International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (IJLLT)

ISSN: 2617-0299
www.ijllt.org

The Themes of Attachment and Love in Jane Austen's Emma: A Critical Study
Dr. Ali Albashir Mohammed Al-Haj
College of Science and Arts, Department of English, Dhahran Al-Janoub, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia
Corresponding Author: Dr. Ali Albashir Mohammed Al-Haj, E-mail: [email protected]

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Received: September 28, 2019 The present study aims at studying critically the themes of attachment and love
Accepted: October 12, 2019 in Jane Austen’s Emma. Jane Austen is the first important woman novelist who
Published: November 30, 2019 stands above both the classical and romantic movement. Moreover, through the
Volume: 2 fixed character in her novel, ''Emma'' Jane Austen treats various themes:
Issue: 6 attachment, love and marriage and thwarted love. The writer also uses them as
DOI: 10.32996/ijllt.2019.2.6.9 a medium for criticizing her own society in general and the other societies in
KEYWORDS particular. Furthermore, married to a clever husband, Emma resembles an
unsuccessful marriage based on sexual attraction. Finally, the paper ends with
themes, love, attachment, the conclusion that, love, or attachment- the word she preferred – had a precise
Emma: Jane Austen and perhaps peculiar connotation for Jane Austen. Essentially, it expected the
quality of affection that might be found between the members of a happy family.
Young men and women who become honorably attached to one another were
something more than siblings, something less than lovers.

1. INTRODUCTION1
Jane Austen's Emma is a beautifully conceived they been ignored. Jane Austen who achieved little
dramatic novel .Originally published in three fame during her life, emerged as a monument of
volumes, it succeeds in endowing each volume with outstanding fiction writer in the twentieth-century.
its own surprise and cunningly contrived climax: it is The third millennium has welcomed her as a writer to
also deliberately didactic However humorously be read worldwide.(Omer, 2002,p.1)
presented, Mr. Woodhouse's vale-tudinarianism is Almost all major critics of modern day England, like
tiresome and self-centered; Mrs. Elton's vulgar Malcolm Bradbury and Laurance Lerner, have had
snobbery ( and her lack of respect for her betters)is important comments to make on Austen’s comments
wholly in excusable; Mr.Frank Churchill's good to make on Austen’s contribution to English fiction.
nature and polished ease of manner conceal of a Scholars, other than the English critics, have added to
lack of candor and a willingness to give pain to the growing body of Jane Austen in good measure.
others. Intelligence is better than stupidity, as the One might think that it would be a rash act to
example of Miss Bate clear, but active goodwill is undertake research into such an overworked author.
better still. Has not all the salience of this important author been
looked into? Then why undertake a fresh work? The
Jane Austen's ironic stances forces the reader to think answer is simple: one has a right to record one’s
about issues; the restriction of the ' world' of the impression of a writer one likes. One hears so much
novel, whether geographical, numerical or social, about the age of anxiety these days, so much about
does not diminish the principles involved. void and ennui and alienation, so much about the
2. Jane Austen’s Contribution, Reputation and collapse of values. Let’s go back to an eighteenth-
Writing Career century society and have a look at a portraiture of
Jane Austen is hailed as an author of great family and social relations. In addition to relief and
achievement. Six novels of assured success-surely artistically pleasure, we shall find them, in good
they constitute a healthy body of literature which no measure, relevant to our own age of globalization
serious student of the subject can ignore. Nor have (ibid.p.2)
2.1 Jane Austen’s Life: Family and Social
Background
Published by Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development. Jane Austen’s father, the Reverend George Austen,
Copyright (c) the author(s). This is an open access article under CC was descended from a Kentish family. Unfortunately,
BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) he was orphaned at an early age and was left no

