$Unique_ID{bob01232} $Pretitle{} $Title{Works of Jane Austen Emma: Chapters 1 - 13} $Subtitle{} $Author{Austen, Jane} $Affiliation{Instructor Of English, Rutgers University} $Subject{emma harriet knightley elton harriet's emma's martin chapter weston father} $Date{} $Log{} Title: Works of Jane Austen Book: Emma Author: Austen, Jane Critic: Fitzpatrick, William J. Affiliation: Instructor Of English, Rutgers University Emma: Chapters 1 - 13 Chapter 1 "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." Because her older sister is married and her mother dead, Emma is the mistress of her father's house. She has been brought up by a governess who has let her have her own way, and Emma has "a disposition to think a little too well of herself." Her former governess of sixteen years, Miss Taylor, has recently married Mr. Weston - a pleasant, easy-going man. Emma and her father, however, very much regret losing the company of Miss Taylor, even though, as Mrs. Weston, she is now living only half a mile away. (But Emma is somewhat consoled by the thought that she had promoted the match.) Mr. Woodhouse is a "valetudinarian" - a man who exaggerates his sickly constitution, whose chief concern and anxiety is his health and comfort. Furthermore, he is generally opposed to marriage because it disturbs settled situations. Emma's older sister, Isabella, is married, has five children and lives at Brunswick Square in London, sixteen miles from Hartfield. Hartfield, the Woodhouse residence, is in the village of Highbury, where Emma has no equal for cleverness and wit. Emma tries to console her father, who complains about losing Miss Taylor to Mr. Weston. That evening, Mr. George Knightley, elder brother of Isabella's husband, calls on the Woodhouses. Mr. Knightley, who is thirty-seven or eight years old, lives about a mile from Highbury at Donwell Abbey and is the first gentleman of the vicinity. Mr. Knightley congratulates the Woodhouses on Miss Taylor's good fortune. Mr. Knightley is the only person in town who presumes to criticize Emma. Emma brags to Mr. Knightley that at least she has the consolation of knowing that she planned the marriage herself between her former governess and Mr. Weston, who had been a self-contented widower so long. But Mr. Knightley rebukes her, saying that she only made a lucky guess and that anyway she has no business wasting her time trying to bring about marriages. He insists that interference in the lives of others can bring only harm to Emma. Mr. Woodhouse says that Emma never thinks of herself if she can do good to others. Emma then goes on to say that she wants to find a wife for Mr. Elton, the village priest (Anglican Church). Mr. Knightley warns her to leave him alone, for a man can take care of himself. Comment: In this chapter we learn the basic faults of Emma's character. Because, with her superior wit and will, she dominates Highbury, because she is the mistress of her household and of her rather simple-minded father, because she has been "a spoiled child," she tends to be a proud, self-willed, vain, and dominating young woman (and remember, she is not yet twenty-one). We also learn the basic motive of the plot -that is, Emma's meddling in the lives of others through matchmaking. The reader should take note of Mr. Knightley's warnings (his chief role in the novel is that of Emma's critic and educator). As the novel goes on, the reader will see the unconscious irony in Mr. Woodhouse's remarking that Emma "never thinks of herself if she can do good to others." Chapter II Mr. Weston is a gentleman and a retired military man. His deceased wife was a member of a great Yorkshire family, the Churchills. Miss Churchill's brother and his wife would have nothing to do with the young couple because they did not consider Mr. Weston a good "connection." Captain Weston's wife died, however, after three years of marriage, and left him with a little boy. When Mr. and Mrs. Churchill offered to bring up young Frank, Mr. Weston consented because of the advantages of wealth and position he would have, and sent him to live permanently with them. Although he continued to meet his father every year in London, he grew up to adopt the name of Churchill and became his childless uncle's heir. In the intervening years, Mr. Weston had left the army, engaged in trade (business) and was able eventually to retire on a decent income and to purchase Randalls, a small estate near Highbury, before he married Miss Taylor. Mr. Weston's boasts of his son have made Frank Churchill (who is about twenty-three or four) well thought of and talked about in Highbury even though he has never visited there. But now that his father has gotten married, he wrote to say that he would come to visit him and his new bride. Chapter III Mr. Woodhouse enjoys having a few friends in for dinners and evening parties. The Westons, Mr. Knightley, and Mr. Elton come very frequently. Also Miss Bates and her mother, Mrs. Bates, and Mrs. Goddard (who ran a school for girls in town) are frequently invited. Mrs. Bates is the widow of a former vicar (pastor) of Highbury and is beginning to approach senility. She lives with her daughter, Miss Bates, who