Everyday things matter. They matter greatly. In fact, the everyday matters are what make our life. Not the great big things we normally read and watch about. Not only do the everyday things matter, but every single person matters. Our life is made up of what we consider to be the little, trivial things. Deresiewicz said,
Those small, "trivial," everyday things, the things that happen hour by hour to the people in our lives: what your nephew said, what your friend heard, what your neighbor did. That, she [Jane Austen] was telling us, is what the fabric of our years really consist of. That is what life is really about.
The focus on the little things and showing that the little things and every single person is important is what makes Emma powerful. Deresiewicz discusses that Austen knew exactly what she was doing. Austen gloried in her "little" life, things, and people, and she desired for all of us to see that the "little" life, things, and people are what drive our life. Deresiewics says,
Her genius began with the recognition that such lives as hers were very eventful indeed--that every life is eventful, if only you know how to look at it. She did not think that her existence was quiet or trivial or boring; she thought it was delightful and enthralling, and she wanted us to see that our own are, too. She understood that what fills our days should fill our hearts, and what fills our hearts should fill our novels.
I've always loved Emma. It was the first Austen I read, and I fell in love with the small-town, the characters, the banal talk, Emma growing up, and Knightely. Now, I love it even more, and I can't wait to read it again. Thank you Deresiewicz for opening my eyes to Austen's respect of the "little" lives, things, and people in life, and deepening my love for Emma.
No comments:
Post a Comment