To look at the novel it can be said that it has responded both with the hastiest speed over other literary genres to express new social ideas as well as prove to not only be an art form in itself but a social and moral document of the times it represents. Jane Austen’s Emma as well as Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre both serve as texts that solidify this argument which will be evident through looking at the social idea of romanticism as well as the social aspects of marriage and social structure along with moral themes including judgment and honesty.
A prime example of how the novel has expressed new social ideas can be seen when looking at romanticism. Romanticism, “a movement in literature and art during the late 18th and 19th centuries that celebrated nature rather than civilization” is a movement which can be highlighted as an influence in both Austen’s Emma as well as Bronte’s Jane Eyre. The trend started as a reaction against the social order and gained support in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. It stressed freedom from restraints and rules and emphasized emotion, imagination and mystery. Romanticism often centers around nature and is concerned with the individual rather than class order, common themes include the supernatural and gothic . Austen’s writing in Emma does not focus on the latter but we can definitely find examples of concern for the individual over class. Austen, through the use of Emma, shows a shallow young lady from a relatively good class standing who often judges based on class and looks rather that the individual. Social status was determined by descent and connections, length of family’s residence, occupation as well as wealth and its source. This proved to be an issue as Austen wrote the text when times were changing and a merchant class was evolving which challenged social status as the source of this wealth was not old and work was done in order to obtain it. By the completion of the text the main character has seen the...