The Nabokov Project...
The Features of Fanny Price and Esther are pleasantly blurred. Not so with Emma. Describe her eyes, hair, hands and skin.
I have focused on how the character of Emma Woodhouse was visually imagined, looking specifically at how she is introduced. I wanted to explore the intertexuality of both the books and its adaptation, and how all this together make a complete (and unique) image to the reader of Emma.
Features of Emma in 1996 |
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Slideshow running order :
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"Such an Eye!"
This collage incorporates both the 1996 movies into one collage, the right image is of Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, the left (and background) is of Kate Beckinsale in the TV movie of Emma. The piece shows how the films created their idea of what Emma should look like, both visually are a large contrast. When imagining Emma one may easily incorporate the 'hazle eyes' in the book to Paltrow's face creating a complete image for them.
Primary Appearance
"Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her."
The first visual imagery we get is not particular of her features, but of her overall beauty.The triad of handsome, clever and rich connects the three, she appears handsome because she is clever and rich. The two qualities add as well as make her beautiful. The collage shows how we lack any descriptive words of her features, thus making her features (being handsome) blurred with wealth and intelligence.
The first visual imagery we get is not particular of her features, but of her overall beauty.The triad of handsome, clever and rich connects the three, she appears handsome because she is clever and rich. The two qualities add as well as make her beautiful. The collage shows how we lack any descriptive words of her features, thus making her features (being handsome) blurred with wealth and intelligence.
Distortion
"Such an eye!—the true hazle eye—and so brilliant! regular features, open countenance, with a complexion! oh! what a bloom of full health, and such a pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure! There is health, not merely in her bloom, but in her air, her head, her glance.
This piece shows the merging of texts, from the book and the film. As well as showing how both create a visual image, the words do not stop the viewer from creating the full image of 'Emma' they literally add to the visual creation. The image is torn to show how both texts add and change the face when reading, or when viewing a adaptation.
This piece shows the merging of texts, from the book and the film. As well as showing how both create a visual image, the words do not stop the viewer from creating the full image of 'Emma' they literally add to the visual creation. The image is torn to show how both texts add and change the face when reading, or when viewing a adaptation.