#mrs churchill

[bethanydelleman]

Mrs. Churchill: The Most Unfairly Maligned Woman in Jane Austen

We never meet Mrs. Churchill in Jane Austen’s Emma, everything we know about her is second- (Frank) or third- (Mr. Weston) hand. But once you read the book a second or tenth time, it becomes clear that Mrs. Churchill was getting progressively worse, ending in her death and Frank knew this. 

Mrs. Churchill is far more sick than Frank ever admits. He often uses her as an excuse to neglect visiting his father.  Everyone in Highbury thinks Mrs. Churchill is faking because it's so convenient that she's sick when Frank is supposed to visit. But we know the truth, he doesn't visit until Jane comes to Highbury, he is staying away on purpose.

But she does decline during the course of the novel

Evidence of her decline: 

We know that the Churchills go to London yearly with Frank, “He saw his son every year in London” and yet, Frank says to Emma, “and if my uncle and aunt go to town this spring—but I am afraid—they did not stir last spring—I am afraid it is a custom gone for ever.” This custom has happened every year of Frank’s life and now is suddenly ended. Sounds like Mrs. Churchill was too sick to go the year prior and Frank does not expect her to get better.

According to Mr. Weston, Frank can come if the Churchills do not visit a family called the Braithwaites, “But I know they will, because it is a family that a certain lady, of some consequence, at Enscombe, has a particular dislike to: and though it is thought necessary to invite them once in two or three years, they always are put off when it comes to the point.” But the Churchills do actually go for the visit. As if they are saying goodbye and seeing people for the last time.

Mrs. Churchill does allow Frank to stay in Highbury for the ball, and then suddenly withdraws consent, “A letter arrived from Mr. Churchill to urge his nephew’s instant return. Mrs. Churchill was unwell—far too unwell to do without him; she had been in a very suffering state (so said her husband) when writing to her nephew two days before, though from her usual unwillingness to give pain, and constant habit of never thinking of herself, she had not mentioned it; but now she was too ill to trifle, and must entreat him to set off for Enscombe without delay.” This seems like a petty power play until we remember that she does actually die at the end of the book. Several close calls are normal for a person experiencing hospice care or a sudden decline in health.

Then Mrs. Churchill suddenly decides to go to London, which makes sense if she’s been getting much worse and wants to consult the London physicians:

“The evil of the distance from Enscombe,” said Mr. Weston, “is, that Mrs. Churchill, as we understand (in italics in the text), has not been able to leave the sofa for a week together. In Frank’s last letter she complained, he said, of being too weak to get into her conservatory without having both his arm and his uncle’s! This, you know, speaks a great degree of weakness—but now she is so impatient to be in town, that she means to sleep only two nights on the road.—So Frank writes word. Certainly, delicate ladies have very extraordinary constitutions, Mrs. Elton. You must grant me that.”

Frank actually stays away from Jane against his inclination when Mrs. Churchill is in Richmond. Mrs. Churchill is actually getting worse and he's not a complete dick, he stays with her:

This was the only visit from Frank Churchill in the course of ten days. He was often hoping, intending to come—but was always prevented. His aunt could not bear to have him leave her. Such was his own account at Randall’s. If he were quite sincere, if he really tried to come, it was to be inferred that Mrs. Churchill’s removal to London had been of no service to the wilful or nervous part of her disorder. That she was really ill was very certain; he had declared himself convinced of it, at Randalls. Though much might be fancy, he could not doubt, when he looked back, that she was in a weaker state of health than she had been half a year ago. He did not believe it to proceed from any thing that care and medicine might not remove, or at least that she might not have many years of existence before her; but he could not be prevailed on, by all his father’s doubts, to say that her complaints were merely imaginary, or that she was as strong as ever.

and later: The black mare was blameless; they were right who had named Mrs. Churchill as the cause. He had been detained by a temporary increase of illness in her; a nervous seizure, which had lasted some hours—and he had quite given up every thought of coming,

Also, let us consider how much hatred is directed at Mrs. Churchill for wanting her adopted nephew to stay by her while she is dying, whilst Mr. Woodhouse, who basically imprisons his daughter with all his fancies of ill health, is widely loved. Mrs. Churchill is the alleged hypochondriac who is actually sick, while Mr. Woodhouse worries about his health, but has no recorded illness through the entire book.

