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" The importance of the barouche-landau

This classic is every bit as good as I had hoped: substantial, wry and observant with characters who grow and change.

Reviewing a famous book is a double-edged sword, or perhaps it’s better to speak of a two-sided coin. The story is so familiar it is hard to say anything new. But the fact there are many marvellous reviews here already leaves me free to ruminate, in this case about names and coaches.

Among many different aspects of the novel discussed by David Lodge in his excellent The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts he talks about the names authors choose for their fictional characters. ‘In a novel names are never neutral’, he says, then expands this thought:

They always signify, if it is only ordinariness. Comic, satiric or didactic writers can afford to be exuberantly inventive, or obviously allegorical, in their naming (Thwackhum, Pumblechook, Pilgrim). Realistic novelists favour mundane names with appropriate connotations (Emma Woodhouse, Adam Bede). The naming of characters is always an important part of creating them, involving many considerations, and hesitations… (italics mine) p37)

The fact that David Lodge uses ‘Emma Woodhouse’ as a specific example sparked me thinking about the character names in Emma.

'Emma Woodhouse’: the name is simple, direct, straightforward and strong. Accordingly our heroine is forthright and well-meaning but in need of the kind of wisdom and judgement which usually, but not necessarily, comes with age and experience, for example in the person of Mr Knightley, much more experienced and kinder and more thoughtful as well. Fortunately he has a lot of time for Emma. Apart from Mr Knightley’s chiding, Emma is unchallenged until a new arrival in Highbury…

'Jane Fairfax’: we do not need to know anything of Jane Fairfax before we appreciate that she is a person to be reckoned with. Jane, the strongest of first names, is used to good effect in Pride and Prejudice, and is of course the author’s own name. 'Fairfax' conjures up fairness, fair play, fairness of aspect, in short accomplished. She is also well-educated and well mannered, and so proper that the keeping of a secret wears her down to the point of illness. In the modern world Jane Fairfax would no doubt prosper, able to put her quick mind to good use. In Austen’s world she occupies a position which she owes to the largesse and kindness of her dead father’s commanding officer. Jane always needs to be grateful.

'Frank Churchill’: the subterfuge Jane engages in with Frank Churchill belies the gentleman’s given name because he is far from forthcoming and beguiles to deceive.

'Mrs Elton’ nee ‘Augusta Hawkins': reasonably subtle, ‘Augusta’ suggests a gust of wind and 'Hawkins' may bring to mind an avian predator. Of course Mrs Elton is a figure of fun, or pity or derision, a woman with nothing to do and conscious of every marker of status and position. Her chief signifier is her constant reference to the barouche-landau, a fancy coach, which my researches reveal to be the acme of road transport vehicles in early nineteenth century England: a barouche-landau was a substantial, richly appointed, open carriage. But it was an occasional vehicle, the possession of which implied the ownership of other, possibly several other coaches. This was a powerful indicator of means, because a coach was expensive to purchase and maintain, requiring coach house, stables and all the labour to have it available and operating.

And finally 'Mr Knightley': Mrs Elton can only establish herself gratuitously. If Mrs Elton is defined by status, when that’s all she has, Mr Knightley, by way of contrast defines himself, consciously or otherwise, firstly as a man of duty; ‘There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do, if he chuses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution.’ (talking about Frank Churchill) (p136).

Mr Knightly also has a lack of pretence - he’ll talk to anyone and befriend most, for example the farmer Robert Martin. He is kind to Harriet Smith, a simple, gormless girl, who nevertheless deserves to be treated kindly by those in a position to be kind. He talks to her and dances with her at the dance party when others choose to snub her. The name is a strong clue: at once 'Knightley' suggests honour and chivalry. Also, highly developed rescue skills.

In contrast to Mrs Elton, who talks endlessly about her family’s coach, the barouche-landau, Mr Knightley chooses not to use his coach most of the time. He walks about to conduct business and see people. He is a prosperous landowner, but one who eschews the trappings that go with that status, does not talk in such terms and indeed is remarkably egalitarian in his approach and habit."