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Fiction

Notes that the engagement is open, Jane begs Emma to forgive her, and they become good friends.
Harriet marries a Mr Martin, who she secretly loved all along, and Mr Knightley, over his
grudge (jealousy) of Frank Churchill, proposes to Emma, who, although friendly with Frank,
never was in love with Frank. Emma and Frank are still friends, and all ends happily.

9.1 Plot Construction

Although conceived that she herself will never marry, Emma Woodhouse, a precocious twenty-
year-old resident of the village of Highbury, imagines herself to be naturally gifted in conjuring
love matches. After self-declared success at matchmaking between her governess and
Mr. Weston, a village widower, Emma takes it upon herself to find an eligible match for her
new friend, Harriet Smith. Though Harriet’s parentage is unknown, Emma is convinced that
Harriet deserves to be a gentleman’s wife and sets her friend’s sights on Mr. Elton, the village
vicar. Meanwhile, Emma persuades Harriet to reject the proposal of Robert Martin, a well-to-
do farmer for whom Harriet clearly has feelings.
Harriet becomes infatuated with Mr. Elton under Emma’s encouragement, but Emma’s plans
go awry when Elton makes it clear that his affection is for Emma, not Harriet. Emma realizes
that her obsession with making a match for Harriet has blinded her to the true nature of the
situation. Mr knightley, Emma’s brother-in-law and treasured friend, watches Emma’s matchmaking
efforts with a critical eye. He believes that Mr. Martin is a worthy young man whom Harriet
would be lucky to marry. He and Emma quarrel over Emma’s meddling, and, as usual,
Mr. Knightley proves to be the wiser of the pair. Elton, spurned by Emma and offended by
her insinuation that Harriet is his equal, leaves for the town of Bath and marries a girl there
almost immediately.
Emma is left to comfort Harriet and to wonder about the character of a new visitor expected
in Highbury—Mr. Weston’s son, Frank Churchill. Frank is set to visit his father in Highbury
after having been raised by his aunt and uncle in London, who have taken him as their heir.
Emma knows nothing about Frank, who has long been deterred from visiting his father by his
aunt’s illnesses and complaints. Mr. Knightley is immediately suspicious of the young man,
especially after Frank rushes back to London merely to have his hair cut. Emma, however,
finds Frank delightful and notices that his charms are directed mainly toward her. Though she
plans to discourage these charms, she finds herself flattered and engaged in a flirtation with
the young man. Emma greets Jane Fairfax, another addition to the Highbury set, with less
enthusiasm.

Did u know? Jane is beautiful and accomplished, but Emma dislikes her because of her
reserve and, the narrator insinuates, because she is jealous of Jane.

Suspicion, intrigue, and misunderstandings ensue. Mr. Knightley defends Jane, saying that
she deserves compassion because, unlike Emma, she has no independent fortune and must
soon leave home to work as a governess. Mrs. Weston suspects that the warmth of Mr. Knightley’s
defense comes from romantic feelings, an implication Emma resists. Everyone assumes that
Frank and Emma are forming an attachment, though Emma soon dismisses Frank as a potential
suitor and imagines him as a match for Harriet. At a village ball, knightley earns Emma’s
approval by offering to dance with Harriet, who has just been humiliated by Mr. Elton and
his new wife. The next day, Frank saves Harriet from Gypsy beggars. When Harriet tells
Emma that she has fallen in love with a man above her social station, Emma believes that she
means Frank. Knightley begins to suspect that Frank and Jane have a secret understanding,

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