Admittedly, there are glimpses of
discovery as well as insignificant
flashes of change with Miss Woodhouse, yet neither occur without violently
external forces shattering into her
little glass house of conscientiousness.
At the conclusion of
the book, the reader will discover that throughout all of her vain follies, Emma Woodhouse has changed as much
as a leopard can change its own
spots. The reason for this is because she, quite like the
aforementioned beast, does not discover
that she truly has any spots. The proof of this can be found in examining Emma and her
interactions with others, her
dealings with her enclosed society, and lastly, the inner thoughts of the character after the
three climatic events in Emma. “As
a walking companion, Emma had very early foreseen how useful she might find her [Harriet].”
(44). This is an excellent example of how Emma
views other people, specifically
those below her rank, which amounts to almost everyone of Highbury.