71
The Themes of Attachment and Love in Jane Austen's Emma: A Critical Study

property. His uncle, an attorney at Tonbridge, took a few weeks, he and Jane parted and he died before
the trouble of educating him. Leaving Tonbridge they could meet again.
School, he got a scholarship to Oxford and later
became a fellow of St. John’s College. He then took Mr. Warre Cornish mentions this story in his life of
Orders and got married in 1764 and benefices were Jane Austen. Mr. Austen Leigh, her nephew and the
found for him. His uncle bought him the rectory of brother of Caroline, does not attach much importance
Deane in Hampshire. In addition to that, Mr. Knight, to it in his Memoir. He thinks that it is likely that the
a distant relative, presented to him the adjoining gentleman loved his aunt, but does not believe that
rectory of Steventon. The two villages were close her heart was ever won by anybody. All that he
together and he was able to do the work of the two would admit was a ‘passing inclination’. This cannot
parishes. He chose for his wife miss Cassandra mean that he disbelieved Cassandra, who knew her
Leigh, whose father had been a Fellow of All Souls sister better than any brother or nephew could. But he
and whose uncle was Master of Balliol for fifty years. must have distrusted Caroline’s account of the story –
The family lived at Deane until 1771 when they left it thought that she might have misunderstood
for Steventon, where Jane was born in the year 1775 Cassandra or had touched it up (Kennedy 1969:36).
and spent the first twenty six years of her short life. It is not likely to think that Jane Austen accepted
Jane Austen was the seventh of eight children: six spinster-hood without regret. She was once an
boys and two girls. The other girl was Cassandra who energetic girl who used to dance and flirt and was
was two years older than Jane and was the nearest to likely to love and marry. To compensate for this loss,
her heart. They were devoted to each other and, when Jane and Cassandra made a sisterly alliance, which
apart, wrote to each other continually. mitigated the loneliness of their single lives. They
relied on the intellectual resources and the warm
The Austen family was a lively, affectionate, and relationship with their brothers who valued them.
intelligent one. The members were very fond of one
another. Jane and Cassandra spent a great deal of In addition to that they were given adequate liberty
their time with their brother Edward in Kent, who than most of their contemporaries. Jane’s girlhood
was given Godmersham by the widow of Mr. Knight ended by the year 1800. Mr. Austen took the
in 1778. The two sisters seldom paid visits together, determined decision of leaving Steventon and retiring
since one daughter was always needed at home. Thus to Bath. On this occasion Jane was not happy and
the visit to Godmersham always meant a rush of even miserable. They removed to Bath and remained
letters to be exchanged. The life witnessed in the in it until the death of Mr. Austen in 1805. Upon the
letters is similar to the lives of girls portrayed in the death of Mr. Austen, the widow and her daughters
novels. There is a great deal about walking, riding, removed to Southampton. About this period litter is
excursions, playing, singing and sketching. They also known because letters between the two sisters were
read novels and did a lot of needlework. They also scarcely exchanged. Maybe the sisters were not often
visited cottages, gave ‘shifts’ to old women, went to apart and few letters were needed.
church, and had balls. Jane loved dancing; a passion The rush of letters was continued again after they had
which she bestowed on the heroines of her novels. settled in Southampton and Jane once expressed her
Her life can be well epitomized by reading her relief with which she escaped from Bath. It is evident
remarks about the balls mentioned in her letters. that during the years of Bath she was not happy and
To increase his income, Mr. Austen took pupils. A she could not write during this period. In 1804 she
Thomas Fowle was one of them. Cassandra later attempted a novel, the Watsons, but after a few
became engaged to him; but he died in 1997 of fever chapters she abandoned it and she never took it up
in the West Indies where he was sent as an army again.
chaplain. Cassandra never married. The two sisters They stayed at Southampton until 1809 when they
led the life of spinster-hood together. They had offers moved to more pleasant surroundings. The mother
but they would not accept a marriage not based on and sisters were offered a cottage on Edward’s estate
true love. at Chawton in Hampshire. In these country
After Jane’s death Cassandra told her niece, Caroline, surroundings Jane was able to resume writing.
that she and Jane happened to meet someone one During five years, three of her novels saw light:
summer by the sea who was attracted to Jane. They Mansfield Park, 1811-13; Emma, 1814-15; and
young man didn’t declare himself, but had he done Persuasion, 1815-16. That was in addition to the
so, she was sure he would have been accepted. After three earlier books, which were being arranged for
publication, and then Jane Austen was getting into
print.
72
 IJLLT 2(6):71-76

