Study Questions
1. What becomes of Emma’s intention to improve Harriet’s mind?

2. What new scheme does Emma devise to get Harriet and Mr. Elton together?

3. When Mr. Elton sends a riddle, what conditions does he put on it?

4. Why is Mr. Woodhouse convinced that Emma wrote the riddle?

5. How does Emma respond when Harriet wonders why Emma isn’t married?

6. How next does Emma contrive to get Harriet and Mr. Elton together?

7. What ruse does Emma use once they are in Mr. Elton’s house?

8. How is Isabella Knightley portrayed?

9. How is John Knightley portrayed?

10. How does John Knightley show insight?

Answers
1. With Emma focusing all her energies on pairing up Harriet and Mr. Elton, their reading never gets past the first few chapters of any book.

2. Emma asks him to contribute “enigmas, charades, or conundrums” to help her and Harriet write a riddle.

3. He sends it under the pretense that it is from a friend, and that it is “not for Miss Smith’s collection,” but rather to be viewed by Emma privately. She immediately gives it to Harriet.

4. Just after Harriet vows to keep the riddle a secret, Emma reads it to her father with her own interpretations. She so dominates the work, Mr. Woodhouse thinks she wrote it.

5. Emma assures Harriet that she has everything she wants now, has never met the man she thinks superior to her, and has no intention of changing. When the subject of Miss Bates comes up, Emma declares she will never be that kind of old maid—smiling, silly, and poor.

6. First she takes a foot path above the main road so they might be alone. When Harriet follows her, she pretends to adjust her boot lace, hoping they will walk on. When they don’t, she breaks her lace and asks if they might go to Mr. Elton’s to replace it.

7. She goes into a separate room to fix her boot lace, hoping Mr. Elton will close the door to give her privacy, thus leaving him alone with Harriet. He leaves it open.

8. Isabella is a devoted wife and doting mother, but she lacks Emma’s energy and cleverness.

9. Emma’s brother-in-law is gentlemanly, clever and respectable. Emma finds him reserved and severe. She thinks he does not praise Isabella enough, and worse, he doesn’t tolerate Mr. Woodhouse’s peculiarities.

10. When Isabella remarks how sad it is that Frank doesn’t live at home with his father, John Knightley assures her Mr. Weston is more attached to society than to family, so that his son’s adoption probably doesn’t bother him.