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Fiction

Notes Chapter Seven: Mr. Martin sends letter to Harriet in which he proposes marriage. Although
Emma admits that the letter is better than she expected, she still speaks ill of the letter to
Harriet (claiming that one of his sisters must have written it). Emma ultimately dissuades
Harriet from accepting the proposal, claiming that a woman should always say no if there is
even the slightest doubt. Harriet is disappointed to reject Mr. Martin, but she cedes to Emma’s
wishes. Emma encourages her to rid herself of thoughts of Mr. Martin and instead think of
Mr. Elton getting her portrait framed in London.
Analysis: Emma continues to disparage Robert Martin because of his lack of manners, but
considering evidence to the contrary (his well-written letter), she still reinforces the idea that
he is uncouth to Harriet. The idea that one of his sisters wrote the letter is absurd (in Austen’s
England, it is highly unlikely that a woman of the Martin’s status would receive an education
greater than her brother), and Emma promoting the idea is borderline malicious. Emma’s
interest is not in Robert Martin’s manners, but his status.
The chapter also reinforces the dynamics of Emma’s relationship with Harriet Smith. Harriet
depends on Emma for all of her opinions and decisions and cannot decide whether or not to
marry Robert Martin without first getting Emma’s approval. They have a friendship, but it is
not one between equals. It is particularly important that Harriet Smith asks Emma for her
opinion even though Harriet obviously has her own concrete opinion on the matter. She may
have some doubt but is clearly disappointed when Emma advises her to reject Robert Martin.
Still, Harriet does not have the strength to go against Emma’s opinion.

Chapters 8-14
Chapter Eight: Harriet sleeps at Hartfield that night, as she now does frequently. Mr. Knightley,
speaking alone with Emma, credits her with improving Harriet by curing her of her schoolgirl
temperament. When Mr. Knightley tells Emma that he suspects that Mr. Martin will propose
soon, Emma proudly informs him that Harriet has already rejected Mr. Martin’s marriage
proposal. Mr. Knightley is furious, thinking that Harriet is a simpleton for refusing. He claims
that Mr. Martin is Harriet’s superior, for while he is settled, she is a foolish girl with dubious
origins. Angered by Mr. Knightley’s reproof, Emma argues for Harriet’s superiority and touts
the belief that Harriet’s parents must be gentility. She also alludes to a possible match between
Harriet and Mr. Elton, an idea that Mr. Knightley swiftly dismisses.
Analysis: The revelation that Harriet is a constant guest at Hartfield strikes a discordant note.
It indicates that Harriet may think of herself as a resident of Hartfield, which would obviously
accord her greater status than she deserves. Mr. Knightley prediction seems to be coming true:
Harriet is beginning to perceive herself as a member of high society. For Mr. Knightley, the
best of example of this is that Harriet turned down Robert Martin. When he thinks that Harriet
will marry Robert Martin, he gives Emma credit for improving Harriet. This is the first compliment
that he gives to Harriet Smith, but he soon retracts it when he hears of her rejection. Moreover,
since Mr. Knightley serves as Austen’s voice of reason in the novel, it is clear that, because of
Emma, Harriet has made a mistake.
Again, class is the primary consideration for marriage. Because Harriet does not know her
parentage, she is unlikely to marry well, and she must rely on a husband to ensure her a place
in society. Emma’s great fault is making Harriet Smith believe that she can expect a man of
higher status than she can actually claim. Thisties in with Emma’s matchmaking plans for
Mr. Elton, who is, if not as high as the Woodhouses or Mr. Knightley, nevertheless much
higher than Harriet Smith. Mr. Knightley thinks that Mr. Martin is a good match for Harriet
because he is close to her rank but is also a rational and reliable man who makes a decent
living.

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