Jane Austen’s books achieved a mild success. Most today lodged among the lasting classics (Kenndey
readers were not enthusiastic about them, but Jane 1969:55).
was content with whatever little praise or money she
could gain. The contemporary critics took no notice Many readers, even in the United Kingdom, have an
of her. Compared to her contemporary Fanny Burney impression that Jane Austen was an early Victorian, a
(1752-1840), she was considered a failure. She was contemporary of the Bronte Sisters. This faulty idea
not in touch with the literary world. She never is due to two reasons. The first reason is the way in
corresponded with or met any other writer. Probably, which the motion pictures show the characters of the
she never in her life met somebody who was her novels. Jane Eyre, Catherine Earnshaw, and Elizabeth
equal in achievement or talent. Bennet, for example, are dressed in the same fashion
that makes the audiences think of them as
Jane Austen is said to have been diffident and shy in contemporaries. The other reason is the standard of
company and she would have found fame Jane’s books themselves; the books look so
uncomfortable. But she might well have enjoyed the completely removed in thought, sentiment, and
contact with men of letters, which a more spectacular atmosphere from all that readers associate with the
success might have won for her. Some of her eighteenth century. Richardson (1689-1761) and
contemporaries appreciated her work, but she never Fielding (1707-1754) are, for readers, the typical
knew about that. novelists of that age. There is a gulf between Jane
Austen’s Elizabeth and Richardson’s Pamela that
One incident was counted as a success for Jane in the cannot be bridged. The two girls resemble different
field of contacting the effective characters of her day. worlds, although the same reign witnessed the deaths
Mr. Clarke, the Librarian at Carlton House, told her of Richardson and Jane Austen (Kennedy 1969:8).
that the Prince regent greatly admired her works and
intimated that she might dedicate the next one to His To some readers, her date and period are vague. They
Royal Highness. Accordingly, Emma was dedicated know that she was a pre-Victorian, but they think of
to the First Gentleman in Europe-the Prince Regent. her as a nineteenth century novelist, ‘the first
Mr. Clarke also suggested that she should attempt ‘an swallow of a new summer’. Factually, in so far as she
historical romance, illustrative of the august House of belonged to any period she was Georgian. The
Cobourge’. She replied that if her life depended upon Victorians did not pay her much attention; she
her ability to write a romance she would certainly be belonged to an age from which they have too recently
hung before she finished the first chapter (Kennedy escaped.
1969:33).
When Jane Austen was mature enough to look at
The above story shows that Jane Austen wrote for the people around her with a critical eye, she must have
pleasure of writing and that pleasure was the true noticed three things. Firstly, she noticed that the
reward Jane Austen was doomed to receive. Jane manners and the culture to which she had been used
escaped the sweets of success and celebrity but she in her father’s house were not universal. Secondly,
also escaped their perils. much lower standards can be witnessed in large
country houses, among powerful landowners.
In the year 1816 Jane’s health began to deteriorate Thirdly, these great people were not aware of their
but would not accept the life of an invalid. shortcomings. They think of themselves as a superior
Notwithstanding her sinking health, she commenced class, better bred than anybody else. In their opinion
a new novel, Sandition, in which she makes fun of a man who has to work is to rank lower than one who
hypochondriacs. Of it only a fragment is available has not to. Jane Austen portrayed and bore witness in
which at least indicates her courage and zeal. In her novels to these characteristics of her society.
1817, she accompanied Cassandra to Winchester in
order to see a doctor there. They stayed in College Notwithstanding her criticism of the privileged
Street in a small house where a plaque to classes, Jane Austen did not intend to attack them.
commemorate her is still seen. Her health made no She didn’t satirize them and she didn’t mean to act as
progress. By the end of June, the case was hopeless a satirist, because her genius was for comedy and the
and everybody knew that she was dying. On the core of the joke was that the landed gentry thought
eighteenth of July she died in Cassandra’s arms and itself superior, but factually was not.
was buried in Winchester’s Cathedral.
In the twentieth century, new interpretation of Jane
At her death Jane Austen occupied no place in Austen’s novels appeared in the previous Soviet
English Literature. She was rated lower than many Union. They described Jane Austen as a ‘Marxist
contemporaries, whose names fifty years later, had before Marx’. The novels were interpreted as an
been completely forgotten. On the other hand, she is expose of the economic basis of social behavior.

