What started as innocent fun ended in cruelty

When reading the book, one might not understand the unusual relationship between Miss. Bates and Emma. While reading, it is hard to comprehend the offensiveness Miss. Bates feels from Emma’s vulgar statement, "Ah! ma'am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me—but you will be limited as to number—only three at once.” Throughout the reading, one knows that it is suppose to be offensive, but it is hard to picture the awkwardness. However, the movie clip portrays the awkwardness and tension felt between Miss. Bates and Emma shortly after the comment. In the film, one can visually see how Miss. Bates reacted to the statement. From the stun, she does not know how to react, so instead she just stutters. Emma thought her comment was funny an appropriate given the situation, but she quickly learns that she was mistaken. Emma’s reaction is similar to Kant’s quote, “Laughter is the eruption of the emotion that arises from the strained expectation suddenly reduced to nothing.” What Emma perceived as funny, ended up not only displeasing Miss. Bates, but also the entire group. Emma felt that she could not she could not resist on such an opportunity to get the attention back on her. Perhaps she thought she joke would appear as wit, but instead it made everyone lose respect for her. To Emma, her moment in glory turned was “suddenly reduced to nothing.” Emma took advantage of the situation with Miss. Bates, with her being an older lady, lower in class and already unsure of herself. The unpleasant situation also reflects Hobbes quote by keeping “themselves in their own favour by observing the imperfections of others.” As I said before, Emma wanted the attention to remain on her, thus in her desperation, she made a cruel and unacceptable comment about Miss. Bates. According to Emma, everything Miss. Bates has to say is boring, but how could she contain her boringness to only three words amazed Emma. When Mr. Knightly comforted her about her offensive remark, Emma simply replied, “how could I help saying what I did?”