EMMA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HARRIET & MR. ELTON

ARRANGING MARRIAGES (Pages 33-131)

Certainly imagination, combined with snobbery, caused her to discourage Harriet from accepting Mr. Martin's proposal. Emma held to her belief that Harriet was personally and socially superior to Mr. Martin, despite compelling evidence to the contrary—Mr. Martin's gentlemanly letter of proposal, Mr. Knightley's praise of Mr. Martin, Mr. Martin's considerate behavior to Harriet in Ford's store, and their actual social and economic positions.

A refusal to see what her own good judgment and powers of observation should tell her informs her behavior in the Harriet Smith-Mr. Elton fiasco—as well as much of her other behavior throughout the novel. She preferred her imaginings to a reality that was clear to Mr. Knightley, who warned her Mr. Elton would marry for money; to Mr. John Knightley, who warned her that Mr. Elton was interested in her; and to Miss Bates, who revealed that Highbury was gossiping about Mr. Elton's interest in her. She misinterpreted the allusion to herself in Mr. Elton's charade, though she saw the inappropriateness of assigning a ready wit to Harriet; she mistook Mr. Elton's interest in the painting; and she explained away the many fulsome compliments he paid her as his insufficient breeding. Her refusal to see the truth before her is symbolized in her making Harriet too tall in the portrait.

EMMA'S SELF-ANALYSIS (Pages 131-34)

Please read her self-analysis of the Elton-Harriet fiasco closely; it is an important step in the process of her development (if you think she did learn from this experience and develop) or in her failure to change in any significant way (if that is how you read the novel).

TELLING HARRIET (Pages 137-38)

Emma planned Harriet's visit to the Martins at Abbey Mill Farm so that it would last barely fifteen minutes, even though Harriet had spent six weeks with them several months earlier. Her plan was socially irresponsible, rude, and offensive to the feelings of the Martins, as was clear to Emma, though perhaps not to Harriet: "She could think of nothing better and though there was something in it which her own heart could not approve—something of ingratitude merely glossed over— it must be done, or what would become of Harriet?" (p. 173). Her rationalization reveals that she knows what is proper behavior, that she has a conscience which asserts itself when she behaves improperly, and that her fancy, egotism, love of power and manipulation, and snobbery are stronger motives than her knowledge and the pangs of conscience. Is this behavior unique to the Martin visit, or does she ignore her knowledge of right and the urging of her conscience on other occasions?

The heart reference in this sentence, which ends the chapter, is ironically juxtaposted to the first sentence of the next paragraph, "Small heart had Harriet for visiting" (p. 173). The obvious meaning of this sentence is that Harriet did not much care to make the visit. But does the phrase "Small heart" also suggest the shallowness of Harriet's emotional nature?

DISCUSSION OF EMMA