azdak

Re-reading Emma (corona, dontcha know, it strikes me that what Emma wants from Mr Knightley is not actually a husband but the father Mr Woodhouse was never able to be. It's not just his age, it's the whole being able to admire child!Emma's intelligence, talent and good taste in books, whilst wryly acknowledging that she never quite lives up to her promise; it's him being the only person who has ever been able to criticise as well as praise her; it's the moral guidance he provides; it's married!Emma never being able to call him George. Mr Woodhouse, meanwhile, has evidently long been the child to Emma's parent. After 8 years of coaxing him along like a delicate toddler, it's no wonder she yearns for someone with authority to guide and judge her. And I think Mr Knightley would make a terrific father to Emma. AS a lover, though, it's all rather creepy.