Study Questions

1. Why does Emma say of her father, “Could he have seen the heart, he would have cared very little for the lungs?”

2. Why doesn’t Emma want to read the letter from Frank Churchill?

3. What fact comes to light about Jane Fairfax from the letter?

4. What does Frank think about the Eltons?

5. What does Mr. Knightley think of Frank’s reference to Emma?

6. Why does this make Emma blush?

7. What are Mr. Knightley’s final thoughts on Frank Churchill?

8. Why was Isabella Knightley eager to have Harriet visit?

9. Why is Mrs. Elton so happy when Emma comes to visit Jane?

10. How soon does Jane expect to marry Frank?

Answers

1. Mr. Woodhouse is oblivious to the feelings between his daughter and Mr. Knightley. When Mr. Knightley comes in, Mr. Woodhouse worries his friend might have caught cold, but fails to see the love between them.

2. Emma has gone from being attracted to Frank to deploring him to forgiving him. She now understands better what he did for love, because she has done a few things herself. Now that she has a love life of her own, his current state doesn’t interest her.

3. Jane Fairfax swallowed her pride and denied her nature when she went along with Frank’s plan for a secret engagement. But she did not go quietly. She could not sit by and watch Frank seem to care for Emma when she knew otherwise. The deception made her ill.

4. Waiting for Frank to come out with the truth not only made Jane ill, it made her take action. She wrote to accept the governess job Mrs. Elton had pushed her into taking and wrote to Frank to dissolve the engagement.

5. In the letter, Frank wrote that he thought Emma was close to guessing his secret. Mr. Knightley thinks this is Frank’s fancy and a self-serving one. Mr. Knightley knows Emma very well. She was nowhere near guessing Frank’s secret.

6. Mr. Knightley uses Frank’s intrigue to give Emma an object lesson in the beauty of truth and sincerity. She gets it, but blushes when she thinks of how she is deceiving Harriet.

7. Mr. Knightley is of the opinion that Frank is “likely to be happier than he deserves.” He hopes that by being with Jane Fairfax, some of her strength of character will rub off on him.

8. Harriet needed to see a dentist, and Isabella offered to take her to hers. Isabella seems to have inherited her father’s keen interest in illness.

9. Mrs. Elton fancies herself in Jane’s confidence and believes the two of them are still keeping Jane’s engagement a secret from Emma. She appears to be enjoying the secret, judging from her significant nods and half whispers.

10. When questioned, Jane is very forthcoming to Emma. She tells her that three months of mourning will have to take place before the marriage, but sees no other impediment. Emma rejoices to learn this will be done without uncertainty or secrecy.