Mr Knightley, Jane Austen, "Emma"

Mrs Weston: I thought you would have been happy to see that Emma is getting new friends, Mr Knightley.

George Knightley: I would have been, if she had chosen someone else other than Harriet Smith and Frank Churchill.

George Knightley: Harriet does not have enough sense to understand when Emma is being improper, and Churchill actively encourages her to be so.

Mrs Weston: Frank is just lively, and him and Emma would be good for each other-why, I think he might make her realise something new about herself! Or us, who knows-

George Knightley: *scoffs* the only thing he made me realise is that my feelings for Emma are more than platonic.

Mrs Weston: what?

George Knightley: what?

Mr. George Knightley (Emma, 2009)

this is the funniest jane austen has ever been

Mr. Knightley is so petty when it comes to Frank Churchill, it's hilarious. Earlier, Knightley judges Frank's handwriting as "girly":

Nah, you aren't jealous at all.

Knightley constantly looking around in confusion when fighting with Emma like he's on the Office. Obsessed with the acting choice.

2009 Knightley is just so good! He's smiley he's kind he's decent he's honest and firm but he's not mean about it he's just a good man!!! You can tell why Emma loves him! And honestly you can tell why he loves Emma as well!

I've said it before, but I reread Emma, so I'm saying it again.

George Knightley is THE Austen Hero. He is kind, compassionate, never condescends. He is so nice that not once, but TWICE, he is mistaken for being in love when he's not. He may be strict and rational, but he isn't cold. He plays with his nieces and nephews and helps keep the peace between family members. He calls Emma out, but only because he wants to help her be the best possible version of herself. He moves into Hartfield at the end, something completely unheard of in those days, because he knows Emma would never leave her father and he would never ask her to.

He is just. The Peak.

Mr. Knightley:

Emma & Mr. Knightley

“I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” – Jane Austen once wrote of her character Emma Woodhouse.

But really, since I first read “Emma” in the mid-2000s, Emma Woodhouse was never difficult for me to like. The novel opens with this: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition… had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” We are more than prepared that we’re about to be introduced to a spoiled, little rich girl who likes to have her way. I believe it’s Emma’s faults that endear us to her. She’s not a bad person; she’s not immoral or vicious. She’s devoted to her father, she looks after the poor, she adores her former governess/companion Mrs. Weston. Though she’s twenty-one at the start of the story, the novel is a bildungsroman – one of self-discovery and self-improvement. When I first read “Emma” and watched the adaptation with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam, I was totally Team Emma and Knightly – the two actors totally sold the romance on screen. Emma should be a difficult character to translate to screen – but every actress that portrays her brings her to life in a new way.

Time passed, and after other re-readings and study of articles and literary criticism, I began to question Austen marrying Emma off to Mr. Knightley – the guy who spends most of the book scolding and lecturing her. There were times I thought she and Harriet Smith should have a Boston Marriage (apologies, that term comes later in history), or Emma should remain single and free. After all, throughout the book Emma insists she will never marry, and from the adaptations it seems the one she shows continual interest in is Harriet. I became dissatisfied with Austen’s ending and couldn’t fathom why she ended up with Knightley.

In the last couple of months, I re-read “Emma” and I rewatched “Emma 2009” where Romola Garai portrays Emma, and Johnny Lee Miller plays Mr. Knightley. The 2009 version is four episodes long, so we are able to spend time with the characters and enjoy their story arcs. Also, kudos to Johnny Lee Miller for making Mr. Knightley absolutely hilarious. And Romola Garai….Emma Woodhouse seems to have been created for her. Because of the re-read and rewatch, I’m back to being Team Emma and Knightley. Why did I change my mind yet again?

