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$Pretitle{}
$Title{Works of Jane Austen
Emma: Chapters 14 - 25}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Austen, Jane}
$Affiliation{Instructor Of English, Rutgers University}
$Subject{emma
harriet
jane
elton
frank
chapter
knightley
mrs
weston
miss}
$Date{}
$Log{}
Title:       Works of Jane Austen
Book:        Emma
Author:      Austen, Jane
Critic:      Fitzpatrick, William J.
Affiliation: Instructor Of English, Rutgers University

Emma: Chapters 14 - 25

Chapter XIV

     Emma and Mrs. Weston take pleasure in gossiping together. Mrs. Weston is
the only person with whom Emma is on terms of real intimacy. Emma is
disappointed to find that Mr. Elton is sitting next to her. She notices that,
far from being concerned about Harriet, he seems especially interested in her.
She wonders if her brother-in-law can have been correct in his suggestion. She
finds the idea "absurd and insufferable."

     Mr. Elton's "nonsensical" conversation keeps Emma from listening to Mr.
Weston talk about his son, Frank Churchill. It happens that Emma considers
Frank Churchill's "age, character, and condition" very much suited to hers and
thinks that if she were to marry, he would be just the person for her. She is
aware that Mr. and Mrs. Weston have thought about such a match, and Emma looks
forward to meeting him. Finally, she gets an opportunity to talk to Mr. Weston
about his son. He expects him down for a visit the second week in January. He
explains that Frank has been kept from visiting him in the past by his aunt,
who is a mean and selfish woman. Later, when she talks to Mrs. Weston alone
about the same subject, Emma finds that she is not nearly as optimistic as Mr.
Weston about Frank's coming down. Mrs. Weston thinks that his aunt will
succeed in preventing it again, for the Churchills are jealous of their
adopted nephew. Emma replies that a young man ought to be able to spend a week
with his father if he wants to. She does not see how anyone could stand in his
way.

Comment:

     The first third of the book (Chapters I through XVIII) is primarily
concerned with Emma's interference in the lives of Robert Martin, Harriet
Smith, and Mr. Elton - with her mistakes and her meddling. Frank Churchill's
relations with Emma come to play a dominant part in the second third of the
book, and Jane Austen takes pains to introduce him now and again in the first
part to prepare the reader for Emma's second folly.

Chapter XV

     Mr. Elton comes, sits between Emma and Mrs. Weston, and asks Emma for
information about Harriet's condition. Emma is pleased to hear him asking
after her friend, but she begins to notice that his concern is rather for her
than for Harriet - a fear that she might catch Harriet's infection. Mr. Elton
begs her to promise him not to put herself in this danger again by visiting
Harriet. Emma is shocked and annoyed at his appearing to be in love with her
instead of Harriet. She is offended at his presuming to have a right to be so
extremely solicitous of her activity.

     John Knightley comes in and declares that the strong wind and the heavy
snow will make it difficult for them to get home. Mr. Woodhouse is very upset
at this news. And John Knightley goes on to fan his fears with pictures of a
carriage being blown over. Isabella is as worried as her father and suggests
that he and Emma stay the night at Randalls, but Emma is very glad when George
Knightley comes in to say that he has inspected the road for some ways on and
found that the snow is not in the least bit deep and so there is nothing to
worry about. He and Emma then take charge of the departure and everyone sets
out. On the way back, Emma finds herself alone with Mr. Elton in the second
carriage. Being annoyed at his behavior earlier and suspecting him of being
slightly drunk, she is rather displeased. Suddenly Mr. Elton seizes her hand
and begins to make love to her, declaring that she must be aware of how much
he loves her and that he desires to be accepted as her fiance. Emma is shocked
at Mr. Elton, the lover of Harriet, professing himself her lover. At first,
she charges it to drunkenness: "You take me for my friend - I shall be happy
to deliver any message to Miss Smith." Mr. Elton protests in confusion this
reference to Miss Smith and insists that Emma accept his desire for her hand
in marriage. Emma replies that she is most displeased that he should now be
making these advances to her after having made them to Harriet for the past
month. But Mr. Elton says that he never had any thought for Miss Smith. Her
own fancies must have misled her. He never paid the smallest attention to her
- only to Emma. He is sure that Emma must have understood him. Emma replies
that she has been in grave error about his intentions. She believed that he
was pursuing Harriet. Mr. Elton replies that Harriet is beneath his level and
could hardly hope to attract him. (This is an allusion to Harriet's
illegitimacy.) He remarks about the encouragement he received from Emma. Emma
emphatically denies that she gave him any encouragement. She saw him only as
Harriet's admirer. She was not aware of Harriet's being on a lower level. At
any rate, she has no thoughts of getting married herself.

