Emma

Title of the short story : Emma
Author : Jane Austen
Number of pages : 152

Setting
All characters came from the middle-class people who lived in the village of Highbury, which was once on the outskirts of London about eighteen century.

Characters
Emma Woodhouse : beautiful, clever, and rich
Mr. Woodhouse : affectionate and indulgent
Miss Taylor : intelligent, well-informed, useful and gentle
Mr. Weston : pleasant and excellent
Mr. Knightley : take care for Emma
Jane Fairfax : beautiful, clever, and elegant
Philip Elton : good-looking, well-mannered, and ambitious
Harriet Smith : pretty
Augusto Elton : domineering, pretentious
Miss Bates : friendly
Mr. Frank Churchil : careless, jealous
etc....

Action
Emma Woodhouse lived with her widowed father on their estated Harfield after her mother died and her sister married. Miss Taylor, her governess, has recently married with Mr. Weston. Emma had a close friend, Mr. Knightley, who has known her well. He was very critical of Emma’s behaviour. Emma liked matchmaking but she never thought about her marriage herself.

Against Mr. Knighley’s advice, Emma tried to match her new friend, Harriet Smith to Mr. Elton. She also persuaded Harriet to refuse Mr. Martin who was closed with her. In other side, Elton declared his love to Emma and actually Emma rejected him. after that, he went to Bath and soon returned from Bath with another new comer who he introduced her as his wife. At thhis time, Mrs. Weston (miss Taylor)wondered if Mr. Knightley maight have taken fancy to Jane Fairfax, Mrs.Bates’s niece. Emma prompthy decided that she didn’t want Mr. Knightley to marry anyone, but she never explored her feeling. Then, she tried to make herself fall in love with Mr. Frank, Mr. Weston’s son from the previous wife, because everyone said that they were a good match. Frank seemed to everyone to have Emma as his object who he admired.

Meanwhile, Jane reportedly became ill and refused to see Emma. Jane’s behaviour change. Soon after, Emma learnt why Jane had behaved strangely. It was because Jane and Frank have been secretly enganged for almost a year. Frank only pretended to admire Emma because he wanted to cover the relationship with Jane from public. Finally, Frank and Jane’s engangement showed to public.

In the end of the story, Emma realized that she loved Mr. Knightley. When mr. Knightley declared his love to Emma, she joyfully accepted. Shortly, Emma nad Mr. Knightley married and live together with Emma’s father in Harfield.

My impression
It is complicated story because there are many characteristics in this story that make me confused to remember.

My feeling and experience
I ever had experience in matchmaking in which the result was as complicated as in this story.

Dian

Questions and Answers

• Questions


1. Why did Emma only match one to another one and and didn’t care with her marriage?
2. Why did Jane change her behaviour to Emma?
3. Why did Frank cover his relationship with Jane?
4. Why did Frank choose Emma to be admired?
5. What did Emma feel after she knew that Frank only pretended to admire her?


• Answers


1. It was because Emma was indifferent having relationship with man. She only wanted to take care her father who was a widower after her mother died when she was child.
2. It was because Jane and Frank have been secretly engaged for almost a year.
3. It was because Frank was afraid that his relationship was not permitted by his father and his family.
4. Because Emma was Jane’s friend so he thought he could still get closed with her.
5. At first, she was disappointed. Then she realized the reason why Frank did that.