Emma (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Jane Austen
- First Published: 1816
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: Early nineteenth century
- Setting: Surrey, England
- Genres: Long fiction, Fiction of manners, Bourgeois fiction
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Social issues, Marriage, Villages, Friendship, Class consciousness, Manners or customs, Social life, England or English people, Women’s issues, Farms, farmers, or farming, Small-town life, Gossip, Wealth, Eccentrics or eccentricities
- Locales: London, England, Surrey, England, Bath, England
Characters Discussed
Emma Woodhouse, the younger daughter of the wealthy owner of Hartfield and the most important young woman in the village of Highbury. Good-hearted, intelligent, but spoiled, she takes under her protection Harriet Smith, a seventeen-year-old girl of unknown parentage who is at school in the village. Given to matchmaking, Emma breaks up the love affair between Harriet and Robert Martin, a worthy farmer, because she thinks Harriet deserves better; Emma persuades her to fall in love with the vicar, Mr. Elton. To her dismay, Elton proposes to her rather than to...
[The entire page is 1197 words long]
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