Emma Quotes

He could not doubt, when he looked back, that she was in a weaker state of health than she had been half a year ago. He did not believe it to proceed from any thing that care and medicine might not remove, or at least that she might not have many years of existence before her; but he could not be prevailed on, by all his father’s doubts, to say that her complaints were merely imaginary, or that she was as strong as ever.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 37. Frank Churchill spends fifteen minutes in Highbury before departing for London again because of his aunt and guardian Mrs. Churchill’s deteriorating health. Unlike his father Mr. Weston, Frank believes her complaints are real and not imaginary. To steady her nerves and improve her health, it is decided that the Churchills would move of London to Richmond.

To be the favourite and intimate of a man who had so many intimates and confidantes, was not the very first distinction in the scale of vanity.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 38. Emma arrives early for the Westons’ ball at the Crown Inn on the invitation of Mr. Weston who wanted her opinion on the arrangements. When she discovers that she is one of many favorites he invited early, her vanity is offended.

She was more disturbed by Mr. Knightley’s not dancing than by any thing else. – There he was, among the standers-by, where he ought not to be; he ought to be dancing…so young as he looked! – He could not have appeared to greater advantage perhaps anywhere, than where he had placed himself. His tall, firm, upright figure, among the bulky forms and stooping shoulders of the elderly men, was such as Emma felt must draw every body’s eyes; and, excepting her own partner, there was not one among the whole row of young men who could be compared with him. – He moved a few steps nearer, and those few steps were enough to prove in how gentlemanlike a manner, with what natural grace, he must have danced, would he but take the trouble. – Whenever she caught his eye, she forced him to smile; but in general he was looking grave. She wished he could love a ballroom better, and could like Frank Churchill better. – He seemed often observing her. She must not flatter herself that he thought of her dancing, but if he were criticising her behaviour, she did not feel afraid.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 38. As Emma and Mr. Knightley appear to check out one another at the Crown Inn ball, one suspects a lot more going on under the surface. She is dancing with Frank Churchill, but cannot keep her eyes off Mr. Knightley who is among the “standers-by.” She regrets that Knightley is not dancing and becomes aware of him regularly observing her. Her descriptions of him compliment his gracefulness, his handsome figure and his youthful appearance. And whenever their gazes meet, he smiles at her. The non-verbal, body language indicate a deepening bond between them. Revealed here is Emma’s evolving self-awareness of her true feelings for Mr. Knightley, foreshadowing when they will eventually declare their love for each other.

In another moment a happier sight caught her; – Mr. Knightley leading Harriet to the set! – Never had she been more surprised, seldom more delighted, than at that instant. She was all pleasure and gratitude, both for Harriet and herself, and longed to be thanking him; and though too distant for speech, her countenance said much, as soon as she could catch his eye again.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 38. Harriet is left without a partner at the Westons’ ball and the one man not dancing Mr. Elton snubs her by refusing to invite her onto the floor. Mr. Knightley graciously comes to the rescue to save her blushes by asking her to dance. One can see Emma’s growing affection for him in her admiring comments, wanting to “catch his eye” and longing “to be thanking him.” Foreshadowed here is the love between Emma and Knightley that they will later in the story acknowledge. We also see the gender limitations on women, who were expected to wait for a man to ask them to dance at a ball.

“Harriet Smith has some first-rate qualities, which Mrs. Elton is totally without. An unpretending, single-minded, artless girl – infinitely to be preferred by any man of sense and taste to such a woman as Mrs. Elton.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 38. In Mr. Knightley’s praise of Harriet to Emma, he strongly favors her genuineness and lack of deceptiveness and guile over Mrs. Elton’s superficiality and pretentiousness.

“You have shown that you can dance, and you know we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it at all improper.” “Brother and sister! no, indeed.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 38. This exchange between Emma and Mr. Knightley when he asks her to dance at the Westons’ ball is foreshadowing of their feelings of romantic interest in one another. They hint at the possibility of a relationship that is more than just brother and sister.

Such an adventure as this, – a fine young man and a lovely young woman thrown together in such a way, could hardly fail of suggesting certain ideas to the coldest heart and the steadiest brain…It was not possible that the occurrence should not be strongly recommending each to the other.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 39. When Frank Churchill appears with Harriet on his arm, fainting, and Emma learns that he rescued her from thieving gypsies, her imagination goes into overdrive. She sees the potential of a match, believing the drama may ignite a romantic spark between the two.

