Part 1

By john plummer
Tuesday, April 08, 2003

Handsome - Good looking... Why does the author use this word as we use it just for men?

Disposition - Personality or character

Mansion - A large house, usually for rich people

Evils - Bad things

To Be Spoiled By - To be given everything you want

Gruel - A thin soup that is supposed to be healthy

Playfully - Jokingly

Flatter - To say nice thing

Made The Match - to bring a couple together

Guess - To know something by chance

Vicar - An anglican priest

Plump - Pleasingly fat

Good Manners - Polite

Estate - A large area of land owned by a gentleman

Walnuts - A kind of nut

Flock - A group of animals such as birds or sheep

Snobbish - like a snob

Sensible - With intelligence

Plain - not handsome or attractive

Genteel - With good manners

Match-Maker - Someone who finds husbands or wives for others

The mistress of Hartfield House

Emma Woodhouse sees herself as rich and clever as well as handsome and having a comfortable home and thinks of herself as having a happy personality. To her this seems to be a perfect life as she is 21yrs old has very few problems.

Emma has one sister named Isabella, who loved in London with her husband Mr john Knightley and her children. Her mother died when she was very young and since this time she has had a governess called Miss Taylor who has become a good friend of Emma's. Miss Taylor though is going to marry Mr Weston and will move away to live at his house called The Randall's.

Emma lives at Hartfield house near Highbury village and its around 16 miles from London. Her family are the most important family in the village.  At Don well Abbey live another important family called The Knightleys. This is just a few miles from Emma's house and Mr George Knightley lives there now. He's 37yrs old and single (obviously) and very popular with all his neighbors

Emma has had a life of being pampered and spoiled with her father and Miss Taylor giving into her every whim and wish so she has everything she wants. also has a very high opinion of herself and thinks that she is perfect (Reminds me of someone with a god complex - Is it possible to be perfect?)

Its the day of Miss Taylor's wedding and although her new husband is a good and kind person both Emma and her husband would probably be happier if she wasn't getting married. Emma will be a huge house with just her elderly father and will have no one to be her companion anymore. Of course in the book she loves her father but he is a hypochondriac who worried constantly about illness or danger (p14). Even though she wants her to stay Emma knowa that Miss Taylor will be very happy with her new husband and in her own house and tells her father 'We shall visit them often'

Mr knightly arrives stating he has been to visit Emmas sister and family in london telling them that they are doing well. emma is sure that Mr knightley can see straight through her and see her for who she really is but he will not say one way or the other and stalls off.

Emma has this idea that she is a super matchmaker and tells her father that she planned the marriage of Miss Taylor and that she intends to plan many more too. This news doesnt fill her father with happiness though as he enjoys having people around him and doesnt want his daughter to marry everybody off

Mr Knightley though warns Emma that it is a dangerous game she is playing and she shouldnt interfere in other peoples lives but do we think she will listen to him????

There are many people who visit Hartfield house, Mr & Mrs Weston, Mr knightley and Mr Elton the vicar (who is the next on emmas list to be married off). Also Mrs Bates and her daughter who is the local school teacher and is single. Another one for Emma to marry too??? Mrs Bates is famous for talking too much and saying stupid things but she is also very kind and well loved.

This is when Emma first meets Harriet who is an orphan and lives at the school(p18). She is an ideal person to fill the gap Emmas life left by miss Taylor getting married. Harriet is sweet and shy and feels grateful for being invited to Hartfield House. Emma believes that Harriet needs help in becoming a better person and has ideas of teaching her good manners and giving her knowledge so she invited Harriet more and more to visit the house. during the visits she gets the shy Harriet to tell her about herself and Emma doesnt like everything she hears. Harriet secretly admires someone and this guy doesnt fit in with the plans she has for this young naive girl. The man she likes is Mr Martin who works at Abbey Mill Farm on Mr knightleys estate. Here Emma shows her prejudice because she feels a farmer is beneath her.. she is something of a snob. Of course Emma does not care if she hurts Harriets feelings so long as she has control over her!!

Mr knightley can see what is going on and tries to tell people that Emma isnt the best friend that Harriet can have but of course people think no ill of Emma oe they dont want to see the truth so the friendship between the girls grows stronger and stronger and emmas control slips slowly tighter.

But Mrs Weston also has a few plans of her won including Emma and Frank churchill who is her husband son. Will anything come from this???

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