     For the rest of the trip each sits angrily in silence until they reach
Vicarage-lane and exchange cold good-byes.

Comment:

     In this chapter, we see John Knightley's lack of interest in social
amenities lead him to upset his father-in-law and wife in his desire to get
home. George Knightley and Emma, on the other hand, handle this minor crisis
with efficiency and realism. Mr. Elton's proposal to Emma is one of the
consummate ironies in the book and a great comic scene.

Chapter XVI

     Before bed that evening, Emma sits down to think over the events of the
evening. All her plans for Harriet were upset. Her judgment was "disgraced."
She had blundered in persuading Harriet into liking Mr. Elton and conceiving
of him as a suitor. She had interpreted everything that happened to fit her
own idea. Though she had considered Mr. Elton as wanting in judgment,
knowledge, taste, and elegance, she had never suspected that he was interested
in anyone but Harriet. She recalls that Mr. John Knightley had warned her
about Mr. Elton's being interested in her and that George Knightley told her
that Mr. Elton would never marry a girl without proper "connections." Those
brothers had had a much better estimate of the conceited Mr. Elton than she.

     Emma is insulted by Mr. Elton's proposal. She considers that he was
motivated not by love but by the desire to marry well. She can recall no
indication of real affection. He wanted only to enrich himself with "Miss
Woodhouse of Hartfield, the heiress of 30,000 pounds." Just as Mr. Elton looks
down on Harriet, so Emma considers Mr. Elton her inferior in connection,
intellect, manners, and talent. It is inconceivable that Emma Woodhouse, of a
family settled for several generations at Hartfield, would ally herself with a
"nobody" like Mr. Elton, whose connections were only in "trade" and who had no
outstanding qualities.

     But Emma faces the fact that in trying to promote the match between
Harriet and Mr. Elton, she had been uncommonly courteous and attentive to him.
And as she had misinterpreted his feeling, so he had misinterpreted hers. She
acknowledges to herself that it was foolish and wrong for her to try to bring
two people together. It was superficial and immature. She thinks that she was
right to persuade Harriet to reject young Martin, but she should have stopped
there. Perhaps William Coxe, the lawyer, would be more suitable for Harriet.
"Oh no - I could not endure William Coxe." But here, Emma sees that she is
relapsing into the vanity of her former error.

     The thought that Harriet is not a person capable of deep feelings makes
it easier for Emma to think of the dreadful explanations she will have to make
to Harriet.

Comment:

     We arrive in Chapter XVI at the fullest explanation thus far of the theme
and central action of the book: Emma's progress to self-knowledge, humility,
and maturity. Her pride and self-importance, her being the center of
attraction at Hartfield, have led her to make light of the feelings of others.
She has attempted to manipulate persons' lives just for her own diversion, and
this has blinded her to the reality at hand. But events - Mr. Elton's proposal
to her - have forced her to discover, at least momentarily, the truth about
herself. She has thus reached a milestone in her essay in self-discovery. It
should be noted that Emma does not have a very high opinion of Harriet's
qualities. That is why she could have thought of Mr. Elton for her in the
first place. But the snobbery which she displayed, in Chapter IV, in her
remarks about farmers and Mr. Martin, is different from her thought about Mr.
Elton's "inferiority" here, for the reader cannot but agree with her judgments
about him. And though the modern reader might tend to dismiss such
considerations as family position and status, let him be advised that these
considerations are only prudent and are still important. The only outmoded
distinction here is the low esteem in which business - "trade" - was held.
Business as we know it was just beginning to acquire "respectability" in Jane
Austen's day.