73
The Themes of Attachment and Love in Jane Austen's Emma: A Critical Study

These interpretations are politically oriented and they publishers and she had to wait for about fifteen years
misconstrue the general direction of Jane Austen’s after beginning to write before any novel was
thought. Her social criticism as well as her interest in accepted. Northanger Abbey, for example, was sold
the material welfare of her characters is not at all to a bookseller in Bath for ten pounds, but he didn’t
politically motivated. To Jane Austen, the political publish it, and it was brought back later on.
situation was taken for granted. According to Butler, Though Jane Austen wrote her books in troubled
she is not a sycophant of wealth or rank. The class years which included the French Revolution, her
she deals with has local, not national importance. In novels were calm portraits of social life. She
the eighteenth century term, Jane Austen is a Tory appreciated the significance of the family relations in
rather than a Whig (Odmark 1981:134). human affairs. Two of her brothers were in the navy,
but she took no notice of the violence of nations.
A lot has been said about Jane Austen’s range. The
recurring question is how much of England did Jane During the mid-eighteenth-century Johnson was the
see? She was ignorant of the northern and the western greatest man of letters. Cowper was the most eminent
extremities but if is not true that she rarely ventured poet in the last quarter of it. The two of them
beyond Hampshire and Bath. Factually she traveled dominated Jane Austen’s youthful horizon. Johnson
through fourteen countries. She knew three cities died when she was eight years old and Cowper when
intimately and was acquainted with many stretches of she was twenty four. Johnson was the prose writer
the English coastline. She knew the whole of she most admired and Cowper her favourite poet
southern England (Lane 1986:12). (Gillie 1977:37).
Village life suited Jane Austen well, but she was also Jane Austen modeled her characters upon Johnson’s.
familiar with London. This familiarity was an her style is like his in the way that it has definition,
important part of her cultural background, which balance and assurance, which reflects faith in clarity,
added to her assurance as a commentator on society. judgement, and good sense. Their styles include a
Her brother Henry had a London home, which she clear sightedness about the incongruity between
visited occasionally. The theatre, galleries and pretence and reality which makes irony a more
museums of London contributed to Jane Austen’s prevalent tone in the eighteenth century writing.
experience. With Henry she visited Drury Lane,
Covet Garden and the Lyceum, where they took a According to her brother, Henry Cowper was Jane
private box. In 1969, she attended Astleys equestrian Austen’s favourite poet. The contemporaries whom
theatre. Henry also took her to Liverpool Museum, she admired among poets were the conservative
the British Gallery, and an exhibition of paintings at poets: Scott with his ballads and romances, Crabbe
Spring Garden (Lane, 1986, p.167). with his eighteenth century couplet (Gillie 1977:54).

The idea that her subject matter is limited cannot be Jane Austen was not only conservative in her poetic
justified, because the class of the gentry resembles taste, but she was also isolated from contemporary
the backbone of England. Characters of that class writers. This isolation from the intellectuals of her
were well portrayed in Jane’s novels in a way that day makes any study of her work, which is little
made her work timeless. Jane Austen paid due concerned with sciences and philosophy of her day,
attention to the question of choosing a marriage and more concerned with the usual cultural interest of
partner, which is vitally important to anyone’s life. It her contemporaries and readers, widened only by her
is true that Jane Austen was keen not to move out of choice of literary or cultural influences.
areas which she knew through and through. She Compared to Fanny, Jane Austen had a wider field.
applied her irony to these well-known areas and so Fanny satirized the meanly born and respected the
what she wrote was realistic and fascinating. great. Jane Austen was not so respectful of the great.
2.2 Jane Austen’s Literary Career, Fame and She found promising materials in the simple and the
Style great.
Although Jane Austen lived into the nineteenth The six novels which built her fame and success were
century, she is considered and eighteenth century written over a period of twenty-one years between
novelist because her art has the qualities of the 1796 and 1817, but they were all published close
eighteenth century novel. Jane Austen brought the together between 1811 and 1818. Jane Austen’s work
novel of family life to its zenith. Her works were not is a living example of perfection. She wrote because
affected by the ugliness of the outside world. She she loved to write and she always did her utmost best
kept the action to scenes familiar to her through her to perfect her work. She once said laughingly about
own experience. Her first novels were refused by some designs which she had made to amuse an infant
74
 IJLLT 2(6):71-76

