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With his elder daughter Isabella married to Mr Knightley's lawyer brother John and living in London, Emma has taken it upon herself to remain at Hartfield and take care of her father. Emma's consideration towards her father is one of her redeeming attributes. Mrs Weston, formerly Miss Taylor, was Emma's governess before she married Mr Weston ...
Dec 8, 2023 · When Miss Taylor marries and becomes Mrs. Weston, she moves out, leaving Emma bereft and prompting her to start maturing, although she soon seeks companionship with Harriet Smith.
- Biography
- Character
- Role in Novel
- Relationships
- Trivia
- Notable Portrayals
Background and Early Life
Emma is the younger of two daughters of Mr. Henry Woodhouse, and a member of the Woodhouse family, the most prominent family of Highbury village. Emma's mother died when she was around five years of age, as such Emma's memories of her are "indistinct". She was raised primarily by her beloved governess, Miss Taylor, for sixteen years until Miss Taylor married Mr. Weston. Emma's upbringing, resulting from the lax and overly-affectionate natures of both her father and governess, was indulgent an...
Marriage of Miss Taylor
At age seventeen, she formed a match between Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston, because Mr. Weston rushed off to get an umbrella for Miss Taylor with much gallantry. By age twenty-one, the match had happened, and Mr. Weston married Miss Taylor. She rejoiced in her success, but started to feel lonely once Miss Taylor was married. She longed for the companionship of another woman.
Meeting Harriet Smith
Emma then sought the companionship of Harriet Smith, a pretty girl who helped with the children at Mrs. Goddard’s boarding school. They struck up a friendship that was pleasing to most others (except Mr. Knightley).
Description
Emma is described in the novel's opening sentence as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition." Mrs. Weston describes her as having a true hazel eye, with brilliant features, an open countenance, being the perfect height and size, and a lovely complexion in the bloom of full health. She continues that Emma is loveliness itself and the picture of good health in her bloom and air. Mr Knightley agrees with this assessment and says that girls as pretty as her a...
Personality
Emma is noted to be charming, spirited and witty and is widely respected and a great favourite among those in Highbury. She is intelligent and talented in many pursuits (piano, art, reading, etc.) although lacks dedicated application. Mr. Knightley notes her exceptional intelligence as a child, easily grasping concepts/riddles that her older sister failed to; though also comments she'd "never submit to any thing requiring industry and patience, and a subjection of the fancy to the understandi...
Emma is an independently wealthy woman who lives with her aging father in the English countryside near the village of Highbury. The novel concerns her attempts to be a matchmaker among her acquaintances and her own romantic misadventures. Although Emma professes that she does not ever wish to marry (as she has no financial need to, having a large i...
Mr. Knightleyis Emma's friend, brother-in-law, and ultimately her love interest. At 37, he is significantly older than she and Emma looks up to him. He often gives her advice and guidance, particularly since Emma's mother is deceased and her father is disengaged. Mr Knightley has a strong moral compass and frequently teases or scolds Emma for her more frivolous pursuits, such as matchmaking. He also disagrees and argues with Emma on occasion, notably on Emma's interference with Harriet Smith...
Harriet, was introduced to Emma shortly after the marriage of Mrs. Weston, accompanying Mrs. Goddardon one of her visits to Highbury. Despite Harriet's humble origins and unknown parentage, Emma admires her sweetness, good nature, and pleasant looks. Emma takes Harriet under her wing as a companion, using her to fill the void left by Mrs. Weston's leaving Hartfield; and takes it upon herself to "rescue" Harriet from bad society and introduce her into Emma's upper-class circle. However, Emma's...
Mr. Woodhouse, Emma's father, is a hypochondriac and is so paranoid about his own and others' health that he is nearly helpless. He is against eating cake, going outside, attending parties, and getting married, among other things, on the grounds that these might damage the health. As a result, Emma takes on the role of caretaker for him, as he is incapable of exerting parental influence or even taking care of himself. Mr Woodhouse is fond of and attached to his daughters, who are likewise aff...
While writing the novel, Jane Austen famously described Emma as "a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."Emma notably has the highest social standing and more in the way of fortune and independence than Austen's other protagonists.Doran Godwin in the 1972 TV serial==Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz in the 1995 film Clueless ,a loose, modernized adaptation of Emma.Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1996 feature filmKate Beckinsale in the 1996 British made-for-TV filmMiss Taylor stayed with the family for sixteen years, and particularly remained Emma's governess until she was twenty, as Isabella married. Miss Taylor, as a governess, was somewhat overindulgent, acting more often as a friend and rarely as a disciplinary figure towards her charge.
Mr Weston is a widower and a businessman living in Highbury who marries Miss Taylor in his early 40s, after buying a house called Randalls. By his first marriage, he is father to Frank Weston Churchill, who was adopted and raised by his late wife's brother and his wife.
- Jane Austen
- 1815
Formerly Miss Taylor, Emma’s beloved governess and companion. Known for her kind temperament and her devotion to Emma, Mrs. Weston lives at Randalls with her husband, Frank Churchill’s father. Mr. Weston. The widower and proprietor of Randalls, who has just married Miss Taylor when the novel begins. Mr.
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After Emma’s older sister, Isabella, was married and moved to London, Miss Taylor and Emma became best friends. As the novel begins, Miss Taylor has just left Hartfield, the estate of Emma and Mr. Woodhouse, to marry a widower named Mr. Weston, and Emma is left without a companion.
