Embodied Cognition: Space, Body and Ethical Growth in Emma

Main Article Content

Yulin Qu
Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70267/jlce.2026.v3n3.4553

Keywords

Jane Austen, Emma, embodied cognition, spatial discipline, sensory experience, ethical growth

Abstract

Jane Austen’s Emma traces its heroine’s transition from self-centeredness to ethical awareness. Previous studies have been largely confined to discourse analysis and psychological interpretation, with little systematic attention to the relationship between space, the body, and cognition. Based on Embodied Cognition Theory, this paper offers an analysis of the novel through the framework of “space—body—cognition”. The Spatial Discipline of Hartfield Manor shapes Emma’s initial self-centered cognition. Embodied Conflicts such as Mr. Elton’s proposal and her mockery of Miss Bates unsettle her established cognitive system. Shifts in Sensory Experience ultimately drive her toward moral empathy and Ethical Growth. Therefore, Emma’s growth is not just a mental process of self-reflection but also a cognitive change. Austen’s narrative moves from embodied experience to moral cognition, revealing the physical basis of Ethical Growth. This offers a reference for the embodied cognition interpretation of realist novels.

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Published
May 21, 2026
Issue
Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026)
Section
Research Articles
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How to Cite

Qu, Y. (2026). Embodied Cognition: Space, Body and Ethical Growth in Emma. Journal of Language, Culture and Education, 3(3), 45-53. https://doi.org/10.70267/jlce.2026.v3n3.4553