Chapter XVII

     Isabella, John Knightley, and their children soon depart for their home
in London. On the day of their departure, Mr. Woodhouse receives a note from
Mr. Elton announcing that he is leaving Highbury for a visit in Bath (a resort
town noted for its springs).

     Emma is pleased that he is leaving, for it will make it easier for
Harriet to forget him; but she does notice that Mr. Elton excluded her name in
the greeting of his letter. Emma now visits Harriet in order to destroy all
the hopes that she herself had built up in the past six weeks. Harriet
receives the news that Mr. Elton was really interested in Emma with abundant
tears, but with graciousness, for she felt herself unworthy of Mr. Elton.
Harriet's naive reaction strengthens Emma in her resolve to be "humble and
discreet, and repressing imagination all the rest of her life."

Chapter XVIII

     As Mrs. Weston foresaw, Frank Churchill did not come to visit his father.
Mr. Weston is very disappointed, but cheers himself up with the thought that
he will come at another time soon. When Emma tells Mr. Knightley of Frank
Churchill's letter that he was unable to get away, she exaggerates the
pleasure that she anticipates in Frank Churchill's prospective visit. She
defends his neglect of his father in spite of her real thoughts on the matter
(see Chapter XIV). Mr. Knightley replies that Frank Churchill has no excuse
for not coming to see his father. His foster parents, the Churchills, could
not keep him from his duty if he wanted to fulfill it. He must be a proud and
superficial young man not to do the right thing regardless of the wishes of
others. Thus, Frank Churchill must be a very weak young man used to leading
a life of idle pleasure, capable of writing a flattering letter, but with no
real consideration of the feelings of others. Emma replies to Mr. Knightley
that his aunt and uncle, the Churchills, fully account for his not coming to
visit his father, Mr. Weston. Since they have provided for his education and
upbringing and maintained him in a state of comfort, he must defer to their
wishes. Emma provokes Knightley by saying that he will be a "sensation" when
he comes to Highbury. But Knightley foresees only a spoiled puppy.

     Although Emma was exaggerating in her defense of Frank Churchill, she
nevertheless cannot understand why Mr. Knightley should be so unjust to
Frank Churchill.

Comment:

     Chapter XVIII brings us to the end of Volume I of Emma. It is the first
movement in the book, the action of which consists of the self-deception and
undeception of Emma in the affair of Harriet Smith and Mr. Elton. But even
as Emma discovers her grave mistakes, she begins to make another which will
turn out to be even more serious. Although she actually shares some of Mr.
Knightley's judgments of Frank's unmannerliness in not paying his respects to
his father (in Chapter XV she argued in almost the same way as Knightley
does here), she nevertheless disagrees with him over Frank's character.
This disagreement will be deepened during the second volume (Chapters
XIX-XXXV), for Emma has not yet sufficiently acquired the humility and
honesty to shed her pride and see into her own feelings. That will take
twenty-seven more chapters. The reader might suspect that the rather strong
animus that Mr. Knightley bears Frank Churchill has something to do with
Emma's readiness to like him.

Chapter XIX

     In order to keep Harriet's mind off Mr. Elton, Emma decides to take her
on a visit to Mrs. and Miss Bates - even though Emma cannot stand their
company. Mrs. and Miss Bates live in a moderate-sized apartment occupying one
floor of a house, in conditions of "genteel poverty." Although Emma has felt
guilty of failing in her social and charitable obligations to Mrs. Bates and
her garrulous daughter, she nevertheless avoids the company of her
intellectual inferiors.

     Miss Bates, chattering on at a great rate of speed and jumping rapidly
from subject to subject, mentions that she received a letter from her niece,
Jane Fairfax. Emma is thus forced - contrary to her expectation and much to
her displeasure - to listen to an account of Jane's doings.

