An examination of the character change undergone bu Jane Austin's Emma

In the movie Emma, based on the novel by Jane Austen, the main character Emma Wodeshouse undergoes a character change. Her personality and character before the change and afterward are very different. In general the change is fore the better.
Before the change, Emma’s character is somewhat typical for Victorian women. She believes that the main purpose of marriage should be for money and to improve one’s social status. Love is a plus but only in a match to a wealthier, more powerful or more important man. She is kind to people, such as the sick woman she goes to nurse, only to make people think she is kind. She befriends people of a lower status than herself only as a “charity”. She cares so much for other people’s opinion that she throws a party for someone she very much dislikes only to keep people from knowing how much she dislikes this person.
The change in Emma’s character is brought about by embarrassment and ashamedness. Emma is trying to set her friend Harriet up with the Vicar only because she thinks he is of a better status than Harriet. Harriet truly cares for Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin is a friend of Mr. Knightley’s, whom Emma is in love with. When Mr. Knightley finds out that Emma is discouraging Harriet from marring Mr. Martin only because he is a farmer, he is very disappointed in her. Later, at a party, she is feeling unhappy so she takes it out on Miss. Bates. Miss Bates is the woman Emma is kind to as a “charity”. Miss Bates says some rather annoying and dull things. At the party Emma takes her unhappiness out on Miss Bates by telling her that she is annoying and dull. This makes Mr. Knightley even more disappointed in her and he tells Emma so. He then leaves town causing Emma to wonder whether she has lost him forever.
The prospect of losing Mr. Knightley causes Emma to want to change, so that he is not disappointed in her. She realizes her mistakes in trying to marry off Harriet and comes to understand that marriage is about love. She apologizes to Miss Bates as well as Harriet and admits her mistakes. When Mr. Knightley comes back to town he realizes that Emma has improved her character and the two of them get married.