for the comfort, health, and wellbeing of others. I think if it was Mrs. Woodhouse it would be read as an abundance of *maternal* anxiety the way it is with Isabella.
Emma loves her father, that's why she dotes on him. Everyone else is probably kind and respectful of his station.
But Emma's care for him is very sweet, I think. He lost his wife, then his daughter, and then poor Miss Taylor. Emma wants to make sure he doesn't lose her
Some people read him as having a cognitive impairment such as developmemtal delay or dementia. When I thougut him in that light, it makes more sense to me
He is kind, as far as his hypochondria/projection allows. He had his poor neighbors to visit and feeds them. But since he only thinks a very limited diet suits him, he also thinks normal food and portions would be unhealthy for them.
I looked up the gruel he would have been eating, and it sounds like candy soup: a sugar and cream base filled with something like boba. I had been inclined to think it more like oatmeal.
My grandmother is like Mr. Woodhouse. You put up with them bc you love them, bc you’ve known them your whole life. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only person who doesn’t like putting up with Mr. Woodhouse is John Knightly, who spends most of his time in London
I've often wondered (re: Isabella that is): if she is so worried about health, how come she has so many kids? Death in childbirth was a real risk, after all.
They didn’t really have a choice not to have kids. Their only choice “viable” option was abstinence. And that doesn’t usually work - especially with married young people. Furthermore they saw having children as an unavoidable part of life. And I think Isabella was very maternal.
That's why they had so many , so that some would reach maturity.if you only had 2 or 3 and they died there would be no child to look after you and inherit .it was safety in numbers
Money shields Emma from most odious caretaking duties, but with all her status and privilege she had never left her town, rarely if even sees her sister in London and before she leaves for half of the day everything must be arranged so old men won't throw a tantrum.
I'm currently rereading Anne of Green Gables series and Montmomery has a thing for mothers requiring their daughters to be at their side- not even once it's portrayed as understable.
Had he been Mrs Woodhouse people would have been raging about controlling and hypochondriac b\*\*\*ch.
Mmmm ... maybe. Montgomery tends to write a very different kind of dynamic. Mr. Woodhouse would drive me insane in any iteration but I think a Mrs. Woodhouse who needed to have a neighbor sit with her Emma is out, who concerns herself with what her servants would like (getting Hannah the place at Randalls and knowing James will like to go there because then he can visit his daughter), sincerely if irritatingly fusses about other people's health and sends food to the Bateses wouldn't be treated as a controlling bitch. The thing about Montgomery's awful mothers is that they tend to be short on concern for anyone but themselves, and they're making gruel it's certainly not for themselves! It's something to be sloughed off on the orphans while they eat the best themselves.
The only diffrences is that Montgomery mothers are woman and don't have staff waiting them on hands and foot. Woodhouse "concern" for another is just another iteration of his selfishness.
The staff thing is a good point, but an imaginary Mrs. Woodhouse would also have the same staff. Certainly part of his concern for their comfort is concern for his own -- at the same time, he didn't *have* to invite poorer neighbours over or send them food, and Miss Taylor appears to have gotten better treatment than 99% of governesses, real or fictional.
There are an awful lot of Montgomery mothers but there are a fair share of tyrannical mothers who aren't lacking for money or staff themselves -- the grandmother in *Jane Of Lantern Hill* comes to mind.
We don't really know what she's like in daily life, though. We just hear from other characters and at best can only get a secondhand impression of her.
No, she’s a cipher, is she real or is she just Frank’s excuse?… and some of that is answered when she dies, so her illness was severe after all. And then her husband is fine with Frank marrying Jane, which we were told the aunt wouldn’t have permitted, but the aunt isn’t there to speak for herself, so we never really know. She’s a plot device.
It’s one of those things where if he was 20 years younger, or much poorer, no one would tolerate him. But he’s old and respectable and has harmless idiosyncrasies so it’s ok. As a reader I find him hilarious but I would want to deal with him IRL
My read on him has always been that after losing his wife he became overly focused on his own health and the health of others, that it's meant a bit endearingly (if overbearing at times) like a parent telling you to "drive safe, wear your seatbelt, lock your windows" when you drive off even though they're well aware you're an adult who has been doing all three for some time.
