"Emma" by Jane Austen. Part 1

Summary

The twenty-one year old heiress Emma is the youngest of two daughters who lives with her father in Highbury, a small town about sixteen miles outside of London. After her mother’s death, Miss Taylor is hired on as a governess for the sisters and when Emma’s older sister, Isabella, was married and moved to London, Miss Taylor and Emma became best friends. Soon, the girl is left alone with her widower father by the marriage of Miss Taylor, her friend of sixteen years, to Mr. Weston, who was first married to a Miss Churchill during his youth. Miss Churchill was of a higher social status and died only a few years after their marriage but left a child to be raised by Mr. Weston. Lacking the financial stability to care for a child, Mr. Weston sent the boy to be raised by his wife’s relatives.  Then, the Woodhouses give a small dinner party where Mrs. Goddard, the schoolmistress, brings Harriet Smith, a student from her school. Emma admires for her beauty and resolves to pursue friendship with the girl. Having decided that Emma herself likes matchmaking after attending a wedding of Mrs. Taylor, which she believes she instigated, Emma introduces Harriet into her social circle trying to match her new acquaintance to Mr. Elton, the local vicar, but only after convincing Harriet to turn down a perfectly decent marriage proposal from a respectable and educated young farmer, Robert Martin.  Emma snobbishly decides he isn't good enough for Harriet and against her own wishes, the easily-influenced girl rejects Mr. Martin. The John Knightleys and Isabella arrive from London with their five children for the Christmas vacation with the Woodhouses and the whole family discusses the mysterious Frank Churchill who has yet to appear in Highbury.

"Emma" by Jane Austen (Part 1)