     It seems that the Campbells (the people who have brought Jane up) are
going to Ireland to visit their recently married daughter, Mrs. Dixon; and
Jane, who has not been feeling too well lately, is coming to Highbury to visit
her aunt, whom she has not seen in two years. Jane apparently got to know her
friend's husband very well, since she was usually present during their
courtship. One time, during a boat outing. Mr. Dixon caught Jane as she was
about to fall into the water. Emma begins to wonder whether Colonel and Mrs.
Campbell's having urged Jane to visit her aunt may not in fact have been due
to the desire to keep Jane away from Mr. Dixon's company. Her suspicions are
heightened by the knowledge that Jane is far more attractive than her friend,
Mrs. Dixon. After listening to Miss Bates chatter on about what her niece has
had to say in the letter, Emma and Harriet quickly take their leave before
they are forced to hear the letter read verbatim.

Comment:

     As we have seen in the affair of Mr. Elton and Harriet, Emma's superior
intelligence leads her into the trap making snap judgments about personal
relations. The reader will wonder whether Jane Austen is not again preparing
Emma for a fall, as Emma begins in this chapter to build another theory about
the feelings of someone else.

Chapter XX

     "Jane Fairfax was an orphan, the only child of Mrs. Bate's youngest
daughter." Her father, Lt. Fairfax, had died in action abroad; and her mother
died from consumption soon afterwards. A friend of her father's, Colonel
Campbell, had taken her into his household and provided for her education.
She became a good friend of his only daughter. Because Colonel Campbell's
income was limited, it was decided that Jane should plan a career as a
governess and tutor - since the Colonel's small income had to be fixed on his
daughter. Jane Fairfax received an excellent education and all the benefits
of growing up in London society.

     The Campbells' only daughter (who was inferior to Jane in looks and
accomplishments) had recently married Mr. Dixon, a rich young man. As Jane was
now twenty-one, she was preparing sadly to take up her career. Colonel and
Mrs. Campbell have gone off to visit their daughter in Ireland and Jane has
come to Highbury for a last visit with her aunt (Miss Bates) and her
grandmother (Mrs. Bates). Emma does not like the idea of socializing with
Jane, whose accomplishments Mr. Knightley has suggested Emma envies. Although
Emma privately admits that he may be right, she resents Jane's "coldness and
reserve." But because Emma feels guilty for having been unfair to Jane, she
resolves to treat her kindly. When Jane arrives and visits Hartfield, Emma is
forced to admit to herself that Jane Fairfax - in manners and in beauty - is
very elegant indeed. Emma feels sorry that such an elegant creature will
shortly have to leave polite society in order to work for a living. Emma
decides there probably was nothing to her suspicion about Jane's "having
seduced Mr. Dixon's affections from his wife." Emma regrets that there is no
young man in Highbury whom she could scheme about for Jane.

     But Emma soon reverts to her normal attitude toward Jane. She is annoyed
at her aunt's and grandmother's admiration to her; she is annoyed at Jane's
accomplishments; and she is especially annoyed at her reserve and lack of
openness. Jane does not confide in Emma any opinion or information about
Mr. Dixon or Frank Churchill (whom Jane has met). Because her curiosity is
frustrated, Emma is angry at Jane and decides that perhaps there was something
to her suspicions about Jane and Mr. Dixon after all.

Comment:

     Jane Fairfax's anticipated career as governess and tutor is regarded as a
kind of approaching death; for she will no longer have the life of leisure
which is required (especially for women) for the pleasures of cultivated
social intercourse. Jane Austen's novel is written about and for people who
have such leisure.

     It is plain from the egotism that Emma reveals in this chapter - her
readiness to suspect Jane, to build fancies around her - that she has not yet
learned the lesson of her naive attempt to manage the lives of Mr. Elton
and Harriet.

Chapter XXI

     The morning after Jane's visit to Hartfield, Mr. Knightley expresses his
pleasure at seeing Jane and Emma together. Mr. Woodhouse chatters on about
sending the Bateses some pork and about the best way of cooking it. Mr.
Knightley is about to convey to Emma a piece of news, when Miss Bates and
Miss Fairfax arrive and Miss Bates beats him to it by announcing that Mr.
Elton is going to be married to a Miss Hawkins of Bath. Everyone is excited
and pleased with the news and Miss Bates chatters on in her usual flighty
and incoherent way. Emma remarks on the short acquaintance before the
engagement (for Mr. Elton has been gone only four weeks). Miss Bates and
Miss Fairfax soon leave.