To sum up, Mrs. Churchill was getting progressively worse over the course of the novel. She very reasonably wanted her adopted child to be near her. Frank does actually do his duty to his aunt, indicating that he is well aware of how sick she has become. Mrs. Churchill’s death was not sudden, it happens at the end of a decline lasting about a year, or a bit longer.

[diana-daphne]

Mr. Knightly you are so not subtle I love you

[besotted-with-austen]

Mrs Weston: I thought you would have been happy to see that Emma is getting new friends, Mr Knightley.

George Knightley: I would have been, if she had chosen someone else other than Harriet Smith and Frank Churchill.

George Knightley: Harriet does not have enough sense to understand when Emma is being improper, and Churchill actively encourages her to be so.

Mrs Weston: Frank is just lively, and him and Emma would be good for each other-why, I think he might make her realise something new about herself! Or us, who knows-

George Knightley: *scoffs* the only thing he made me realise is that my feelings for Emma are more than platonic.

Mrs Weston: what?

George Knightley: what?

[firawren]

[matryoshkabitch]

[didanagy]

EMMA (2020)

dir. autumn de wilde

[neverscreens]

— EMMA.(2020).

Part One, 454 Screencaps.

Part Two, 454 Screencaps.

Part Three, 454 Screencaps.

Like or reblog if it was useful, every interaction shows us that we should keep making screencaps for y'all ♡

[nasty-bog-boy]

theres just something so deeply tender about the relationship between Emma Woodhouse and her father. like Jane Austen really broke out the big guns to depict such a tender, sensitive relationship between a father and a daughter without losing the flaws of the characters or making something unbearably sweet.

when Jane Austen decided to write Emma one of her main goals was to create an unlikeable heroine and honestly? she does do a pretty good job of that. Emma does behave poorly throughout the novel, turning people into her little playthings, letting her insecurities dictate her behaviour and of course the infamous Miss Bates insult.

but through her love of her father Emma never becomes someone we stop rooting for. Jane Austen shows how Emma isnt some irredeemable, selfish person. shes lonely and misguided but shes also full of love and care for the person who depends on her competely.

shes never seen the sea! she declares she will never marry because she cant leave him! she trys to reject Mr Knightley because she wont even move to the estate next door without her father!

and she never resents him!

Emma loves and cares for her Father, she might laugh at some of his quirks and hurt others feeling but she never wishes to leave him just to make her life easier. i think it shows Jane Austen at her most tender and kind, even in trying to create a flawed heroine who can act in a genuinely unpleasant way towards others Austen also creates one of the most heart-warming parent/child relationships in all of her books.

idk i can never truly dislike Emma Woodhouse because we see so clearly how she is not a bad person at heart. she makes mistakes and she regrets them and she puts her fathers happiness above her own always! she means a lot to me!

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Propaganda :

Frank Churchill : In defence of Frank Churchill - I know he can be a bit of a dick but he does love Jane and makes her happy (eventually). And even though he is mean about her to throw people of the scent it's so obvious that he just wants to talk about her as much as possible because he is obsessed. And yes the piano is impractical but he sacrifices his pride and lets everyone think that he would go all the way to London just for a haircut so he can buy Jane something extravagant. And yes he's an idiot for getting her a massive piano for a tiny house but even though he's a dumb-dumb he's it's still very sweet and I personally would love to be bought a piano. And as much as Jane loves Mrs Bates maybe she's grateful for something that will give her a little break from all her talking while still bringing her pleasure.

Mr Knightley :

[antigonenikk]

to me???? theyre in love.

[bethanydelleman]

Mrs. Churchill: The Most Unfairly Maligned Woman in Jane Austen Part 2

Mr. Weston is an unreliable source when talking about Mrs. Churchill. We can tell because he sounds exactly like Wickham talking about Darcy. Mr. Weston gave up Frank because he was a single father and poor, but now that he is married and relatively wealthy, he seems to regret the choice and he is jealous of how much time Frank spends with the Churchills. He constantly attacks Mrs. Churchill because of this:

Here he goes at Christmas to Emma: “Yes—I have some right to that knowledge; though I have never been at the place in my life.—She is an odd woman!—But I never allow myself to speak ill of her, on Frank’s account; for I do believe her to be very fond of him. I used to think she was not capable of being fond of any body, except herself: but she has always been kind to him (in her way—allowing for little whims and caprices, and expecting every thing to be as she likes). And it is no small credit, in my opinion, to him, that he should excite such an affection; for, though I would not say it to any body else, she has no more heart than a stone to people in general; and the devil of a temper.”