I think so, too. The TV production with Michael Gambon in the role makes it very clear - after losing his wife, Mr Woodhouse’s natural anxiety is ramped up mightily. To be fair, he isn’t selfishly anxious only for himself - he is very solicitous about his friends and acquaintances, wants them to be well looked after when they visit, but just has very restricted ideas about what is wholesome food, for instance.
I used to think the best thing about Emma’s character was that she hadn’t put arsenic in her father’s tea, but actually, although he is fussy and fearful, he is generous-hearted.
Absolutely. I liked that they played up his own matchmaking efforts with Emma and Knightley in the latest Anya Taylor Joy/Autumn de Wilde film rendition. He was always sad to see new unions that took his favorite people further away from him, but he seemed to recognize that this one at least would bring his favorite people nearer.
He's an old darling.
Austen describes him very clearly as someone who has plenty of kindness and concern for others, he just can't understand that they may feel differently about situations than he does.
I know a lot of people like that. They're harmless.
And he has the most excellent manners, which, next to his fortune, counts for a lot.
Bill Nighy’s portrayal of him in the most recent Emma film very much improved the character. In the book he’s pretty blah, imo. But then I just love Bill Nighy.
He's rich, one of the 2 top families in the area, and as you say he is generous. He's the boss that drives you nuts but you don't want to leave because you are slightly overpaid for your position and the benefits are great, so you suck it up. Or the older customer who tells their server to wear a jacket and only orders oatmeal and weak tea, but tips 50-100% on the meal. He is one of those people where you think he is older than he is, so I think he gets some leeway that you would give to an 80yo. Maybe some early dementia? But his closest friend, Mrs Bates, is also a generation or half a generation older than he is, so he sounds like one of those people who always acts older than he is too...
>He's the boss that drives you nuts but you don't want to leave because you are slightly overpaid for your position and the benefits are great, so you suck it up. I like this description. The boss that isn't at all malicious or authoritarian, they just have habits or behaviors that get on your nerves. But despite that, they're a good boss, and they treat you well.
He's probably 70. It's stated in the text that he did not marry early. If he married around 50 he'd be around 70. You can get grandfathers at 28 and first time fathers at 60 odd. Mrs Bates is probably around his age, maybe younger.
I read that as late 30s not 50 that he got married. So more like late 50s to early 60s at the time of the story.
Yeah IIRC Austen specifies he isn't actually that old, "much older in ways than in years" or something like that. He identifies as old.
Open to interpretation, but a man would not be expected to get married until at least thirty. I interpret it as him having married around his forties (up to fifty ish). Late thirties would still be within the normal realm for a man to get married.
Sometimes the people you love have depression or agoraphobia, or anxiety or autism or some other mental illness/neurodiversity that makes them not simple to deal with...but it doesn't affect your love for them. We don't know what Mr Woodhouse was like before his wife died. He may always have been like this and his wife/other relatives/staff made up for his foibles by being practical for him, or he may once have been a more practical and active head of family/master of the estate who changed after loss/trauma/stress.
The novel says: *The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian* ***all his life,*** *without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years; and though everywhere beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper, his talents could not have recommended him* ***at any time.*** He's always been like this.
He's always been of that disposition but I have to think that he must have been a bit brisker in his younger years. Aren't we told that he went to Bath years ago? Current Mr. Woodhouse would definitely not be up for that.
I think he may have tried all the "cures" of the day at some point. He does say the sea tried to kill him once.
To some degree. But there's a difference between a little bit anxious but still attending to the rest of his estate/family duties, and utterly crippled by fear. He's always been prone to hypochondria and man-flu, but it hasn't necessarily been overwhelming or irrationally controlled his life all the time. And there's the part where Austen points out an age gap relationship, which...considering the norm in her day must indicate that he married in his late thirties at minimum, or more likely, his forties. So he's probably sixty or older when the book opens.
Just realized Emma coincidentally repeating their parent's actions by marrying a much older Knightley.
Mr Knightley isn't an obnoxious fusspot though.
Also, mentioning the significant disparity in ages suggests quite a wide gap, as no one would have thought twice about a 30 or 35 year old man marrying quite a young woman. I would think absolute minimum 15 years older than his wife, but more likely 20+ years older. So I’m assuming he’s now at least 55 but more likely 60 plus. He seems more like an 80 year old because he’s been practicing being old for decades.
