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Fiction

Notes Frank for pretending to show affection for her when he was engaged to Jane, particularly
when Jane was present.
Analysis: Whether or not Frank Churchill was wrong in devoting his attention to Emma and
hiding his engagement to Jane Fairfax is up for debate. As Emma points out, he came to
Highbury with professions of openness and simplicity but instead duped everyone. Still, it
was evident from his first introduction that Frank harbored some secret and was deliberately
deceptive. And although he gave the appearance that he had an interest in Emma, she realized
almost immediately that this was not the case and that his interest was more out of vanity and
their shared sociability. Also, Mrs. Churchill made it impossible for him to make his romance
public without retribution.
The one unqualified positive circumstance of the engagement is that Jane Fairfax will no
longer have to become a governess. While Frank does have his faults, he will certainly improve
Jane Fairfax’s situation, while her impeccable manners will improve his sometimes disreputable
behavior. The parallels between Frank Churchill and his father are striking. Both men were
constrained in their actions by the Churchill family, and both found happiness with an educated
and respectable governess whose status they improve.
Chapter Forty-seven: Emma realizes that Harriet might be upset by the turn of events; for this
is the second time that Emma has suggested that someone might be interested in the poor
woman. Emma is angry with Frank Churchill for the deception but is at least relieved that
Jane will not sink into an insignificant life. When Emma sees Harriet, Mr. Weston has already
told her about Frank Churchill. Harriet denies that she ever had an interest in Frank Churchill;
instead, Harriet has been fixated on Mr. Knightley. (When she earlier spoke to Emma about
her feelings, she mentioned that the man in question saved her. While Emma assumed she
meant Frank’s actions with the gypsies, in fact she meant Mr. Knightley’s kind behavior at the
Crown Inn ball after she had been slighted). Emma finally realizes that nobody should marry
Mr. Knightley but Emma herself, and that she has lead Harriet to believe that Mr. Knightley
could be in love with her. Emma realizes that she has made Harriet believe that her claims are
greater than they actually are; she has made the humble Harriet now vain.
Analysis: Mr. Knightley’s words to Emma, “you have been no friend to Harriet Smith,” prove
prophetic in this chapter, as Emma herself realizes. She believes that she has yet again misled
Harriet Smith into expecting the wrong romantic attachment. Nevertheless, Mr. Knightley’s
warning was not prophetic in the manner that Emma imagines. Emma did not damage Harriet
Smith by setting her up for another heartbreak. Rather, Emma’s great fault is that she made
Harriet believe that she could aspire to an unreasonable social status. Emma realizes that part
of her vanity is the belief that she knows the secrets of everybody else’s feelings. She has been
proven consistently wrong on this account because she views the world as she would like it
to be. She assumed that Mr. Elton loved Harriet because she wanted it to be so. As her own
feelings for Frank Churchill grew, she was convinced that he loved her; as they waned, she
believed that his did as well.
Jealousy once again motivates romance in this novel: it takes Frank Churchill to make
Mr. Knightley show greater affection toward Emma, and now it is Harriet Smith who makes
Emma realize that she loves Mr. Knightley. The great horror of the possible match between
Mr. Knightley and Harriet Smith is that, from his actions, Emma believes it to be possible. But,
the match must be prevented, for it would cause Mr. Knightley constant difficulties and
expose him to intense mockery.
Class once again enters into discussions of marriage. Even if Mr. Knightley does love Harriet
Smith, Emma cannot imagine the marriage taking place. Whatever love the two of them have
would be fraught with such difficulties that there is virtually no possibility of success.

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