Foppery

I find it extraordinarily ironic that Emma takes offense at even the small defects in Frank Churchill's character. Perhaps this is because she feels the pain of her dear friend Mrs. Weston, but she herself is really no better than the man. Churchill goes to London to get a haircut and Emma thinks "there was an air of foppery and nonsense in it" (136). While his going to London could be taken to mean that he doesn't want to spend time with his family, I think that is reading into the situation a bit much. And really, Emma, has no place to judge the man for his actions. She is continually getting into other people's business and causing them pain. The only difference between her and Frank Churchill is that Emma perhaps causes pain a bit more than Churchill does.