Jane Austen Quote of the Week 233

My apologies for the late instalment this week (well, last weekend for most of the world now). I have internet problem at home, and I have to do the quote now at the office (shuuussshhh...).

Emma (Romola Garai) and Knightley (Jonny L. Miller) 2009

Anyway, I love the relationship between Mr Knightley and Emma in ‘Emma’. To me, Mr Knightley is the most realistic gentleman you can have for our current era. He does apply to the Regency era as well, of course. His chemistry with Emma is apparent through their banters.

However, I do have a dose of complain to Mr Knightley, and very critical gentlemen like him. They don’t know how to do romance at all! I mean, take a look at this passage from Chapter 1:

Mr. Knightley, in fact, was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the only one who ever told her of them: and though this was not particularly agreeable to Emma herself, she knew it would be so much less so to her father, that she would not have him really suspect such a circumstance as her not being thought perfect by every body.

"Emma knows I never flatter her," said Mr. Knightley, "but I meant no reflection on any body. Miss Taylor has been used to have two persons to please; she will now have but one. The chances are that she must be a gainer."

Point taken, Knightley. And it’s actually admirable that you can say those things unrestrained to Emma; God knows the girl needs it. But now and then, Knightley, it’s okay to say something romantic to Emma. And of course when he does, Emma melts right away.

But I take it, a Knightley-type of person will only reserve his romantic comments or gestures just for very special occasions. And for girls, those occasions can be too far in between. People like Knightley need to balance their objective remarks with romantic gestures every now and then. And I don’t mean once in a blue moon or once in a year. It should be more often than that.