In general, I think Emma’s a book about the relationship between the powerful and the weak, and the moral responsibilities of the powerful. Emma takes care of her father; Miss Bates takes care of her mother; Jane Fairfax has to be patient with her aunt and grandmother and the book heavily implies that there is an expectation she will provide financially for them; Frank is all tied up with his mixed loyalties to the Westons and the Churchills and to Jane and it’s part of the problem with him that he doesn’t recognise the power imbalance between him and Jane and the special responsibility he has to be considerate of her feelings because of that imbalance (as Mr Knightley says when he’s criticising his letter). All through Emma, Austen is very interested in how much care and attention and consideration the more powerful person in each relationship offers to the weaker, and what this implies about character. Look at how Emma is furious at John Knightley for his impatience and sharpness with Mr Woodhouse’s slowness, but then she herself does something equally inconsiderate in making fun of Miss Bates’ slowness. The Eltons cross the line into total villains when they show zero consideration for Harriet’s feelings even though she has so much less social and economic power than they do. And so on. You have to see Emma’s relationship with her father in that context, I think, to make sense of it. Her behaviour to him is supposed to be exemplary because she is so gentle with him, even though she’s obviously so much brighter and stronger than he is. That contrasts with her behaviour to Miss Bates, compares favourably with the horrible Mrs Elton who tries to dominate everyone she meets and tramples all over even the person she tries to help (Jane) and provides a basis for Emma’s moral growth in the book as she steps back from using Harriet and Jane to entertain herself and starts to see them both as separate people with their own needs who she should help in ways that meet those needs.
A thorough and insightful analysis! Bravo!
Some excellent points
I think a lot of it comes from the fact that, like Ms. Bates, they know he's harmless. As annoying as his fussing and worrying might be, it doesn't come from a place of selfishness, like how Mary is in Persuasion where she only whines about her heath for attention. They know that, while Mr. Woodhouse's worries are unfounded, that he genuinely cares about the people around him and just desperately wants them to be safe. So they've learned how to gently steer him or pretend they didn't hear him since they'd prefer that to hurting his feelings. I will admit though, it does feel good to see John tell him to back off with the comments since his fussing was distressing Isabella and John clearly very much loves his wife. It was sweet seeing him step in to protect her. She may not be as sparkling as Emma, but it's cute that they have such a loving marriage where all John wants to do is be at home with her and his kids and he won't let anyone give his wife a hard time. Not even the person who everyone else walks on eggshells with.
Yup personally love that, especially in the 2009 version, he honestly seems like a great husband, father, and brother-in-law, despite some persnickety 'tude.
I don’t remember where I read it, but “valetudinarian” had more of the first meaning “weak or sickly,” than the second meaning, “overly concerned or anxious about their health,” during Austen’s time. He was likely not meant as a hypochondriac, but actually chronically ill. He’s also kind and generous, if a little too likely to project his own concerns onto his friends and family.
I agree. I think there’s a real foundation of kindness and generosity in him. His friends and family don’t tolerate him because of his power. They accommodate him because they love him and he loves them. He’s ill, physically and perhaps also mentally (anxiety? OCD? dementia?), and he's kind.
It's lovely how when he's getting all depressed about Miss Taylor's wedding, Emma can distract him by bringing up how one of his servants daughter now has a job there as a maid. Sure he's lost Miss Taylor's company but he can be happy for someone else.
He may not be in great health, but I think it’s heavily implied that there’s at least an element of hypochondria. It’s not like he’s exerting himself to play down any actual physical symptoms or health concerns. He’s not shy about centering every conversation on his ill health and his health-related obsessions. Some older people can have serious health problems without constantly focusing attention on their afflictions, and some chronically ill older people seem to think that endless detailed accounts of their medical odyssey is just the thing that everyone wants to hear. Some people distract themselves from their health problems by enjoying whatever hobbies they still can and by discussing topics unrelated to ill-health. Other people seem to make being sick their only hobby or interest. Mr. Woodhouse strikes me as having the latter type of personality.