     Emma is amused at the knowledge that Mr. Elton quickly got over being
rejected by her; but she is sorry for Harriet, who she is sure will be much
grieved. Shortly afterwards, Harriet arrives with her own bit of news. While
she was at the haberdasher's shop, she met Mr. Martin and his sister
Elizabeth. They exchanged greetings and the Martins were very pleasant.
Although Emma admits to herself that the Martins have behaved very well, she
does not regret having thwarted Harriet's romance with young Martin. She still
considers the Martins to be an inferior connection for Harriet. In order to
turn her mind away from them, Emma breaks the news about Mr. Elton's
engagement. Harriet reacts to this with a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Comment:

     In this chapter, the reader will notice three things: Mr. Elton's
becoming engaged, perhaps almost as a result of Emma's having turned him down;
Emma's continuing attempt to control the direction of Harriet's life; and
Harriet's easily manipulated and flighty character (how quickly she makes the
transition from Mr. Elton to Mr. Martin and back again). Mr. Knightley has
previously pointed out to Emma the absurdity of her thinking that the Martins
would benefit by a connection with Harriet (Chapter VIII).

Chapter XXII

     Augusta Hawkins Mr. Elton's fiance, is now the talk of Highbury.
She is said to be extremely elegant and accomplished and in the possession
of 10,000 pounds. When Mr. Elton returns to Highbury, Emma notices that he
is as petty and pretentious as ever. She observes that although Mr. Elton
was disdainful of Harriet for her "lack of connections" (Chapter XVIII), Miss
Hawkins herself is only the daughter of a Bristol merchant. Emma regrets that
although she had been able to talk Harriet into love she could not so
easily talk her out of it. Only another lover would suffice for that; but
there is none available, thinks Emma, and Harriet now hears of nothing
else but Mr. Elton and his coming marriage. Emma is privately amused at the
way Harriet's interests alternate between Mr. Elton and Robert Martin.

     Elizabeth Martin calls at Miss Goddard's (where Harriet lives) one day
and leaves a note for Harriet. In order to distract Harriet from thoughts
of Mr. Elton, Emma decides that it would be well for Harriet to return
Elizabeth Martin's visit. She very carefully arranges to drive Harriet to the
Martins and to call for her in fifteen minutes so that the renewal of deep
ties between Harriet and the Martins will not be encouraged by a long visit.

Comment:

     The urbanity and cleverness with which Emma is running Harriet's life
should not obscure for the reader the real cruelty of Emma's presumption.

Chapter XXIII

     Emma takes Harriet to visit the Martins in her carriage and returns for
her in just fifteen minutes. It turns out that Harriet has seen only Mrs.
Martin and her two daughters. Emma thinks regretfully of how ungrateful it
is for Harriet to spend only fourteen minutes with a family that she had
spent six weeks with less than six months ago, but because the Martins are not
of a high enough rank for Emma's ambitions for Harriet, she maintains her
resolve that Harriet must be separated from them. They call at Randalls, but
Mr. and Mrs. Weston are out. However, on their way back home they meet them.
Mr. Weston says that he has received a letter from Frank this morning and that
he is coming to spend a whole fortnight with them. He is expected to arrive
tomorrow afternoon.

     By the next day at noon, Mr. Weston and his son call on the Woodhouses at
Hartfield. Frank arrived at Randalls the night before - a day early. Emma is
gratified at Frank's attentions to his father and Mrs. Weston. His great
praise of Mrs. Weston pleases Emma very much. Emma thinks of how Mr. and Mrs.
Weston hope that she and Frank will have a romance.

     Frank mentions that he must make a call on Jane Fairfax, whom he met at
Weymouth. He appears reluctant to do so and decides to call on her and her
aunt and grandmother that day merely out of social obligation. He and his
father take leave of the Woodhouses.

Chapter XXIV

     Frank Churchill and Mrs. Weston visit the Woodhouses next morning.
Emma is again cheered at Frank's attentions to Mrs. Weston. The three of them
spend a couple of hours walking around the grounds at Hartfield. Frank seems
to be going out of his way to show his interest in Highbury, and Emma
decides that Mr. Knightley had not done him justice in the past when he
accused him of being insincere (see Chapter XVIII).

