A Summary of Emma & Themes
The book Emma is a very accurate representation of the social interactions and culture of people in the early 19th century. (Also called the English Regency era, a transition from the Georgian to Victorian eras.) The plot begins with Emma returning from a wedding of her governess, Miss Taylor, who is now to be called Mrs. Weston. Emma is very sad at the 'loss' of her friend to marriage life, but fancies that she predicted the match between Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston. She then deduces that she is a destined match maker, and after being introduced to Harriet Smith, who she finds to be very pretty but without sophistication, decides to test her skills. She pictures Harriet with Mr. Elton, a polite genteel man, and tries her best to coax the two together. First though, she persuades Harriet to reject a young farmer by the name of Mr. Martin who proposes to her by letter. Emma, not taking into consideration Harriet's own poor connections (Poor because the possibility of her parentage bringing her shame was too great, and therefore many men such as Mr. Elton ignored the young beauty. This is a great example of how marriage was all about rank and superiority in that time period.), feels Mr. Martin is much too inferior for Harriet to possibly allow the marriage. Harriet is quick to agree and denies the farmer. Mr. Knightley is outraged at Emma's stupidity, because he is well acquainted with Mr. Martin, and considers Harriet to be the one of inferiority. He advises Emma to either discontinue the friendship with Harriet or stop making her decisions.
After Emma, Harriet, and Mr. Elton spend much time together, working on a portrait of Harriet, Emma believes that Mr. Elton has taking a liking to Harriet, and Harriet vice versa, but she soon learns she is far from right. After a dinner at Randalls, a slightly drunken Mr. Elton announces his love for Emma as they sit alone in a carriage going back to their estates. Emma is completely taken by surprise and assumes that in his state of stupor, he means for her friend Harriet. But he has a clear mind and quickly tells her that he has never even considered her friend as more than an acquaintance. Emma, having denied Mr. Elton, goes back to Hartfield, quite shocked, and saddened to have to tell Harriet the news. Mr. Elton, on the other hand, leaves quickly for Bath, perhaps ashamed of Emma's refusal.
Harriet takes the sudden developments harshly, and is very upset at the circumstances of those events. Emma tries to repent for her actions to Harriet, and promises not to meddle again. Soon Harriet tries to move on and forget Mr. Elton, but this proves to be a hard task.
Jane Fairfax arrives to Highbury, and stays with her aunt and grandmother, the Bateses. Not long after, the son of Mr. Weston, Frank Churchill, also appears. Both on separate accounts have received much praise by the community of Highbury, and Emma expects much from both. Jane is very talented in music, and Emma continues to be envious. (Since they have known each other since childhood.) Frank Churchill proves to be very handsome, amiable, and friendly towards Emma. Emma also hears news that Mr. Elton is to be married to a lady by the name of Miss Hawkins, of whom he had only known for two weeks. She is very rich, and little else is known about her.
Frank Churchill is only there for a fortnight though, and during that time, Emma spends many an hour with him. Frank flirts with her, and Emma notices that she is the object of his affections during the visit. Emma then plans with him to have a ball at the Crowne Inn, because they both feel that the community has too few dances. Frank is allowed to stay a little bit longer, and preparations are made for the event.
Unfortunately though, Mrs. Churchill sends a letter to Frank asking for his immediately leave because she is quite 'ill.' (Though it is questioned whether she is ill at all.) The ball is then canceled, and Emma's hopes for a dance are taken away. With the removal of Frank Churchill, she realizes that she is somewhat in love with him, and vows not to allow that possibility again, for it goes against her own claims of never marrying. As time progresses and Frank is gone, she soon forgets about him.
A Mrs. Elton is then finally introduced to the local society. She finds the woman to be unbearable because of how self-centered, and arrogant she is. Emma thought the woman to have a superiority complex because of how she proclaimed herself to have connections and hinting that she was better connected than Emma.
Frank Churchill soon arrives back in Highbury, for the Churchills have decided to move to Richmond, a much closer area, that would allow him to come there daily. Therefore, the ball at the Crowne was continued and it came smoothly without difficulty. Emma found Frank to be less in love with her, and she was glad for this. At the ball, they did dance the first two dances, and as they danced, she noticed Harriet was the only one not dancing. When Mrs. Weston found Mr. Elton and asked him to dance, he obliged, but she then asked if instead he may dance with Miss Smith, and he declined. This was a complete embarrassment to Harriet, and Mrs. Elton almost seemed joyful at the decision of her caro sposo. Mr. Knightley is aware of this though and comes to her aid and asks her to dance. This marks that beginning of Harriet's love for Mr. Knightley.
