“Before the end of September, Emma attended Harriet to church, and saw her hand bestowed on Robert Martin with so complete a satisfaction, as no remembrances…could impair (Austen, 920).” The sentence that concludes Harriet Smith’s story in Jane Austen’s novel Emma perfectly encapsulates her development in both virtue and individuality, in spite of the titular character’s self-congratulatory “tutelage”. When contrasted with Emma Woodhouse’s worldliness, Harriet’s character, especially in her final appearance, represents the Hidden God novelistic tradition element of “transfigurational virtue” because she transcends the worldly social constraints thrust upon her to achieve a more authentic, albeit less conventional, form of fulfillment. Although the older and seemingly more experienced Emma attempts to educate Harriet in the subtleties of aristocratic socialization and set her up with a suitable suitor, it is ultimately Emma’s actions that cause the most disturbances in Harriet’s life. Harriet’s set of virtues bring stability to her own life, and even manages to influence a degree of change in Emma’s perspective. This message can be very useful to anyone living in an age where a new scrutinous social landscape exists in the form of social media attention.
According to St. Maximus the Confessor’s analysis of ethics, St. Paul the Apostle demonstrated an extraordinary level of virtue and wisdom due to a strong connection with God, the origin and “monad” of virtue, being the core aspect of his existential structure (Harper, 258). In the case of Emma, the simplicity and earnest that Harriet grew up with and that form her existential structure allow her to navigate more clearly through the complications that occur in the story. In addition to St. Maximus’ analysis, it is stated in The Most Profitable Narrative of Abba Philemon from the Philokalia that one must run from the world in order to have a perfect mind united with God, with Philemon edifying, “Keep your disposition simple, your speech without guile, your walk without arrogance, your voice sincere” (Philokalia, 403). Although she may not act on it at first, Harriet’s more unfettered outlook allows her to keep the right choices in perspective and provides her with a small degree of skepticism toward Emma’s advice. It also allows her to process and move past moments that are challenging for her. An example of this is in Chapter 40, where she completes the process of forgetting about her attraction to Mr. Elton by ridding herself of objects that she remembers him by, effectively transcending these earthly possessions that were holding her down. This parallels how St. Paul’s attunement to God and the, for lack of a better word, “organic” values He has filled him with provide guidance and fortitude through terrible moments. Conversely Emma’s desires and values have been fully shaped by the social stratosphere that she prides herself in having such knowledge in. This causes her to behave vainly at times, blinds her to certain facts, makes it harder for her to accept her failures, and causes her to make important life choices and search for happiness on a primarily utilitarian and superficial level.
Although Emma makes it seem like the obvious course of action to reject Robert Martin’s proposal, Harriet nevertheless shows hesitation, and later regret, in following through with it. This moment in Chapter 7 shows how the supposedly naïve Harriet has a more complete perception of marriage compared to most of the other characters thanks to her more rustic virtues. By the end of the novel, she finally acts upon her judgement and marries Mr. Martin in a joyous wedding, cementing the point that she may have been in the right all along. Even at the point where she seemingly adopts Emma’s aim to “improve herself” to date someone of high social class, it is for George Knightly, with whom she is enamored with for his charming character and kindly treatment of her. Emma’s disconnect from sentimentality and enrapture in rigid societal norms make in nigh impossible for her to look past of looking past the social class of the men she encounters throughout the story, and for the greater portion of the novel she is adamant that Mr. Martin is be an unfit suitor for Harriet (based on what she believes about her at the time). Even during the moment in Chapter 47 where she realizes that she had been acting rashly in her attempts to teach Harriet and that her heart belongs to Mr. Knightly, one of the key factors in her epiphany and regrets is the horror at the notion of him stooping to Harriet’s level should they fall in love. This vain and classist fear falls in line with Emma’s established principles and shows how tight of a grip the world has on her. It nearly dispels the notion of Emma truly developing as a person; yet, Harriet’s transfigurational virtue is shown to also change that.
After Mr. Knightly declares his love for her and any worries about competition from Harriet have been erased, Emma still shows concern for her feelings and genuinely hopes she has not done her injury. This moment, as well as others, demonstrate that the time Emma had spent with Harriet did leave an emotional impact on her due to the infectious influence of the transfigurational virtue she has. Continuing with the first example; when Harriet and Mr. Martin’s engagement is revealed, Emma is grateful and glad that Harriet had matched with another. This may seem like a self-centered joy at the thought of no competition for Mr. Knightley’s affections, but it must be kept in mind that at this point he had already confessed to her and she is already in a relationship with him. Therefore, it is safe to assume that she genuinely wishes for Harriet to be happy and is elated at the prospect of a marriage to someone whom she originally deemed unfit for her. Granted, part of the reason for Emma’s newfound “approval” of the union was her discovery that Harriet’s father was not of genteel blood, and with that understanding she now must downgrade their friendship “Into a calmer sort of goodwill” (Austen, 920). Even to the end, it is evident that she is still has not transcended the tight norms of high society. Still, it is worth noting that every paradigm shift that Emma undergoes in the novel occurs after having taken Harriet under her wing.
Despite being the youngest character in the novel, Harriet Smith proves to be one of the characters who have the most sense and go through the most development. The transfiguational virtue she came into the story with remained a core part of her and helped her avoid the pitfalls that come with the complexities of 18th Century British gentry. It also managed to inspire a small degree of change in Emma Woodhouse, someone extremely preoccupied with material issues. Hopefully this part of the story can be used as an inspiration for members of the current generation to integrate transfigurational virtue into their person and cut through the fabricated, detrimental social norms brought about by the