Emma

Emma

By Jane Austen

Emma, fourth novel by Jane Austen, published in three volumes in 1815. Set in Highbury, England, in the early 19th century, the novel centres on Emma Woodhouse, a precocious young woman whose misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities occasions  several romantic misadventures.

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.

Reviewed by Haley Bracken

The force of the verb seemed is pointed. Emma is indeed beautiful, wealthy, and smart. However, she is also spoiled, meddlesome, and self-deluded. Although she is convinced she will never marry, Emma believes she is an excellent matchmaker. As she tells her father and her dear friend Mr. Knightley, she practically arranged the recent marriage between her former governess, Miss Taylor, and the widower Mr. Weston. (She did, after all, introduce them.) After such a clear “success,” Emma is determined to make another match. This time, she has set her sights on the village vicar, Mr. Elton. Both Emma’s father and Mr. Knightley caution her against interfering, but they ultimately fail to dissuade her.

Meanwhile, two new visitors arrive in Highbury: Jane Fairfax, the beautiful orphaned niece of Emma’s neighbour Miss Bates, and Frank Churchill, the dashing young son of Mr. Weston. Initially, Emma dislikes Jane. She condemns her for being too “cold” and too “cautious.” (The narrator suggests that Emma is in fact jealous of Jane, because Jane had previously met Frank, whom Emma has taken a liking to.) Mr. Knightley defends Jane, reminding Emma that, whereas she is privileged, Jane has no fortune and must soon leave to work as a governess. Mrs. Weston suspects that Mr. Knightley harbours some romantic feelings for Jane. Emma adamantly denies this.

Emma’s initial interest in Frank does not last. After a while, she begins to imagine him as a potential match for Harriet, and, when Harriet confesses her love for a man of a higher social status, Emma assumes she means Frank. As it turns out, Harriet is in love with Mr. Knightley, who, at a recent village ball, saved her from the embarrassment of being snubbed by Mr. Elton and his new wife. Suddenly, Emma realizes that she, too, loves Mr. Knightley. She realizes that if she had let Harriet marry Robert, she might have avoided this whole mess. And thus the denouement begins.

Not long after Harriet’s confession, Frank makes a hasty departure from Highbury. As he later explains in a letter to Emma, he and Jane have secretly been engaged all along. His flirtation with Emma was just a ruse—a way to buy time until his relatives agreed to his marriage with Jane. Emma and Mr. Knightley discuss this surprise turn of events. To Mr. Knightley’s surprise, Emma confesses that she never loved Frank. Mr. Knightley, in response, professes his love for Emma. She is overjoyed, and they implicitly agree to be married.

Emma briefly worries about Harriet and how she will receive the news of their engagement. Emma is pleased to learn that Harriet has decided to marry Robert after all. The novel thus concludes with three marriages: Jane and Frank, Harriet and Robert, and Emma and Mr. Knightley.