Following the marriage of Miss Taylor to Mr. Weston, Emma has time on her hands and decides to take Harriet Smith under her wing and match her up with Highbury’s vicar, Mr. Elton. For the first volume, most of Emma’s attention is on Harriet, the belief that Harriet is the daughter of a gentleman, and this prospective match. There are other things going on, but Emma’s focus is primarily on Harriet…but as the book progresses her interest in Harriet wanes. Harriet is still a sort of companion to Emma, but after Mr. Elton drunkenly proposes to Emma at Christmas time and her plans are ruined, Harriet is more in the background. Emma occasionally thinks of her, considers setting her up with others, and then after Harriet fancies herself in love with Knightley, Emma ghosts her friend. In the book, their friendship is never quite the same. When Harriet’s father is revealed to be a *gasps* tradesman and she marries Robert Martin, placing her in a different place in society, they go their separate ways. Harriet is also an afterthought when characters like Frank Churchill, Mrs. Elton, and Jane Fairfax show up in Highbury.

Mr. Knightley, however, is consistent throughout the book. Yes, he’s often scolding or mansplaining, but he is there and Emma’s romance with him is foreshadowed from the start. In his defense, he does own up to mistakes and faults. Emma and Knightley were always friends; they speak with out reservations, with complete honesty. Theirs is a friendship to lovers trope – perhaps its even the origin of this trope. In a way, I prefer their romance. They are equals and will never have to worry about one or the other being higher or lower in their sphere. They bicker and fuss like an old married couple. Yet Emma greatly admires Mr. Knightley; in her opinion he is the best example of what a gentleman ought to be. He is intelligent, honest, responsible, considerate of others, thoughtful, loyal, diligent, active…Emma becomes the best version of herself when she’s with him.

Like Emma, I’m searching for my own Mr. Knightley – someone I admire enough to fall in love with. My aunt once told me it's best to have a friendship with the person you fall in love with. Because if the romance and sparks peter off, and hard times come along, you'll still have that friendship to sustain you.

Until next time.

Mr Knightley is my favorite Austen hero for multiple reasons, but at core — y’all. He’s in charge of his own shit. He has his own estate which he runs so well he’s wealthy; he has no older relations to convince or consult before going his own way; he has no younger relations begging for money or, in fact, needing anything at all. He’s the most free, most independent person in any Austen novel —

And what does he do with that freedom? Exactly what he wants, which is to farm. To work. He has a lot of responsibilities and he looks after half the village — and he likes that; he’s good at it. He’s not internally warring with shoulds or oughts or if-onlys. Most other Austen characters are wrapped in invisible constraints that make me feel claustrophobic, but not Mr. Knightley.

He’s also so confident — not arrogant nor prideful, just confident. To me he seems content with who he is.

I think if you worked for him, he’d see that you have what you need to be successful, and then leave you alone — unless you weren’t reaching what he thought was your potential, and then he’d draw it out of you.

George Knightley: the only Austen character I’d like as an employer!

"Not all men" you're right. George Knightley would never do this.

austen adaptation meme: ¼ suitors

Period Drama Appreciation Week 2023 | Day 6: Favorite Character | George Knightley as portrayed by Jonny Lee Miller in Emma (2009)

No Thoughts of Matrimony at Present

This post was inspired by this one by @taciturn-nerd

At the ball in Highbury, Mr. Knightley places himself with the old and married men. This is a significant move: he’s saying that he isn’t interested in getting married. It is acceptable for married men to dance, but for a man like Mr. Knightley, not dancing is likely taken as a sign that he is a confirmed bachelor.

Which means that Emma and Mr. Knightley both claim to have no thoughts of marrying and they are both delusional.

But also, when you consider that Mr. Knightley was going to sit out, for him to then join the dance for the rest of the evening on Harriet’s account, you can see she felt it was so significant. He crossed over from not-thinking-of-matrimony to available for her. Or at least that was how Harriet interpreted it.

Emma actually got this one right, Knightley was being kind and covering over Elton’s insult. Emma didn’t get everything right though, we can’t forget that by openly confirming that she and Knightley are not related and should therefore dance, she opened the door on their future relationship. Something she seems entirely unconscious of that evening.

Also, Emma thinking that Mr. Knightley can easily tell that she isn’t flirting with Frank Churchill, oh sweet summer child,

Maybe that’s why he’s putting himself on the never gonna marry side, honey.