Not long after the dance, an incident occurs with Harriet, a friend, and a group of Gipsies. The Gipsy children spot the two walking in a shady grove of trees, and begin following and begging them for money. Harriet's companion runs away but Harriet trips and falls. The Gipsies fall on to her, and thankfully Frank Churchill happens to be near and comes and rescues her. Harriet is brought to Emma, and while Frank tends to Harriet, Emma fancies the possibility that Harriet may now like Frank.
The two later have a discussion, and Emma hints to Harriet about the man that "rendered her aid" and how she must love him. At the time Harriet is thinking of Mr. Knightley and the dance, and Emma pictures Harriet with Frank. Because of the misunderstanding, Harriet increases her affections for Mr. Knightley, and Emma does not notice.
Soon a party is organized to visit Box Hill, an idea partly by Mrs. Elton, and Emma, and an assortment of people attend. It seems that everyone is in their own groups though, and Frank keeps by Emma's side. Frank asks everyone because of boredom to supply "Miss Woodhouse" with either one excellent talent, two good tricks, or three boring statements. Miss Bates speaks and says something to the degree that she probably says three boring things all the time, and Emma cannot help herself and tells her that she is limited to only three boring things at once. Emma does not realize her offense to Miss Bates, and Mr. Knightley advises her to apologize. Miss Bates takes the apology happily, and she learns that Miss Fairfax has taken a role as a governess for a friend of Mrs. Elton's.
Frank Churchill rushes quickly away to Mrs. Churchill, after a letter about her increasing illness. Quite soon though, she dies from a seizure. Not long after that, Mrs. Weston calls for Emma, and tells her about an engagement between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax, that had taken place almost a year ago. Emma is surprised, but far from heartbroken, and when she tells Mrs. Weston this, Mrs. Weston is relieved. But Emma than feels quite sorry for Harriet, because she assumes that she is greatly in love with him.
Emma tells Harriet, only to find out that Harriet is actually in love with Mr. Knightley. Emma is shocked, and feels quite jealous of Harriet as she says that she feels Mr. Knightley likes her as well. Only then does Emma realize that she has loved Mr. Knightley all along.
Mr. Knightley comes back from his unexpected trip to London, and finding that Emma did not love Frank Churchill, proposes to her. Emma is ecstatic and accepts, but is quite worried about Harriet. She then sends her to London to spend some time with her sister Isabella, to prolong any meeting between the two. It is on that trip though, that Harriet is reintroduced to Mr. Martin, and he proposes to her for a second time, and she accepts. She then returns and Emma is relive that Harriet is alright with her and Mr. Knightley's engagement.
Only Mr. Woodhouse needed convincing to the marriage, and after discussing how Mr. Knightley would protect them from Gipsies stealing chickens, Mr. Woodhouse readily agrees. The marriage then takes places and we can assume that Emma and Mr. Knightley lived very happy lives!
Overall I find Emma to be a very in depth book that has an intricate plot. The book is so full of detail, that it takes an extensive amount of time to read. I found it difficult to read it in time for the deadline, because of its complexity. After you read for a prolonged period of time though, you get used to Austen's complicated and old writing style, and the book becomes enjoyable.
I noticed throughout the novel many themes, and the majority of them revolving around either the society of the time, and of Emma's self discovery and maturity. In the early 19th century, it was essential to find a husband or wife that had equal or higher rank than ones self, and the person would have to display good manners, and look attractive. Parentage and family was everything, and if you had anything unknown or shameful about you, anyone of a higher rank would never associate with you. This is a prime example of why no bachelor dared flirt with Miss Smith, because of her unknown past.
The other theme I found quite present was how Emma grew in the story. When she was first introduced, she was spoiled and believed she was right about everything. By the end of the novel, Emma realizes many faults about herself, and became a bit more humble.
In a way, Austen's novel is a picture into the past, because of how clear and detailed she analyzed all of the personalities of these characters. Emma is a book I will perhaps read many more times to come.
