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Unit 8: Jane Austen—Emma

Significantly, when Mr. Knightley and Emma discuss Harriet’s possibilities for marriage, they Notes
specifically do not mention love. For the characters in novel, the primary consideration is
marrying for status and for security, not for any great romantic considerations. Mr. Knightley
feels that Harriet should marry Robert Martin because he would provide for her and give her
an acceptable (if somewhat low) place. He also mentions that Mr. Elton, in contrast, will want
to marry someone who will ensure his place in society: he wants a woman who will bring him
respectability through her status and financial security through her dowry. This gives some
explanation for his interest in Emma. He may want to marry her for her money and not for
love.

Chapter Nine: Mr. Elton gives Emma a poem that she assumes is intended for Harriet. When
the riddle is deciphered, it is clearly a love poem, which convinces Emma of Mr. Elton’s
intentions toward Harriet. She continues to advise Harriet on romantic matters, specifically
telling her to not betray her feelings to Mr. Elton. Mr. Woodhouse tells Emma and Harriet that
Isabella (Emma’s sister) and her family will be coming to Hartfield soon.
Analysis: Once again Mr. Elton makes a romantic overture that is directed to an ambiguous
source. The poem he writes is intended for Harriet Smith’s collection, yet he first shows it to
Emma. The poem itself is equally confusing; the answer to the riddle is “courtship,” yet the
object of said courtship is described as a witty, intelligent, and beautiful woman, a description
that even Emma cannot relate to Harriet. Manners provide some obstacle to resolving the
situation. Since nothing can be openly declared, both Emma and Harriet must rely on the
subtle clues that Mr. Elton gives. He can write a private riddle with the solution ‘courtship,’
but he cannot discuss the actual topic with either woman.
Games and riddles dominate this chapter of the novel, apt metaphors for Mr. Elton’s courtship
tactics. The title of the poem is “Charade,” and its solution is romance. And in this situation
Mr. Elton is deliberately engaged in a charade. He now seems quite aware of Emma’s intentions
and plays along with them to remain close to Emma. He uses a number of means (pronouns
with an ambiguous meaning, conditional clauses that indicate his intentions without expressly
saying them) to obscure the situation. His actions are certainly deliberate.
The chapter also reinforces the idea that the friendship between Emma and Harriet Smith does
neither much good. Austen notes that Emma has done little reading since she became close
with Harriet, and that all of their attempts to improve their minds ended with no effect.
Furthermore, she gives another reminder that Harriet is intellectually inferior to Emma when
they attempt to solve the riddle. Harriet gives only absurd answers, while Emma easily guesses
the answer.
Chapter Ten: Emma and Harriet make a charitable visit to a poor family outside Highbury.
She tells Harriet that she never wishes to marry because she would have to find someone
superior to herself first. She reminds Harriet that, even unmarried, she would never be as
pathetic as Miss Bates, for it is a lack of money that makes celibacy contemptible and Emma
would still have her fortune. In conversation, Harriet brings up Miss Bates’ niece, Jane Fairfax,
who Emma dislikes because she is so highly praised. Emma continues to contrive a romance
between Harriet and Mr. Elton.
Analysis: The reason that Emma is unmarried becomes clear in this chapter. As a highly
independent woman who will never need to marry, she resolves only to marry for love and
only to marry when she finds someone superior, a condition that, considering Emma’s own
vanity, is unlikely to be fully satisfied. Marriage entails a sacrifice: Emma would lose her
authority and have to submit to a husband. As a single woman with a fortune, however, she
has the power to do whatever she chooses.

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