is "neither young, handsome, rich, nor married." She is a happy, amiable woman, in spite of her gossip, scatter-brained run-on talk, and trivial intelligence. Although these three ladies kept her father good company, they could afford Emma no pleasure. One day, Mrs. Goddard brings Harriet Smith with her to Hartfield. Emma is happy to make the acquaintance of this pretty and well-behaved young girl of seventeen, who is the illegitimate daughter of an unknown person who anonymously maintains her as a boarder at Mrs. Goddard's school. Impressed with Harriet's deference to her, Emma decides to undertake Harriet's "improvement." She decides to separate her from her friends, the Martin family, who rent a farm from Mr. Knightley. Mere farmers would be unworthy in manners and elegance for a friend of Emma's. Comment: Emma's decision to take charge of Harriet's social life derives from her boredom, her vanity at Harriet's being impressed by her, and the joy she gets in exercising her power to mold another's life. Chapter IV Harriet Smith soon becomes a steady visitor at Hartfield, always ready to be guided by Emma. Mrs. Weston, on the other hand, remains Emma's true friend with whom she is on terms of singular intimacy and equality. Harriet does not know who her real parents are, and Emma is unable to find out. She does discover that she spent two months at the Martins' (at Abbey-Mill Farm). When Emma finds out that Mr. Martin is young and unmarried and that Harriet is very impressed by him, she decides to "save" Harriet from marrying "beneath" her. Mr. Martin appears to be an intelligent, practical man who reads the Agricultural Reports and Oliver Goldsmith but has not wasted his time reading the superficial romances (Romances of the Forest, The Children of the Abbey) that Harriet knows. Emma informs Harriet that she would have nothing to do with "yeomanry," in an effort to give Harriet the impression that farmers are beneath her. Emma reminds Harriet that she is a gentleman's daughter and, therefore, should be careful not to degrade herself by associating with the woman Mr. Martin will marry, for in all likelihood he will marry an inferior person. She should stay away from odd acquaintances. The next day Emma and Harriet meet Mr. Martin while out walking. Harriet asks Emma what she thinks of him, and is told that he is "remarkably plain" and wants "gentility" (graceful and elegant manners and bearing). Emma advises her that he is a "very inferior creature." Emma invites Harriet to compare Mr. Martin with Mr. Weston and Mr. Elton, who are real gentlemen. Emma goes on to praise especially Mr. Elton as a model of good-humored gentlemanliness. She tells Harriet a compliment Mr. Elton paid her. Thus Emma has decided to make a match between Harriet and Mr. Elton, and sees no social obstacle in Harriet's illegitimacy. Although not good enough for Emma of course, Mr. Elton is found to be eminently suitable for Harriet. Comment: The first significant step in Emma's "education" of Harriet is to impart some of her snobbery to her. Mr. Martin is obviously an industrious and well-mannered young man. But because Emma has ambitions for Harriet, that is, because she wishes to make her according to her own standards, she presumptuously begins to cut off a budding romance between Harriet and Mr. Martin and shows herself to be an inconsiderate snob in the process. Chapter V Mr. Knightley tells Mrs. Weston that he thinks Emma's intimacy with Harriet Smith is "a bad thing." But Mrs. Weston thinks that the friendship will be good for both of them. And in trying to improve Harriet, Emma will read more herself. Mr. Knightley replies that Emma's intentions to read more are meaningless because Emma is incapable of industry, patience and discipline. Emma, he says, is spoiled because she is the cleverest one in the family and used to boss Mrs. Weston when she was her governess. Harriet Smith is a very bad companion because she is so far inferior to her and thus can only flatter her. Emma can only give Harriet pretentions to which she has no right. Mrs. Weston goes on to praise Emma's beauty and figure, and Mr. Knightley agrees. But he persists in seeing harm to both Emma and Harriet in their relationship. Mrs. Weston says that though Emma has declared she will never marry, she would like to see her fall in love; but there is nobody in the neighborhood to whom she might be attracted. Comment: The purpose of this chapter is to alert the reader to the pitfalls which await Emma; for Mr. Knightley is (nearly) always right and Emma is (nearly) always wrong. She will suffer for her aggressive egotism. Chapter VI Emma finds that her encouragement has resulted in Harriet's being interested in Mr. Elton, and Emma is convinced that Mr. Elton is beginning to fall in love with Harriet. Mr. Elton praises Emma for the good influence that Emma has had on Harriet's character and manners. When Mr. Elton enthusiastically supports Emma's suggestion that she paint Harriet's picture, she becomes convinced that wedding bells are not far away. Emma has never really developed her talent for drawing and painting because she could not persist in anything to the