Characters of Emma (in no specific order)
Emma Woodhouse: The main character of the story, Emma is rather spoiled and rarely has any consequences for her actions. She often gets a false impression of things, and is rather delusional. Only until Mr. Knightley or another character shows her mistake, does her learn from her blunders. This delusion even applies to her love life, because she doesn't even realize (until becoming jealous of Harriet), that she has been in love with George for years. She enjoys match making, but soon learns after a great mistake involving Harriet and Mr. Elton, that it is not safe to meddle with the hearts of others. But this tendency is almost engraved into her mind, she cannot help but cause Harriet to fall in love with another man, Mr. Knightley, even more so. She could be considered a manipulator, and this often results in bad ways. She eventually learns and matures throughout the novel though, with the guidance of Mr. Knightley and her friends.
Henry Woodhouse: Called Mr. Woodhouse in the book, Henry is a very eccentric and funny character, and you have to question if he is somewhat senile. (Due to his childish ways at times.) But despite that, he is very sweet and many times overly concerned about the health of his friends. One of his most repeated phrases would be, "But you'll catch a cold!" Therefore he could also be called a hypochondriac because of how overly worried he is about everything. Mr. Woodhouse is deeply against marriage, but continuing with this idea of hypochondria, he happily consents to Emma and George's marriage because of how Mr. Knightley will protect Hartfield from Gipsies who having been raiding bird coops in the area.
Mr. George Knightley: The brother of John Knightley, Mr. Knightley has known Emma since she was born. (In fact, he was 16 at the time of her birth.) He is many years her senior, and often gives advice to Emma and shows her faults. It can be assumed that this may be the reason why Emma does like him, because of how he is the only person who criticizes her while everyone else praises her. He is not one to pretend she is perfect, and perhaps makes her a better person. Mr. Knightley is compassionate, considerate, and an amiable person. When the Bateses were to attend a party, he offered his carriage when he knew they did not have one. He also saves Harriet from complete embarrassment because of Mr. Elton, by asking her to dance. He does not judge people based on their social status or income, but rather by their character. He is like the completion of Emma, and together they create a wonderful couple that in the end of the novel, no one except Mrs. Elton dislikes.
Isabella Knightley: The older sister of Emma, Isabella is much more calm and somewhat reserved, perhaps showing their age difference. She is married to John Knightley, and is the mother of five children, who love to visit their grandfather at Hartfield. Mr. Woodhouse always calls her "poor Isabella" because he disapproves of matrimony.
Mr. John Knightley: The husband of Isabella, John Knightley is the brother of George Knightley. It is often mentioned in the book that he is a lawyer, which makes visiting Hartfield often difficult. He has a temper that many times gets the better of him, and can make him unfavorable to others. (Such as when he was visiting Randalls and was in a very sour mood on the carriage ride there.)
Mr. Weston: Married to Miss Taylor, Mr. Weston is a proud man who is easily persuaded to think that a sad situation is actually okay. In other words, he is quite optimistic and thinks for the best. He was poor early in his history but worked for his fortune. He was once married before to Miss Churchill, who died after their three-year marriage. But that marriage did produce a son by the name of Frank Churchill.
Mrs. Weston: Named Miss Taylor before marrying Mr. Weston, Mrs. Weston was the governess and caretaker of Emma as child, when Emma's mother had died. She took care of Emma for years, and is very much like a friend and mentor to her. Whenever Emma has problems she often comes to Mrs. Weston for advice because of her sensible nature and personality.
Mr. Frank Churchill: The son of Mr. Weston, Frank was taken in by his mother's family, the Churchills, after his mother had died, and Mr. Weston felt he could not take care of his son. He therefore is expected to inherit Escombe, a massive fortune and estate. This does not come without consequence though, for Mrs. Churchill is a very demanding and moody creature who will quickly cancel a meeting on a whim if she does not feel "fit" for it. Therefore, early in the book, Frank's arrival to Highbury is delayed on the account of Mrs. Churchill, who did not want him to leave. Frank Churchill, like his father, is very proud and somewhat optimistic. He is flirtatious and outgoing, with the majority of the characters liking him. Mr. Knightley though, shows difference by disliking him because of how "proud" he acts. Though later on we can assume his reactions about Frank were because of utter jealously; that Emma received his attentions more than George. Frank plays a part in one of the plot's greatest twists, because he proposed to Miss Fairfax long before coming to Highbury. They keep this a secret for almost a year, until after the death of Mrs Churchill, as this was the main cause of the engagement's secrecy.