nephew: ‘An artist cannot do anything slovenly’ teasing remarks go astray. She is to learn during the
(Kennedy 1969:29) course of the novel how deeply such talk can hurt.
3.The Themes of Dependence and Independence Mr. Knightley is immediately established as a man of
and Attachment and Love in Jane Austen's Emma discernment, honesty and candor, interested enough
in Emma to take notice of her, concerned enough to
3.1 The Story of the Novel speak genuinely to her. The courtship of Emma and
Jane Austen's Emma is a love story in which young Mr. Knightley-the unavowed mainspring of the
men and women who live in the same area meet at novel- is a gradual matching of styles of speech ;'
dances, in each other's homes or while walking in the liveliness' is one thing :insincerity is quite another.
village. Mr. Knightley's grave conversation implies a deep
Emma, the main character, is a clever, pretty, twenty- attachment to values which are gradually revealed
one-years old, who lives alone with her father, by unfolding action of the novel.
Mr.Woodhouse, near the village of Highbury .She
becomes friends with seventeen-years-old Harriet, It is a sad mistake to see Jane Austen as preoccupied
who has been abandoned by her parents. Emma with worldly success and the nice calculation of
decides that she will find a suitable husband for income and estate. Money was undoubtedly
Harriet,but stops her marrying Robert Martin ,a local necessary and significant in the lives of Jane's
farmer ,because she thinks he is not enough for her. Austen's women because it assured a level of
She believes that Mr. Elton, the local vicar , would be privacy, independence and freedom to maintain
a much better match. certain social values which they ( and she) thought
worthwhile. For an unmarried woman the line
Her Attempt to make a match between Harriet and between independence and drudgery was easily
Mr.Elton fails miserably but, undeterred, she tries to crossed .In her own life Jane Austen's had
pair Harriet with Frank Churchill .However, Frank experienced the precariousness of a woman's
announces a surprise engagement to Jane Fairfax, independence; her private life of imaginative
while Harriet herself believes that Mr. Knightly , a creativity had to fit in with the demands of a large
close friend of Emma's, is in love with her. As it turns circle of family and friends .Of the women in her
out, Mr.Knightly is really in love with Emma and novels only Emma Woodhouse thought of herself as
asks her to marry him. She accepts and decides to having a personal independence which she might use
stop interfering in other people's lives. So, when she as she wished.
hears that Harriet has accepted Robert Martin's
second proposal of marriage, she wishes the couple To conclude, Jane Austen was always ready to
all the best.( Blake.p,61) contrast undisciplined emotion with those recognition
of the intensity of human feelings which could be
3.2 The Theme of Dependence and Independence acted upon because they had been understood .The
in the Novel independence she sought for her heroines was a
The theme of Emma is 'dependence or spiritual freedom: money and position freed them
independence'-but of mind rather than pocket. To from external constrains; self-knowledge freed them
understand how Jane Austen handles this theme we from the great and little passion which destroy life or
must listen to the voices of her characters-and demean it.
especially to the voice of the narrator- with great
care. What deduction are we to draw from the final 3.3 The Theme of Attachment and Love in the
words of the narrative comment? Is Emma protecting Novel
her father's image of her or is she protecting her own Jane Austen's Emma is set in' the large and populous
image of herself? Or has she simply not begun to village almost amounting to a town' of Highbury,
think about her own character: is there a real danger where Mr.Woodhouse has a substantial property.
that she secretly suspects she may be perfect? Emma is a penetrating story of self- discovery,
Understanding others is difficult, especially if our infinitely sharp in its dissection of the self-deception
perceptions are dulled by prejudice or self- of its protagonist. Marriage may have been the
absorption.( Milligan.1984/2005/,p.70). expected outcome for her heroines but Jane Austen
We are given the word' playful' to hear Emma's tone is not content to relate a simple story of courtship
of voice, but her father, his mind clouded by with its tribulations and ultimate success .In her
imaginary ills, misses it. Emma's witty high spirits novels ' love' has clear ethical and spiritual
run the risk of insincerity: she is good at the kind of connotations. Her lovers are not expressing any
conversation that promises no commitment. But she single domestic affection; they are affirming values
is genuinely concern red, as we see here, if her upon which their civilized society depends.