     They take a walk into town. Frank tries to persuade Emma that the large
room at the Crown Inn would be perfect for a ball. Emma asks him if he paid
his visit to the Bateses the day before. He replies that he did and alludes to
the garrulity of Miss Bates, which kept him there for three quarters of an
hour. He says that Miss Fairfax's complexion is too plea and sickly and
implies that she is not at all to his taste. When Emma asks if he saw her
often at Weymouth, he suddenly suggests that they go into Ford's haberdashery
so that he can buy some gloves. After they go in. Frank answers Emma's
question by saying that it is for the lady (i.e., Jane) to say how well she
knew the gentleman. When Emma replies that Jane is extremely reserved with any
information, Frank then comments that he met her and the Campbells frequently
at Weymouth. Emma then asks him if he knows what Jane is destined to be (i.e.,
working for her living as a governess). Frank replies, "Yes - I do." Frank
asks if Emma is familiar with Jane's piano playing; and when Emma replies that
she plays charmingly, Frank remarks that Mr. Dixon would always ask her to
play for him even when his fiancee (Miss Campbell) was present. Emma replies
that she would have been very annoyed if her fiancee's taste for music got in
the way of his romantic affections. She goes on to say that because Jane went
on playing despite the implied slight to Mr. Dixon's fiancee, one may well
have grounds for suspicions. Frank agrees with Emma that reservedness - or
extreme caution in speech and manner - is a repulsive quality and likely to
suggest suspicions that the person has something to conceal. "One cannot love
a reserved person," he says.

     Emma is exceedingly pleased with Frank and, in his remark that a large
house is not necessary for a man in love with his wife, detects an inclination
to marry early.

Comment:

     The reader should follow very closely everything that Frank says about
Jane Fairfax and everything that Emma thinks about Jane and Frank; for Jane
Austen is preparing the reader and Emma for a crushing irony - that is, a
discrepancy between what Emma thinks is true (and her smugness in the
knowledge) and what in fact is true. Emma's readiness to believe evil things
of Jane Fairfax is perhaps traceable, as Mr. Knightley hinted, to envy of her
accomplishments.

Chapter XXV

     Emma's very good opinion of Frank Churchill is a little shaken the
following day, by hearing that he was gone off to London, "merely to have his
hair cut." Emma is disappointed at this "foppery." "vanity," and
"restlessness." But as Mrs. Weston remains extremely happy with Frank, and as
Mr. Weston indicates that Frank thinks Emma extremely beautiful and charming,
Emma decides that he is not unworthy of the "honor" of being in love with her
- though, of course, she has not changed her mind about never marrying. But
Mr. Knightley is not influenced by "public opinion" or Mr. Churchill's
"charms". "Just the trifling, silly fellow I took him for."

     When Emma finds that the Coles (a family "in trade" who have recently
acquired sufficient wealth to live at leisure and to entertain in society) are
planning a dinner party, she wishes "to teach them a lesson" by refusing to
accept any invitation they might make her. (She regrets that neither Mr.
Knightley nor Mr. Weston can be counted on to join her in enforcing this
social discipline.) But when she discovers that the Westons and Mr. Knightley
have received invitations to a dinner party at the Coles' and not the
Woodhouses, Emma not only regrets the loss of an opportunity to refuse, but
she now begins to wonder if, since the evening promises to be gay and
successful and to include Frank Churchill, she might not be tempted to accept.
And when an invitation finally does come for her and her father, she quickly
permits the Westons to persuade her to accept it - though, of course, her
"invalid" father will not make the extremely arduous journey out of doors in
the evening. Emma arranges to have her father comfortable and with company on
the night of the party.

Comment:

     The reader will again notice the contrast between Emma's snobbery and Mr.
Knightley's good sense (see Chapter VIII). However, Emma's quick change of
heart about going to the Coles' party indicates that her snobbery is not so
strong as to overcome her natural love of gay society. Emma's imagining that
Mr. Churchill is in love with her should remind the reader of the time when
she imagined that Mr. Elton was in love with Harriet. The general action of
the novel can be described as the disciplining of Emma's imagination, which is
a function of her vanity - that is, she imagines (fancies) a false reality
because she is vain and conceited.