The Miss Bates

Emma and Harriet go to visit the Bates' in an effort to get the latter's mind off of Elton. In this scene it might possibly be argued that Emma is not so selfish as she appears in the rest of the book. She simply abhors hearing about Jane Fairfax for the simple reason that the girl could possibly be a better person than herself. But in hopes that Harriet will stop sighing over Elton, or that his name will somehow come up in the conversation and bring her friend pain, she intentionally brings up the Bates' niece. On the other hand, perhaps Emma is still being selfish. maybe she is sick of hearing Harriet long for the supposed companionship she had with Mr. Elton, and hopes that talk of Jane Fairfax will cure her of it for the time being.

Emma Admits... to Herself

After Elton has proposed to Emma, she quickly realizes her mistake in thinking that Harriet was his equal. She also decides that she shouldn't begrudge the man for thinking himself worthy of asking for her hand. The only problem is that she seems to only admit this mistake to herself. (At least for the time being.) Also, Austen hints that there will be other, less grievous errors to take place: "The first error and the worst lay at her door. It was foolish, it was wrong, to take so active a  part in bringing any two people together" (91-2).  I think Emma thinks it such a grave offense because her project went awry. Not because she harmed the feelings and emotions of two people. If her aim had come to fruition, then she would have taken full credit for it, called it a success instead of an error.

The Introduction of Mrs. Churchill

We are first introduced to Mrs. Churchill's character when Mrs. Weston is talking to Emma and her sister about how Frank will not likely be able to visit for some time. "Mrs. Churchill rules at Enscombe, and is a very odd-tempered woman," she says (81). This means that Frank cannot do anything without the approval of his aunt. if he does, it will jeopardize his inheritance. What is interesting is that his aunt is clearly the one in charge of the household. Frank's uncle is rarely seen or talked of. Perhaps this could be what Emma and Mr. Knightley's relationship will turn into? After all, he was willing to move into her home, essentially giving her the reins in the marriage. At least that would be how it was seen in Austen's day.

Elton and Emma: A Perfect Match

In my humble opinion, Emma and Mr. Elton would have made each other incredibly happy. Perhaps that is going a little far, but it does seem as if the two were made for one another. Both of them know what class they belong to in society and are unwilling to move from it. In addition, both are aware that the people they keep company with simply adore them. Knightley tells Emma that Elton "knows... he is a very handsome young man, and a great favourite wherever he goes" (43). The vicar is not about to let the gifts nature has given him go to waste by forming a match beneath his social station. He would much rather marry into a social class above himself than below. Emma has very similar ideas. She is very aware that others see her attributes as greater than they are and she is not above leaving these assumption where they are. This is one reason the two would be well suited for each other. When Elton speaks he may have "a sort of parade in his speeches which" cause Emma to laugh, but she is really no better (55). It could be argued that Emma has a "parade" in her actions, wishing others to think she is something which she is not.While Emma may think she has nothing in common with Mr. Elton, she actually has a great deal in common with the man.

Charades

Mr. Elton downplays his ability to write charades, and then the very next day brings a rather clever one to the the Woodhouse's home for Emma to figure out. Once she has figured it out, she decides the charade Elton is asking to court Harriet. Here again, Emma is gravely mistaken and sees only what she wishes to see. While he was dropping it off, Elton spoke directly to her and didn't even pretend to be interested in Harriet. Emma incorrectly assumes this is shyness because of his supposed ardent affection for the girl. However, if Miss Woodhouse had spent more time looking at the little verse he had left behind, she might have realized he left it not for Harriet but for herself. Lines three and four state: "Another view of man, my second brings, / Behold him there, the monarch of the seas" (47). While she correctly identifies the answer to the riddle as 'ship', she does not realize that a ship is a house of wood. And her last name is Woodhouse. Elton is, in no uncertain terms, directing his attentions at Emma. The last line of the charade also has a reference to wood in it: "approval beam in that soft eye!" (Emphasis added.) Still another hint that Elton is referring to Emma is in line eight of the little riddle: "And woman, lovely woman, reigns alone" (47). Emma was essentially the head of her home. Her sister had moved out long ago and her mother had died when she was young. Even when Mrs. Weston had lived there Emma had done whatever she had wanted. Also, in the society Emma moves in, she is the woman at the very top of the social ladder. While she is definitely more clever than many of the people around her, Emma is clearly not as smart as she believes herself to be.