75
The Themes of Attachment and Love in Jane Austen's Emma: A Critical Study

Emma is blind about herself, her friends, her own insincerity, but a failure of courtesy is almost always
wishes and her own best interests. She takes an a sign of egotism and hardness of heart. It is when the
interest in Harriet Smith, a girl of no family and enormity of her breath of decorum is brought home to
uncertain parentage, who has been educated at the her that the process of regeneration begin in Emma,
local school. Harriet is interested in a decent local climaxed by her realization that she is in love with
farmer but Emma encourages her to set her sights Mr.knightley, who will give her life the firmness of
higher. She first tries to throw Harriet into the arms principle it has so lacked. This is something the
of Mr. Elton, a young clergyman who has a rather reader has had the chance to realize all long ,because
higher sense of what is due to him. He surprises though Emma is not aware herself of the real nature
Emma by proposing to her; when she refuses, he of her feeling for Mr.knightle, the reader has been
soon returns with an acceptable bride. Emma and given the clues that should have enable him to guess
Harriet are then involved with Frank Churchill, a it. In fact, the novel is plotted with all the minute,
neighbor's son who has been adopted as the; heir of a deceptive skill of a detective story; the surface
rich family. His parents see Emma as a suitable appearance of the action hints will understand the
match for; Emma thinks Harriet might be in love with truth of what is going on better than the heroine from
him; in fact, he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, whose point of view we see the action.
the niece of a poor and rather ridiculous spinster.
Finally. to her horror, Emma discovers that Harriet is REFERNCES
really in love with Knightley; a neighboring [1] Al-Haj, A. (2014) The Portrayal of Male Fools in
landowner and Emma's brother-in-law,who has been Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. English language
her friend for years. Her feelings on hearing this and Literature Studies. Vol.4.N0.2:
news give her some insight into her own affections. 2014.doi:10.5539/ells.v4n2p44.
Emma is suffused by subtler but hardly gentler irony, [2] Al-Haj, A. (2018) The Concept of Selfishness in
Emma Woodhouse is, like Elizabeth Bennet, clever Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice International
and independent, but she is spoilt, and too used to Journal of Innovative Research and Knowledge
having her own way. In the first chapter a beautiful Volume-3 Issue-4, April-2018 ..
balance is maintained: Emma's father is shown to be
amiably selfish and demanding, intellectually no [3] Austen, J. (1983/2011). Pride and Prejudice.
more than a cabbage. We admire the good-humor and London: Oxford Univ. Press.
self-restraint with which Emma ministers to his wants
and protect him from anxiety or irritation. On the [4] Blake, W. (2013) .The Filed of Vision. London:
other hand, we see that her solicitude comes in part Oxford Univ. Press.
from her desire to maintain and increase her own [5] Gillie, C. (1990) A Preface to Jane Austen.
independence. Emma enjoys the feelings that, London: Longman,
unknown to her, people are dancing as she pulls the
strings. She contemplates life aesthetically, and tries [6] Kennedy, M. (1995 Jane Austen. London: Robert
to bring things that she would find fitting, nicely Hale,.
patterned, appropriate. Even when she imagines
herself in love with Frank Churchill it is the artistic [7] Milligan, I (1984/2005.) The English Novel.
appropriateness of such a relationship that she seems London: Longman.
to gain most satisfaction from.
[8] Nash, G. (1999). Jane Austen and Pride &
4. CONCLUSION Prejudice. London: Longman.
Every step Emma takes into the world of feelings is
[8] Omer, A. (2002). Fools and Nerds in Selected
mistaken, whether she is trying to promote or prevent
Work of Jane Austen (Unpublished master’s thesis).
marriage. As always in Jane Austen moral questions
Yemen University, Sanaa, Yemen.
are illuminated by social behavior. When the self-
important Mr. Elton, the vicar, refuses to dance with [9] Odmark, J. (1992). An Understanding of Jane
the illegitimate Harriet Smithson at a ball Mr. Austen’s Novels. London: Basil Blackwell Publisher,
Knightley, not a dancing man, immediately takes on
to the floor. Similarly, the consequence of Emma's [10] Rickett, C. (2003). The Rise of the Novel.
self-well and too-great freedom are finally made London: Oxford Univ. Press.
clear to the reader when she is rude to poor, silly
[11] Stephan, M. (2001). Understanding of Jane
Miss bates at the Box Hill picnic. Excessive courtesy
Austen’s Novels. London: Longman.
is likely to be distrusted in Jane Austen, as denoting

76