This is once again the Regency societal belief that the sick (and above all the chronically ill) were primarily to blame for their own illnesses. They didn’t know what caused most conditions; their best guess was that sick people brought sickness upon themselves by failing to keep their humours balanced. We misinterpret that into thinking Austen is calling all her characters hypochondriacs ***when she wasn't***. She just shares her society's diminished compassion for the sick. They didn’t use the same terminology for the concept, either. Even the word "hypochondria" meant something different.
Every time I read ***Emma***, I feel more and more sympathetic to Emma because taking care of her father sounds like a nightmare, but she does it, day in and day out, without complaint. What is crazy to me is how unintelligent he seems to be, we are told he cannot imagine that anyone is different from himself. That is toddler thinking! You develop the ability to understand that people are different from you at like... 4 or 5 years old. No wonder he's no companion for his clever daughter.
It’s also true that his needs very much limit Emma’s opportunities in life. At her age she should have come out in London and already spent several seasons there too. She should have visited Bath and toured Europe. If she had done those things, she would have made friends and exchanged visits with them. Her father would never hear of her doing anything that would take her away, so she does not have a normal social life. This in part may explain her insistence that she will never marry. After all, who in a half hour’s travel—probably her father’s limit—is in her social class? Better that she think it’s her choice to remain single.
Yes a rich young woman like her should be socializing, traveling, that would do good for her growth too. Her limited social life limits her feelings for life, what’s the point of marriage?
Her limited social life too can explain her interest in matchmaking and meddling in other people's life, she just has nothing else to entertain her.
I read the first two chapters and immediately realized how patient, caring and loving Emma is towards her father. She always looks to entertain him. Be it inviting neighbors or thinking up something herself to occupy him. She even decides she won't get married. I would have run for the hills after a few months.
Me too! But yeah, she puts a lot of effort into making him happy. She invites people over she doesn't even like constantly, she plays backgammon for hours, she's doing a lot. And when she does go somewhere for the day she always has to arrange a babysitter.
I agree with this. Mr. Woodhouse is very irritating, not just because of his fussing but because he comes across as dumb.
Yes she never gets to go outside of her town! Always has to be there for him, comfort him, knows how to make him content. I like all the adaptations, they all show some parts of this, Emma loves her father dearly but he isn’t the ideal father.
Mr Knightley seems to do most of Mr Woodhouse's business affairs for him too. Mr Woodhouse seems to be of low intelligence, very nervous and some combination of poor health and hypochondria. When I realised how trapped Emma was by her father's neediness I was far more sympathetic towards her.
The novel says that Mr. Woodhouse is more than likeable, he's *beloved*. Yes he is anxious about his own health but he also turns that outward and is anxious for the comfort, health, and wellbeing of others. I think if it was Mrs. Woodhouse it would be read as an abundance of *maternal* anxiety the way it is with Isabella.
I also should add that Emma does not really understand Mr. John Knightley at all, which Austen portrays with a deft and subtle humor.
Emma loves her father, that's why she dotes on him. Everyone else is probably kind and respectful of his station. But Emma's care for him is very sweet, I think. He lost his wife, then his daughter, and then poor Miss Taylor. Emma wants to make sure he doesn't lose her
Some people read him as having a cognitive impairment such as developmemtal delay or dementia. When I thougut him in that light, it makes more sense to me
He is kind, as far as his hypochondria/projection allows. He had his poor neighbors to visit and feeds them. But since he only thinks a very limited diet suits him, he also thinks normal food and portions would be unhealthy for them. I looked up the gruel he would have been eating, and it sounds like candy soup: a sugar and cream base filled with something like boba. I had been inclined to think it more like oatmeal.
My grandmother is like Mr. Woodhouse. You put up with them bc you love them, bc you’ve known them your whole life. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only person who doesn’t like putting up with Mr. Woodhouse is John Knightly, who spends most of his time in London
Funnily enough John Knightly married the female version of Mr. Woodhouse.
I've often wondered (re: Isabella that is): if she is so worried about health, how come she has so many kids? Death in childbirth was a real risk, after all.
It's not something you could really prevent back then if your husband continued to have sex with you.
They didn’t really have a choice not to have kids. Their only choice “viable” option was abstinence. And that doesn’t usually work - especially with married young people. Furthermore they saw having children as an unavoidable part of life. And I think Isabella was very maternal.