Oh, Harriet...

Harriet Smith is seventeen years old and clearly does not have a mind of her own. During the summer she stayed with the Martins and their company was, in my humble opinion, doing her good. She was able to talk with the sisters and help both them and the mother. Mr. Robert Martin essentially doted on her. But when she left their company and was taken under Emma's wing, her personality stopped forming itself, so to speak. Instead, she waited for others, namely Emma, to make decisions for her and to tell her what to do. When Martin proposes Emma tells her to reply in the negative. Emma always has grand plans of reading the classics with Harriet, but "it was much easier to chat than to study... than to be labouring to enlarge her comprehension or exercise it on social facts." Emma is doing Harriet no favors by endeavoring to educate the young woman. Again, only Mr. Knightley can see this: "I have always thought it a very foolish intimacy... but I now perceive that it will be a very unfortunate one for Harriet," he says to Emma.
Here is an essay which also acknowledges how wrong Emma was in attempting to help Harriet. For example: "she is condescending and looks down on and inaccurately perceives a character such as Robert Martin" (Jackson, Karin).
http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol21no2/jackson.html

Misreading Mr. Elton

In chapter six, Emma misses several obvious hints from Mr. Elton that he is in love with her and has no desire to court Harriet. The only reason Emma reads the hints the way she does is because she wishes her friend and Mr. Elton will form an attachment. In the very beginning of the chapter, Mr. Elton praises the changes in Harriet. However, Emma does not pick up on the fact that he is actually endeavoring to compliment her ability to implement these changes in Harriet's character. "You have given Miss Smith... you have made her graceful... the attractions you have added..." are some of the overlooked compliments Mr. Elton pays Emma (26). He also shows a keen interest in her drawing abilities. How Emma manages to miss these clues and consider herself only "a pretty good share as a second" is beyond me (31).

A Theme Emerges

It seems to me that one of the themes of the first few chapters is how Emma perceives herself. Austen appears to hone in on the fact that Emma thinks her intellect is superior than all those around her, with the exception (perhaps) of Mr. Knightley. Even the people she associates with think she is somehow superior to them. Harriet is enamored with her and takes Emma's advice at the expense of her own happiness. Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Weston are convinced she can do no wrong. It is Mr. Knightley alone who is able to see Emma's faults and where her thought processes have hailed her.

Emma is Stuck Up

The society Emma has been raised in is one where "the Woodhouses were first in consequence there. All looked up to them" (2-3). These are ideal conditions for her to think too highly of herself, essentially to become stuck up. This is precisely what does happen. Emma comes to believe that only those who move in the same social circle as she and her family are worth her notice: "The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do" (17). When she decides to "help" Harriet, Emma makes it clear that Harriet's friends, the Martins, are now not worth her notice. Even when she meets Mr. Martin and acknowledges to herself that he is not that bad of a person, she exaggerates his faults to Harriet. Emma's attitude about social class is a bit ironic, however. While she refuses to have anything to do with farmers and people on the same social rung, she is willing to make Harriet an intimate friend. One would assume that Harriet's lack of known parentage would cause Emma to avoid an acquaintance with her as much as possible, not pursue it.

Emma's Life Introduced

One of the things that struck me about Emma is that Austen describes her as "clever" (1). Is she really clever? Maybe she is in relation to the people around her, but later in the novel she continually fails to read people correctly or pick up on obvious hints. Emma is also fully aware that "having rather too much her own way" and "think[ing] a little too well of herself" will not do her any good (1). But she chooses to ignore these characteristics because they don't seem very important. In reality, they are characteristics that could lead to rather large problems.

(The book pages I will be referencing come from this version of "Emma" -

Austen, Jane. Emma. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1999. )