end, and almost all her previous work was unfinished. But she completes the water-color of Harriet because she has an ulterior motive. Mr. Elton very much admires Harriet's picture. When Mrs. Weston says to him that Emma has greatly improved Harriet's looks, he replies that it is a very good likeness. Mr. Elton eagerly agrees to take the painting to London to choose a frame for it. Mr. Elton's behavior during this affair makes Emma certain that he is in love with Harriet, though she does observe that she, herself, has gotten a good many compliments from him. Comment: The reader will observe that in this and the following chapters, Mr. Elton's behavior can be interpreted in two ways: he can be trying to please Harriet or Emma. Chapter VII The day that Mr. Elton goes to London for the frame, Harriet tells Emma that she has gotten a letter from Mr. Martin proposing marriage. Emma, seeing that Harriet is very much impressed by this proposal, sets out to sabotage Mr. Martin's chances by telling Harriet he wishes to improve his social status by marrying her. Although the letter is very well written with the feeling and good sense of a gentleman, Emma cleverly contrives to make Harriet decide to refuse him. While telling her she would not advise her either way, Emma successfully communicates her opinion to Harriet and then, when Harriet says that she will refuse Mr. Martin, Emma confirms Harret in her judgment by telling her that of course she would not have been able to visit Mrs. Robert Martin at the illiterate and vulgar Abbey-Mill Farm, and is glad, therefore, for Harriet's decision. This only serves to strengthen Harriet's desire to conform to the standards of "Miss Woodhouse." Emma subtly helps Harriet compose her letter of refusal, and then goes on to distract her with talk of Mr. Elton and his attentions to her. Comment: That Emma is not without some awareness of the grossness of her meddling is clearly apparent from two things in this chapter. She recognizes the merit of style and feeling in Mr. Martin's letter; and she recognizes Harriet's bad taste in mentioning its brevity. Nevertheless, she persists in manipulating the emotions and prejudices of the weak willed Harriet in order that her design to unite Miss Smith and Mr. Elton will materialize. There is a certain viciousness and meanness in Emma's treatment of Mr. Martin, especially since Harriet's own fickleness, superficiality, and equivocal social status make her anything but superior to Mr. Martin. Chapter VIII Harriet spends the night at Hartfield frequently, for Emma wants to keep an eye on her to make sure that her scheme does not fall through. One day, Mr. Knightley calls and compliments Emma on having improved Harriet's manners and on having cured her of her "school-girl's giggle." Mr. Knightley then says that he believes that Harriet Smith will soon receive an offer of marriage from Robert Martin. Mr. Martin had consulted Mr. Knightley about it and Mr. Knightley had advised him to marry. Emma then informs him that Mr. Martin proposed yesterday and that he was refused. Indignant and angry, Mr. Knightley guesses that Emma pesuaded Harriet to refuse him. To Emma's retort that Mr. Martin is not Harriet's equal, Knightley replies sternly that he is indeed much her superior; for Harriet, as the illegitimate daughter of unknown parents, has no respectable relations and no outstanding intelligence or education. In short, it was Harriet who stood to gain from the match. Emma replies that Mr. Martin is inferior in social status. She is convinced that Harriet's father was a gentleman and a man of fortune. But Mr. Knightley insists that she has not been very well cultivated and really has very little to bring to a respectable, intelligent gentleman farmer. It is only from Emma that Harriet has gotten any sense of superiority, and Emma has been a poor friend. Though Emma admits that Harriet is not clever, she thinks that Harriet's beauty and good-naturedness are sufficient possessions. She even remarks playfully that she would be a good catch for Mr. Knightley, but Mr. Knightley clear-sightedly asserts that Emma will make Harriet vain by giving her ideas to which she has no just claim. "Men of sense do no want silly wives." Men of family would not connect themselves with a girl of such obscure birth. For Emma to encourage her to marry above Mr. Martin is in all likelihood to condemn Harriet to spinsterhood. Emma begins to feel a little uncomfortable. Mr. Knightley goes on to predict that if Elton is the man that Emma has in mind for Harriet, she is laboring in vain because he would never marry "imprudently." Mr. Knightley departs very much upset at the pain that Emma has caused Robert Martin. Though Emma has not changed her mind, she is still uneasy at having Mr. Knightley disapprove of her judgment. Harriet then joins Emma and talks of Mr. Elton, who has gone off to London for the picture frame. Comment: The reader should bear in mind Emma's playful comment about Harriet's being a good catch for Mr. Knightley. Chapter IX Although sorry about her quarrel with Mr. Knightley, Emma remains convinced that she is right about Harriet and Mr. Elton and continues