“Austen's novels are all about money. » How true is this comment about “Emma”? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Behind every action lies a motivation, a will that serves to support the self's most overt and secret desires. In Jane Austen's Emma, ​​money acts as a motivator, directing and supporting all interactions and resulting relationships. However, to say that the novel is “all about money” would be a blind approach; Austen paints a vibrant and convoluted world, such complexity naturally making all of the characters' motivations not just tied to one thematic desire, but rather multiple. As in the discussion that follows, one will realize the importance of other themes like love or class, and how Austen cleverly interweaves the use of comedy and commentary to complement the development of the character and the reader's experience. Money, for many characters, acts as a central motivator. For women, wealth creates independence and distance from their male counterparts and from laborious or degrading occupations. For men, wealth means freedom, ease of living and societal respect. A key example is that of Mr. Elton, an individual driven into marriage by prospects of wealth. Whenever he chats with a narrator or character, synonymous words surrounding themes of monetary value appear, such as "high place" and "fortune", both of which have connotations with societal hierarchy and tax incentives. The character further remarks, using a metaphor, that Mr. Elton prefers "Miss Somebody" than Harriet, because for him, he naturally needs an individual of rich and strong social status. The pronoun “someone” is somewhat hyperbolic, as if to say that Mr. Elton thinks that anyone other than Harriet could realize such a desired disposition in a partner. Austen further seems to convey an underlying message in this simple phrase, that a person who considers money the primary reason for marriage is someone with insincere, malicious, and simply sycophantic motives, as suggested by this descriptive comment diverted from “Miss Somebody”. ". Mr. Elton even hyperbolizes his thoughts by stating that he "never cared whether she [Harriet] was dead or alive"; such exaggerations seem ignorantly crude and therefore humorous to the reader, not least because of the placement of the two characters in a small car and Mr. Elton's subsequent crying. The monosyllabic diction of the words “dead or alive” also emphasizes their direct and hurtful nature. The importance of repeating Mr. Elton's description in this way is later seen in his motivation to marry Miss Hawkins in later chapters, with Emma's rapid movement and Miss Hawkins' wealthy status only proving the truth in this element of Mr. Elton. Elton's character and the nature of money as a motivator and theme. From such descriptions it may be easy to understand the central role of money in Austen's novels, but can money be the only real thematic presence in the text? Not quite, because love is arguably a stronger force for character and plot development. Emma, ​​for example, is constantly obsessing over her societal counterparts' relationships and signs of flirting, noticing every potential act of compassion and connection. Here, the..