1

Allison Fernandez

Cheryl Rusell

March 22nd, 2021

Emma Book Summary

Emma is a romantic comedy set in England in the early 1800s about Emma Woodhouse,
who is beautiful, smart, and wealthy. Emma lives with her hypochondriac father and was mostly
raised by a governess, Miss Taylor, who is about to get married. Since Emma's mother died when
she was five years old, Miss Taylor has been her motherly figure throughout the years. Mr.
Knightley, an English gentleman and close family friend who lives in another city, is another
important figure in Emma's life. Isabella, Mr. Woodhouse's other daughter, is married to John
Knightley, Mr. Knightley's younger brother. Emma befriends the young and attractive Harriet
Smith in an attempt to fill the gap created by the current Mrs. Weston, formally known as Miss
Taylor, and she vows to boost her new friend's social status. Mr. Robert Martin, a young,
respectable farmer, is courting Harriet, but Emma believes Harriet should marry up. Emma starts
intervening, first persuading Harriet to decline a marriage proposal from Mr. Martin, and then
introducing her to the young and attractive vicar Mr. Elton. Mr. Elton thinks he's courting Emma,
and Emma thinks he's courting Harriet, which leads to a misunderstanding. Emma is a little
embarrassed by the whole thing and promises to never try matchmaking again.

Frank Churchill arrives in town after Mr. Elton has left. Frank was raised by Mr. and Mrs.
Churchill, his wealthy aunt and uncle on his mother's side, despite the fact that he is the son of
Mr. Weston and his late wife. Mrs. Churchill is very possessive of Frank and refuses to share him
with others. Frank has come to see his father because he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, a
spinster's niece. Frank hides his engagement because he knows his aunt would never allow him
to marry a poor girl. Mr. and Mrs. Weston carry Frank to Hartfield, the Woodhouse estate, and
Emma and Frank form a friendship. Frank soon starts flirting with Emma in order to hide his true
love interest. Emma is disappointed, and she suspects she might be in love with Frank. Mr.
Knightley despises Frank, partially because the charismatic younger man has been courting
 2

Emma, whom Mr. Knightley secretly loves, but mainly because he sees right through him. He
continues to observe Frank, and he soon learns that Frank is engaging in a double game with
Jane and Emma. The ball is carried as Frank returns a second time, and Emma realizes how
handsome Mr. Knightley is. Harriet wants a partner at one stage during the ball, and Mr. Elton
declines to dance with her, ostensibly to injure Emma. Mr. Knightley then tells Emma how
mistaken she was in trying to pair Harriet with Mr. Elton.

Soon after the ball, Frank assists Harriet in escaping from a gang of homeless children
who are demanding cash. Harriet informs Emma that she has moved away from Mr. Elton and is
now in love with someone higher up the social ladder. Emma realizes she isn't in love with Frank
and that he doesn't care for her at this stage, so why not pair him with her friend? The Highbury
set has two further outings, the second of which is a picnic at Mrs. Elton's sister's house in Box
Hill. Since he is arguing with Jane, Frank is in a bad mood at the picnic and starts flirting
shamelessly with Emma. Frank returns to his Churchill family unexpectedly after the Box Hill
picnic. Emma and the other Highbury residents hear soon after that Frank's aunt, Mrs. Churchill,
has died. Following that came word of Frank and Jane's engagement, with Frank's uncle agreeing
to the marriage. Mrs. Weston approaches Emma, concerned that Frank is driving her on, but
Emma assures her that she has no feelings for him. Meanwhile, Emma is remorseful for
deceiving Harriet a second time in matters of the heart. Harriet, on the other hand, admits that
she prefers Mr. Knightley to Frank. Emma is both surprised and disappointed. She immediately
recognizes that Mr. Knightley has no choice but to marry her. She can't stand the idea of not
being first in his heart. She remains silent to Harriet, hoping that her young friend is mistaken in
believing that her love is reciprocated. He needs to console Emma because he believes she is in
love with Frank. Emma tells him that she has never been in love with Frank when he catches her
in the backyard. Emma now has to break the news to Harriet that the man she loves has proposed
to her. They declare their engagement soon after, and Emma is overjoyed that her friend has
found peace despite Emma's intrusion. By the end of the novel, Mr. Martin marries Harriet, Mr.
Knightley marries Emma, and Frank is set to marry Jane as soon as his aunt's mourning time
ends.