Miss Bates: On the back of the book, she is described as "that quintessential bore," and early on in the novel I wasn't really sure what they had meant by that statement. Now having finished the book, I understand completely how Miss Bates truly is the perfect example of a boring person. She has pages of her commentary in the book that are painful to read, simply because they have no importance. She is what I call a chatter-box-person, who talks simply to talk instead of speaking with meaning. If a person gets past the notion of how boring Miss Bates is, you will come to realize how kind and caring she is for everyone. She is an older, unmarried woman with no children, who cares for her aging mother. Born into a rich family, her finances have since dwindled and she is now considered poor. Therefore, Emma sometimes visits the Bateses out of pity. (And later in the book, to try and make amends for insulting Miss Bates on her talkativeness.)
Mrs. Bates: A very old woman, Mrs. Bates is a sweet lady who we can guess is partly deaf because of how oblivious she is to conversations. Miss Bates has to speak rather loudly for her to hear. Mr. Woodhouse often visits with Mrs. Bates, probably because of the similarity in age and how they have many things in common because of their age.
Jane Fairfax: Jane Fairfax was an orphan who was raised by her aunt and grandmother, Miss Bates and Mrs. Bates. Later in her childhood, Colonel Campbell took her in for a proper education because he felt indebted to her father. Colonel Campbell could only raise her so far, however, and Jane was to make her own fortune when it was time for her to leave. Her most probably outcome would have been that she would become a governess, and use her great talents to teach, but this is not the case because of the marriage to the wealthy Frank Churchill at the end of the novel. Emma envies her throughout their acquaintance, and therefore never befriends her due to jealousy and because of the attention she receives. Everyone regards her with praise because of her talents and manners, such as playing the pianoforte. Emma can also play the piano, but feels envious whenever she listens to the beautiful melodies Jane can produce. Emma describes Miss Fairfax as being rather reserved and uses this as her reason for disliking her, failing to admit that she is jealous.
Mr. Philip Elton: Mr. Elton is first described in the novel as being very handsome and polite, and Emma admires him greatly. She then considers him to be a perfect match for Harriet, but after a ride alone with him in the carriage, she finds his true affections to be for herself. He reveals he does not like Miss Smith whatsoever and would never consider such a match. When Emma quickly puts off the idea of their being together, he quickly leaves for Bath, and comes back quite soon with a new rich bride, Miss Hawkins. As the story progresses, Mr. Elton is revealed to be rather rude and devoid of any moral sense of compassion towards others. In other words, he's only up for gaining a higher status in society.
Mrs. Elton: Named Miss Hawkins before the marriage to Mr. Elton, Augusta is a very self-centered and vain character. It is quite sickening just to count the number of times she says the words "I", "My", or any other word that discusses herself. She shows impropriety by the very vulgar names she calls people, such as calling Mr. Knightley, "Knightley," as if he is a friend to her, before even meeting him. This is quite rude in 18th century society. Perhaps the only reason why anyone takes her seriously at times is because of how rich she is. (Though Emma greatly detests her.) She presumes that any such occasion like a party is meant for her, such as the ball at the Crowne Inn where she says, "...who I have no doubt are giving this ball chiefly to do me honour..." I find her to be quite presumptuous and self-righteous. Mrs. Elton always seems to believe herself correct at any matter, and simply will not take no for an answer.
Harriet Smith: Her parents unknown in the majority of the story, (until the very last chapter) Harriet Smith was educated at Mrs. Goddard's school. When Emma first met Harriet, she had just 'lost' her companion, Miss Taylor, because of marriage, and was seeking a new friend. She finds Harriet a very pretty girl, but feels that she has some faults, and is quickly determined to fix them. (I must bring up now how similar Emma and Mrs. Elton are, because of how Mrs. Elton also acted in the same way towards Miss Fairfax in trying to 'perfect' her.) Harriet quickly becomes friends with Emma, and because she does not have any backbone, she follows Emma's every suggestion or advice. Harriet Smith could be considered like a "pet" of Emma's, because of how she changes so much for her. It is hard to really know what Harriet's morals are because of this. Therefore the main characteristics I could attach to her would be that she lacks strength of character, and that she shows only the determination to please others.