Emma – Jane Austen

Details Of The Book

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Publication: First published in 1815 (title page gives 1816)

About The Author

Jane Austen (December 16, 1775 – July 18, 1817) was an English novelist. She is widely known for her six major novels, including Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1816), Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, critical essays on Austen’s work and anthologies of her literary works have appeared, establishing her as a world-renowned British author. Her books are often a source of inspiration for other cultural art forms

About The Story

Main Characters

• Emma Woodhouse, the protagonist of the novel, is a 21-year-old rich girl, pretty, smart, vibrant and slightly spoiled. She vows not to marry, thinking only of holding the strings for others. But at the end of the story, she realizes that she has fallen in love with her best friend, Mr. Knightley, who has been silently watching over her.
• Mr George Knightley. a 37-year-old single gentleman, the older brother of Emma’s brother-in-law, is serious and full of reason. He is one of the few people who can see Emma’s flaws. Emma will use him as a standard to measure other men, and he has always loved Emma silently.
• Mr Frank Churchill, a young gentleman who is loved by all, loves music and dancing, has a good personality and family, and is a good match for Emma. Only Mr. Knightley does not like him much and thinks he is not mature enough.
• Jane Fairfax, the niece of Miss Bates. An orphan, but graceful and polite, very musical and even makes Emma feel a little jealous.
• Harriet Smith, young and pretty but not much of a brain. She is an illegitimate child who graduates from a nearby boarding school and stays in her job. Emma, acting as her protector, encourages her to reject the young farmer Martin, hoping instead for Mr. Elton’s affection. However, that proves to be wishful thinking. In the end, Harriet marries Martin anyway.
• Philip Elton, a young vicar with a kindly but ambitious appearance. Emma originally wanted to set him up with Harriet, but found that Elton’s target was her. After being rejected by Emma, Elton soon finds another rich marriage candidate.
• Augusta Elton, Philip’s wife, who is pretentious. Emma dislikes her very much.
• Mrs Weston, called Miss Taylor before marriage. Emma’s governess for 16 years, and her best friend.
• Miss Bates, Mr. Woodhouse’s best friend, a good-natured but simple-minded spinster. Emma’s contempt for her is often evident in her words and actions. Later Mr. Knightley points this out to Emma’s great shame.

Plot summary

Set in Regency England, Emma Woodhouse lives in a country house with her frail father, young, beautiful, rich, and lacking in nothing. Emma’s brother-in-law’s brother, Mr. Knightley, is her neighbor, a complete gentleman, whom Emma regards as a brother and a friend.

With no financial worries, Emma is in no hurry to get married, but is more interested in being a bride. After her old friend and tutor, Miss Taylor, gets married, Emma loses something, but soon finds a new friend, Harriet Smith, a beautiful, gentle, but not very rational girl who is completely at Emma’s disposal. So Emma gives full play to her influence over Harriet, first persuading her to refuse the proposal of her lover, Farmer Martin, and then urging her to get close to the attentive Reverend Mr. Elton. However, things turn out to be unexpected for Emma, and Mr. Elton’s target is actually herself. Emma angrily rejects Mr. Elton’s proposal, and Harriet is saddened for nothing.

The arrival of a young gentleman, Frank Churchill, adds color to Emma’s social circle. Frank is a good match for Emma, and Emma seems to have taken a shine to him. Mr. Elton is married and the newlyweds both return, and Emma hates the vulgar and arrogant Mrs. Elton. After Frank saves Harriet’s life once, Emma thinks she can put him and Harriet together as a couple. However, this time Emma miscalculates again: Frank turns out to be engaged for life with the orphan girl Jane Fairfax, and the gentleman Harriet secretly adores is Mr. Knightley, who is always at Emma’s side. Emma is shocked to discover that she has already fallen in love with Mr. Knightley, but Mr. Knightley has also been in love with Emma for a long time, and the two finally become a couple, and Harriet has finally returned to her original lover.