And here is Wickham for comparison: “His behaviour to myself has been scandalous; but I verily believe I could forgive him anything and everything, rather than his disappointing the hopes and disgracing the memory of his father [Elizabeth: “He deserves to be publicly disgraced.”] Some time or other he will be—but it shall not be by me. Till I can forget his father, I can never defy or expose him.… It gives me pain to speak ill of a Darcy”

Like Wickham, Mr. Weston says that his censure of Mrs. Churchill should stay between friends, but then he says this to Mrs. Elton right after they meet:

“Mrs. Churchill is not much in my good graces, as you may suspect—but this is quite between ourselves. She is very fond of Frank, and therefore I would not speak ill of her.t Besides, she is out of health now; but that indeed, by her own account, she has always been. I would not say so to every body, Mrs. Elton, but I have not much faith in Mrs. Churchill’s illness.”

Yes you would say so to everybody! And Wickham of course does the exact same thing and tells everyone about Darcy after claiming that he will not expose him: She remembered also that, till the Netherfield family had quitted the country, he had told his story to no one but herself; but that after their removal it had been everywhere discussed; that he had then no reserves, no scruples in sinking Mr. Darcy’s character, though he had assured her that respect for the father would always prevent his exposing the son.

At the very least, Mr. Weston does admit he was wrong in the end: “Poor Mrs. Churchill! no doubt she had been suffering a great deal: more than any body had ever supposed—and continual pain would try the temper. It was a sad event—a great shock—with all her faults, what would Mr. Churchill do without her? Mr. Churchill’s loss would be dreadful indeed. Mr. Churchill would never get over it.”—Even Mr. Weston shook his head, and looked solemn, and said, “Ah! poor woman, who would have thought it!”

Extra Note: this statement from Isabella about Mrs. Churchill just reads so ironically to me, given what we know about the Woodhouse family, “and I am sure I never think of that poor young man without the greatest compassion. To be constantly living with an ill-tempered person, must be dreadful. It is what we happily have never known any thing of; but it must be a life of misery. What a blessing, that she never had any children! Poor little creatures, how unhappy she would have made them!”

[diana-daphne]

Mr. Knightley being a hater (he’s right)

[besotted-with-austen]

Disliking Frank Churchill:

George Knightley 🤝 Mr Woodhouse

"I don't like his character, his influence on Emma is bad and she likes him way too much-wait what-"/ "He said to open the windows! It's unsanitary and Mr Perry clearly told me so!"

[kurtismcilroy]

Part 2 to the previous poll! ^^

[curiousb]

The Churchill Family Album: Volume XV

We're opening with a birthday today!

Many happy returns, Marcus! Just watch out for the Creepy Nanny that no one invited, sneaking up behind you.

~ Taurus 8 / 9 / 8 / 9 / 4

~ Dog Person / Neat / Good Sense of Humour

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Orange

(That hair must be a family heirloom, but he's keeping it - at least for now.)

Frank's dominance of the Show Business world comes with some perks - which aren't popular with everyone in the family.

Oh!

Second son Oscar soon makes his appearance! With both his dad's brown eyes and blonde hair.

Mary - still lovely at 72.

And now with added teleportation ability! At least I think that's what's happening here - I looked away for one moment, and she vanished into a portal of light. Is it a witchy thing?

After-school playtime with Phineas and Annabel, who seem to go everywhere together.

Annabel in particular is everyone's friend.

Meanwhile, Gabriel is proving that he's a natural as a Freelancer - spending some time hanging out online...

...juggling in the kitchen...

...and when he can spare a moment, aging up his younger son.

Like his siblings, Oscar has inherited his dad's nose, but he also has his curls.

~ Cancer 7 / 8 / 9 / 9 / 3

~ Excitable / Charismatic

~ OTH: Tinkering

After his slip-up with Emily, Gabriel is also trying to smooth things over with his mother-in-law, and enthusing about her musical talent is certainly one way to mollify her. So far, his little secret has remained between themselves. Mary is old and wise enough to know that these things happen, and as long as he doesn't make a habit of it, she's prepared to forgive and forget - this time.

Given how Active the older kids are, it's hard to contain them, even when there's thick snow on the ground.

It's time for a snowman-building spree! Aided by Rebecca.

Just when you've got rid of one, another appears! Go away, Creepy Nanny V2, no one wants you!

A much more welcome visitor - just stopped by to warm his flippers in front of the fire.

[didanagy]

EMMA (2020)

dir. autumn de wilde