"The exploration of different types of selfishness gives Emma a remarkable depth of meaning beneath its [sic] comic surface," and also contributes to that comedy. Jane Austen's characters live in a hyper-educated society, where admirable displays of altruism and concern for others are often the result of the characters' self-interest, and what is right for them they consider to be right for everyone. Although many characters, such as Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Elton, and Mr. John Knightley share this trait, it is very important in Emma and Mr. Knightley. Because the novel is filtered primarily through their perspectives, it portrays a comically confusing world in which social virtue and selfishness are indistinguishable when helping these characters, opposite when harming them, and useless in themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMr. Woodhouse, being Emma's father, undoubtedly influenced her views on others. He is an invalid, or at least a hypochondriac, who provides a comedic foil to Emma as she imposes her opinions on everyone. Since baby food is good for him, all guests should have some; he is shocked that his grandchildren want to play with knives; he constantly calls Emma's housekeeper, who has just married Mr. Weston, "'poor Miss Taylor'" (18), not because she has made an unhappy marriage, but because by moving she has deprived him of companionship. Emma gently corrects him, observing that "Mr. Weston is such a...nice man...that he thoroughly deserves a good wife" (9), but as children often do, Emma notices her father's faults without realizing that she adopted them. He also approves of Miss Taylor's marriage because he considers it his work. Emma likes nothing more than making weddings for her friends, and once Miss Taylor is married, Emma is restless and lonely. Lacking a hobby, he befriends Harriet Smith, a young, well-kept girl of mysterious origins, and introduces her to society. Emma thinks she is doing good for Harriet, but above all she is having fun and flattering her ego with generosity. Helping Harriet, he reflects, "would be an interesting and certainly a very kind undertaking" (22). Mr. Knightley observes that "[Harriet's] ignorance is hourly flattery" (34); Emma can boast all sorts of improvements in the patient and passive girl. When Mr. Elton praises Emma for "the attractions [she has] added...infinitely superior to what [Harriet] has received from nature" (37), Emma accepts this hyperbolic praise with only polite modesty. Her good deed not only contributes to society but gets society's approval for her. Confident in his benevolence, Emma agrees to marry Harriet to Mr. Elton, a man she describes as "good-humored, cheerful, helpful, and kind" (30). Mr. Elton is Harriet's social superior and has no interest in her, but Emma fools herself into thinking that he does. She advises Harriet to reject her suitor, Mr. Martin, calling him a "vulgar, vulgar peasant" (30). Engrossed in doing good, Emma ignores Mr. Knightley's warning that Mr. Elton cares deeply about his future wife's wealth; and when she discovers that Mr. Elton is indeed in love with her, her apparent pity towards Harriet quickly turns into self-pity and resentment towards the already praised Mr. Elton. He reflects, "If I had not persuaded Harriet to like that man, I might have conceived anything" (112), then proceeds to find praise for her "ready intelligence" (112) and reasons to detest Mr. Elton's presumption in marrying . above her class, never entertaining the idea that Harriet issocially inferior to Mr. Elton as he is to Emma. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Elton marries the daughter of a wealthy merchant and takes her to Highbury. After meeting Mrs. Elton, it takes Emma fifteen minutes to compose a litany of her faults. Mrs. Elton is indeed an absolutely unpleasant woman, but Emma nevertheless the judges hurry. He rejects as impertinence Mrs. Elton's offers of friendship: an introduction to Bath and the formation of a musical society; she is horrified that such a "vulgar little being and parvenu" (229) would call Mr. Knightley a gentleman, despite the fact that she herself would agree with this sentiment. Frank Churchill's views are more moderate; the only flaw she finds in Mrs. Elton is her quickness of speech, but Emma cannot forget that "Harriet would have been a better match" (224). Because he proposed to Emma instead of Harriet, no wife of Mr. Elton could ever be virtuous in the eyes of Emma Woodhouse. Emma's opinions are also influenced by a lack of knowledge. She and Harriet visit a poor and sick family, giving money and understanding. Emma reflects on the evils of poverty, saying, "Now I feel as if I could think of nothing but these poor creatures" (75) and then wondering how long she will truly remember them. The brevity of her memory might surprise even herself; on one page he decided that thinking about the poor is nothing more than "empty sympathy" (75). The social conscience of the novel suddenly vanishes and does not reappear until Emma points out, a few chapters later, "what the poor must suffer in winter" (129) and Harriet's encounter with the gypsies in the third volume. Emma's visit to the sick family is as much for exercise and an excuse to bring Harriet to Mr. Elton as it is for genuine kindness. The second mention only serves to distract Harriet from thoughts of Mr. Elton. The third provides the background for the valiant Frank Churchill to save her from "half a dozen children" (276) so that Emma thinks Harriet is in love with him and not with Mr. Knightley. None of these events focus on the plight of the actual poor; no poor are mentioned and no one speaks; they are not important to Emma or any other character. Everyone at the Coles' party is impressed by the generosity of the anonymous donor who gives Jane Fairfax a piano, but no one finds it strange, even when they know that it was Frank Churchill who delivered the gift, who also chased away a pack of gypsies without giving them one shilling. Frank Churchill himself presents a strange mixture of generosity and selfishness. He marries Jane Fairfax, a girl with no money, yet carries out his engagement at the expense of others. To hide his secret attachment to his adoptive mother, who would never allow it, he flirts with Emma. This distresses Miss Fairfax and threatens to distress Miss Woodhouse even more. Frank Churchill states, "'if I had not been convinced of [Emma's] indifference, I should not have been induced by any selfish view to go on'" (359). He may be sincere, but he places great stakes in his judgment of character. Emma considers it "far, far beyond impropriety" (327). His indignation is understandable, but in a certain sense absurd. She defends Frank Churchill's failure to defy his parents even for the small matter of visiting Highbury, but would like him to confess this engagement to them. Frank Churchill risks losing his beloved or embarrassing Emma. From Emma's perspective, she chose selfishly; therefore, he breaks “the rigid rule of law” (329) to save Miss Fairfax from the horrible fate of becoming a governess. But Emma has not suffered any real wrongs and Frank Churchill can use praise to win her back; "Not.