to contrive to bring them together. Mr. Elton returns from London with the framed picture; it is hung in the sitting room at Hartfield, where he admires it profusely. Superficial Harriet quickly forgets about Mr. Martin and becomes attached to Mr. Elton. Emma's plans for improving her friend's mind through reading never develop. Harriet's activity consists in collecting riddles and copying them into a notebook, and Emma finds it easier to help her with this than with the discipline of serious reading. Mr. Elton is asked to contribute to the collection. When Emma asks him to write one himself, he replies that he has no talent in that direction. But the next day he returns with a "charade" that the says a friend of his wrote to a young lady he admired. Because it is his friend's, he cannot offer it for Harriet's collection, but he gives it to Emma. (A charade consists of a series of verses describing the syllables of the word which is to be spelled out. Mr. Elton's charade spells out court, ship: courtship.) Emma understands it immediately, but slower-witted Harriet cannot figure it out without Emma's help. Emma is convinced that Mr. Elton wrote the charade for and to Harriet. And she predicts to her that she will soon be living at the parsonage. Harriet replies that if Emma had not told her of Mr. Elton's affection, she would never have imagined it. Emma tells her that she can rely on her judgment. Harriet and Mr. Elton are suited to each other "by every circumstance of your respective homes." Harriet's unknown relations will be pleased at such a match. Comment: The reader will note that Mr. Elton gave the charade to Emma, and when Emma speaks of her judgment and of Harriet's circumstances "being suited to Mr. Elton's," he will recall Mr. Knightley's remarks on this subject in Chapter VIII. Mr. Woodhouse comes in and speaks of Isabella and John Knightley's coming to visit next week. He thinks that it is sad that she got married and was taken away from Hartfield. Isabella named her eldest boy Henry - that is, after her father rather than her husband. Her devotion to her father is matched by a similarity in character. Mr. Elton then calls at Hartfield, and Emma senses in his manner a curiosity at the reaction to his charade. In a flowery manner, he remarks that his "friend" would be extremely proud to have his charade copied in the book. Emma thinks to herself that Mr. Elton's affected and pretentious speeches are laughable. Comment: This chapter reveals that Emma is not really interested in "improving" Harriet's mind, but rather in arranging a match between her and Mr. Elton. And Emma's low opinion of Mr. Elton's manners shows that she does not really consider that Harriet, for whom she intends him, has much potential for improvement. Chapter X The next day, Emma takes Harriet along on a charitable visit to a poor, sick family. On the way, they pass Mr. Elton's vicarage and Emma remarks that Harriet will soon be living there. Harriet wonders why "Miss Woodhouse" (she always calls her "Miss Woodhouse") is not planning to be married. Emma replies that she has very little intention of ever marrying. Not only does she not expect to find someone sufficiently superior for her, but she does not wish to find him, so pleased is she with her pleasant situation. It is not in her nature to fall in love, and anyway she thinks that few married women would be as important in their own homes as she is at Hartfield. Harriet's objection that she would be "an old maid" does not bother Emma, who says that the public only makes fun of an unmarried woman if she is poor. But Emma has no fear of that or of becoming narrow-minded because of her material circumstances. Miss Bates, who is "an old maid," is poor; but, admits Emma, it is rather her silliness which annoys Emma. Emma says that she has an active, busy mind which will keep her occupied in old age, and she has all her nieces and nephews to supply affection. Harriet asks if she knows Miss Bates' niece, Jane Fairfax. Emma replies that she has known her for some time, but is annoyed at Miss Bates' consistent chatter about Jane Fairfax. Comment: Emma's resolution not to marry and her declarations of self-sufficiency point up her selfishness and vanity. She is the center of attention in her present situation at Hartfield and Highbury, and her natural desire to marry is perverted into arranging the marriage of others. Emma is very thoughtful and helpful to the poor family she visits and to the poor in general. But Harriet's and Emma's thoughts of the sufferings of the poor are soon driven away by the sight of Mr. Elton on the road ahead. He was on his way to visit Hartfield and he now decides to accompany them. Emma pretends to tie her shoelace in order to let Mr. Elton and Harriet walk on ahead together alone. When she catches up with them, she is disappointed to find Mr. Elton most unromantically talking about a dinner he had at a friend's. In order to maneuver them into the vicarage, Emma breaks the lace on her boot, throws it into a ditch, and asks Mr. Elton if she can ask his housekeeper for a piece of string to repair her boot. Mr. Elton is delighted to invite them into his