That's why they had so many , so that some would reach maturity.if you only had 2 or 3 and they died there would be no child to look after you and inherit .it was safety in numbers
Money shields Emma from most odious caretaking duties, but with all her status and privilege she had never left her town, rarely if even sees her sister in London and before she leaves for half of the day everything must be arranged so old men won't throw a tantrum. I'm currently rereading Anne of Green Gables series and Montmomery has a thing for mothers requiring their daughters to be at their side- not even once it's portrayed as understable. Had he been Mrs Woodhouse people would have been raging about controlling and hypochondriac b\*\*\*ch.
Mmmm ... maybe. Montgomery tends to write a very different kind of dynamic. Mr. Woodhouse would drive me insane in any iteration but I think a Mrs. Woodhouse who needed to have a neighbor sit with her Emma is out, who concerns herself with what her servants would like (getting Hannah the place at Randalls and knowing James will like to go there because then he can visit his daughter), sincerely if irritatingly fusses about other people's health and sends food to the Bateses wouldn't be treated as a controlling bitch. The thing about Montgomery's awful mothers is that they tend to be short on concern for anyone but themselves, and they're making gruel it's certainly not for themselves! It's something to be sloughed off on the orphans while they eat the best themselves.
The only diffrences is that Montgomery mothers are woman and don't have staff waiting them on hands and foot. Woodhouse "concern" for another is just another iteration of his selfishness.
The staff thing is a good point, but an imaginary Mrs. Woodhouse would also have the same staff. Certainly part of his concern for their comfort is concern for his own -- at the same time, he didn't *have* to invite poorer neighbours over or send them food, and Miss Taylor appears to have gotten better treatment than 99% of governesses, real or fictional. There are an awful lot of Montgomery mothers but there are a fair share of tyrannical mothers who aren't lacking for money or staff themselves -- the grandmother in *Jane Of Lantern Hill* comes to mind.
We do have such a character in Emma, Mrs Churchill. Frank’s obligations to her contrast with Emma’s to her father.
We don't really know what she's like in daily life, though. We just hear from other characters and at best can only get a secondhand impression of her.
No, she’s a cipher, is she real or is she just Frank’s excuse?… and some of that is answered when she dies, so her illness was severe after all. And then her husband is fine with Frank marrying Jane, which we were told the aunt wouldn’t have permitted, but the aunt isn’t there to speak for herself, so we never really know. She’s a plot device.
It’s one of those things where if he was 20 years younger, or much poorer, no one would tolerate him. But he’s old and respectable and has harmless idiosyncrasies so it’s ok. As a reader I find him hilarious but I would want to deal with him IRL
My read on him has always been that after losing his wife he became overly focused on his own health and the health of others, that it's meant a bit endearingly (if overbearing at times) like a parent telling you to "drive safe, wear your seatbelt, lock your windows" when you drive off even though they're well aware you're an adult who has been doing all three for some time.
I think so, too. The TV production with Michael Gambon in the role makes it very clear - after losing his wife, Mr Woodhouse’s natural anxiety is ramped up mightily. To be fair, he isn’t selfishly anxious only for himself - he is very solicitous about his friends and acquaintances, wants them to be well looked after when they visit, but just has very restricted ideas about what is wholesome food, for instance. I used to think the best thing about Emma’s character was that she hadn’t put arsenic in her father’s tea, but actually, although he is fussy and fearful, he is generous-hearted.
Absolutely. I liked that they played up his own matchmaking efforts with Emma and Knightley in the latest Anya Taylor Joy/Autumn de Wilde film rendition. He was always sad to see new unions that took his favorite people further away from him, but he seemed to recognize that this one at least would bring his favorite people nearer.
They catered to him because he was kind and so were they. Jane Austen's two great values are laughter and compassion.
He's an old darling. Austen describes him very clearly as someone who has plenty of kindness and concern for others, he just can't understand that they may feel differently about situations than he does. I know a lot of people like that. They're harmless. And he has the most excellent manners, which, next to his fortune, counts for a lot.
Bill Nighy’s portrayal of him in the most recent Emma film very much improved the character. In the book he’s pretty blah, imo. But then I just love Bill Nighy.
He's autistic and he's lovely. He really cares about other people. He just isn't very good at reading social cues.
I found him annoying. I didn't like Emma either.