Posted by Kathy F. on July 01, 1997 at 22:23:07:
In reply to Re: ...and the battle for Emma's soul... posted by Kathy on July 01, 1997 at 04:58:29
] I'm not quite sure what you're trying to argue now. Here, you seem to contradict everything you stated previously, which is that Mr. Knightley wasn't really in love with Emma until Box Hill:
] Didn't I say it had been a while? ;-) But I think that he would have controlled himself enough to not show that much difference in his actions, like Emma did when she thought that Mr. Knightley was in love with Harriet. So I still hold to Emma3 and the apparent lack of affection (until you read between the lines) as being the more proper interpretation.
] Before, you stated that he really wasn't aware that he loved her until She and Frank are going at it at the picnic. Now you're agreeing with us that he was just controlling himself all along? I don't get it.
________
Perhaps I should have made more clear my retraction. I'm sorry, I know my own mind (occasionally ;-P) and apparently I think that every one else is a mind reader. (Sorry for any inconvenience.) I was taking back what I said about Mr. Knightley's knowledge of his love for Emma. I agree with the book that he was aware of his feelings, but just controlled himself. His going to London was the ultimate struggle that he lost because (imho) he felt he could no longer act the part expected of him in the face of Emma's and Frank's engagement. Up until that point, he was able to keep whatever feelings he had, cloaked in the sort of affection he had always shown Emma--with perhaps a few breaking the surface.
Kathy