parlor, where Emma leaves the two "lovers" alone while she goes to see the housekeeper. Although no proposal results from her contrivings, Emma remains pleased and expectant. Chapter XI Emma is soon distracted from the "romance" of Harriet and Mr. Elton by the arrival, for a ten-day visit, of her sister Isabella, her brother-in-law John Knightley, and their five children. Whereas Emma takes after her deceased mother, Isabella takes after her father. She is a devoted wife, a doting mother, and has a pleasant disposition, but she lacks Emma's quick wit and cleverness. She is like her father in worrying excessively about health. John Knightley, a very clever and successful lawyer, is not interested in socializing outside the family. His temper is somewhat short and he is sometimes not careful about the feelings of others in expressing his opinions. Emma is not especially fond of him because he is not always patient with her father nor flattering to her. Mr. Woodhouse talks to Isabella about the sad fact of Miss Taylor's marriage, but Emma quickly reminds him that she is quite happy with the excellent Mr. Weston and, furthermore, they see both of them almost every day. John Knightley inquires of Mr. Weston's son, Frank Churchill. Emma is annoyed by John Knightley's saying that Mr. Weston's sociability made the giving up of his son to the Churchills less difficult. But she does not take up what might be a slight to Mr. Weston. Chapter XII That evening, Mr. Knightley comes to dine with his brother John and the Woodhouses at Hartfield. Though Emma will not concede that she has been in the wrong, she is, nevertheless, eager to forget her quarrel with Mr. Knightley and restore good relations. The presence of the children makes this easy. Mr. Knightley agrees with Emma that their disagreements always result from her being in the wrong. Since he is sixteen years older than she, his judgment is necessarily superior. Emma thinks, however, that at twenty-one she is not really at a disadvantage. She inquires after Mr. Martin's feelings, and Mr. Knightley replies that he is very bitterly disappointed, but Emma and Mr. Knightley nevertheless shake hands and make up. John and George Knightley then discuss together family affairs and matters concerning their estate at Donwell. Isabella and her father chat on about their health; and in order to prevent Mr. Woodhouse from pursuing his thoughts about the danger of London air and of family excursions, Emma keeps interrupting their conversation by reminding Isabella of various persons at Highbury. When Isabella tells her husband that her father finds him looking not well, he replies sharply that she should confine coddling and doctoring to herself and the children. For the rest of the evening, Emma continues to divert the conversations of her father and brother-in-law from touchy areas. She is even willing to talk about Jane Fairfax in order to keep her father from talking about the hazards which moving to London have brought to Isabella. When Mr. Woodhouse remarks that Mr. Perry (the Highbury apothecary) suggested that Isabella and her family would have been better off doing their sea bathing at a different place than the one they went to, Mr. Knightley retorts sharply that Mr. Perry should mind his own business. But Emma and George Knightley manage to keep any dispute from being prolonged. Chapter XIII The Knightleys, the Woodhouses, Mr. Elton, and Harriet Smith are invited to dine at Mr. and Mrs. Weston's home, Randalls. But Harriet comes down with a cold on the 24th of December and is confined to bed. When Emma informs Mr. Elton of Harriet's cold, he hopes that Emma will be careful lest she get infected. Thinking that Mr. Elton would have no wish to go to dinner if Harriet is not there, she tries to provide him with an excuse to absent himself by telling him that he ought not to travel out in the cold. But when John Knightley offers to bring him in his carriage, he eagerly accepts. Emma thinks that this is strange behavior for a lover. After he leaves to visit Harriet, John Knightley remarks on Mr. Elton's affected manners with ladies. Emma replies that he has only "moderate" abilities. Her brother-in-law says that he thinks Mr. Elton is interested in her. Emma, astonished, denies that Mr. Elton could be in love with her, but John says he thinks that her manners to him have been encouraging. Emma is indignant at her brother for presuming her to be "blind and ignorant" and in need of advice. She thinks of how people with "high pretensions to judgment" make mistakes because they do not know the whole situation. Comment: The irony here is that Emma is the one with "high pretensions to judgment" and who is wrong about the situation. John Knightley is very much annoyed at having to make this excursion to Randalls in the cold and snow. He cannot understand why anyone would want to "spend five dull hours in another man's house for no particular reason." When they arrive at the Westons, Emma is surprised to see that Mr. Elton does not appear to be especially concerned about Harriet's cold. He chats on about the weather, and the Christmas season, and the pleasure of visiting friends.