Every thing was to take its natural course, however, neither impelled nor assisted. She would not stir a step, nor drop a hint. No, she had had enough of interference. There could be no harm in a scheme, a mere passive scheme. It was no more than a wish. Beyond it she would on no account proceed.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 39. Has Emma learned her lesson about the perils of matchmaking? When faced with her latest potential scheme of trying to match Harriet with Frank Churchill, she decides to let love and marriage take their natural course. But then she talks of there being no harm in a “mere passive scheme” and “a wish.” When does a passive scheme turn into the meddling and interfering in others’ lives that led to disastrous results in the past? For Emma old matchmaking habits die hard.

“It seems like madness! I can see nothing at all extraordinary in him now.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 40. Harriet has certainly grown in character and learned more about herself and her true feelings. She appears to have an epiphany as she dismisses her attraction to Mr. Elton as a moment of madness.

Mr. Knightley, who, for some reason best known to himself, had certainly taken an early dislike to Frank Churchill, was only growing to dislike him more. He began to suspect him of some double dealing in his pursuit of Emma. That Emma was his object appeared indisputable. Every thing declared it; his own attentions, his father’s hints, his mother-in-law’s guarded silence; it was all in unison; words, conduct, discretion, and indiscretion, told the same story. But while so many were devoting him to Emma, and Emma herself making him over to Harriet, Mr. Knightley began to suspect him of some inclination to trifle with Jane Fairfax.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 41. The astute Mr. Knightly begins to see evidence of Frank Churchill’s duplicitous behavior involving Emma and Jane. While pursuing and devoting himself to Emma, which she is oblivious to, he also sees signs of Frank’s growing interest in Jane. Mr. Knightley is of course right, because Frank is secretly engaged to Jane. The later announcement of this is foreshadowed here. There is also irony in the fact that Emma believes Frank will marry Harriet – she turns out to be completely wrong.

When he was again in their company, he could not help remembering what he had seen; nor could he avoid observations which, unless it were like Cowper and his fire at twilight, “Myself creating what I saw,” brought him yet stronger suspicion of there being a something of private liking, of private understanding even, between Frank Churchill and Jane.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 41. Mr. Knightley thinks that he has seen signs of a private intrigue going on between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. He has observed them swopping looks and glances at a dinner party. However, he is not sure if it was just his imagination at work, like the poet William Cowper in front of his fire seeing images in it – “Myself creating what I saw.” This is an allusion to line 290 from Cowper’s long blank verse poem, The Task. The later revelation that Frank and Jane have been secretly engaged is foreshadowed here.

Frank Churchill placed a word before Miss Fairfax. She gave a slight glance round the table, and applied herself to it…The word was blunder; and as Harriet exultingly proclaimed it, there was a blush on Jane’s cheek which gave it a meaning not otherwise ostensible…He feared there must be some decided involvement. Disingenuousness and double dealing seemed to meet him at every turn. These letters were but the vehicle for gallantry and trick. It was a child’s play, chosen to conceal a deeper game on Frank Churchill’s part.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 41. An observant Mr. Knightley suspects some kind of secret understanding and deceit going on between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax at Hartfield. He watches as Frank comes up with a word game in which letters of the alphabet have to be unscrambled. The letters he places before Jane make up the word “blunder,” making her blush. This sets off alarm bells for Knightley, who is convinced something is going on between them. He is of course right about Frank’s trickery and deception, for he is hiding the fact that he is engaged to Jane.

This gallant young man, who seemed to love without feeling, and to recommend himself without complaisance, directly handed over the word to Miss Fairfax, and with a particular degree of sedate civility entreated her to study it. Mr. Knightley’s excessive curiosity to know what this word might be, made him seize every possible moment for darting his eye towards it, and it was not long before he saw it to be Dixon. Jane Fairfax…was evidently displeased; looked up, and seeing herself watched, blushed more deeply than he had ever perceived her, and saying only, “I did not know that proper names were allowed,” pushed away the letters with even an angry spirit.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 41. During a lighthearted word game at Hartfield, Frank Churchill plays a mean trick on his secret fiancée Jane and humiliates her with Emma’s help. After sending Emma the word “Dixon” and her reacting with laughter, Frank places it in before Jane in full view of all. Jane is upset and angry. Dixon refers to the affair Jane was rumored to have had with Mr. Dixon, but for which there is no evidence. This was certainly not Frank’s finest hour, and the irony of describing him as a “gallant young man,” which he certainly wasn’t, says it all.

He could not see her in a situation of such danger without trying to preserve her. It was his duty.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 41. When everybody else leaves Hartfield, Mr. Knightley stays behind with one thing on his mind, to speak to Emma. He wants to protect her from being hurt by Frank Churchill after seeing his behavior during the game of anagrams.

“There is but one married woman in the world whom I can ever allow to invite what guests she pleases to Donwell, and that one is – ”
“Mrs. Weston, I suppose,” interrupted Mrs. Elton, rather mortified.
“No – Mrs. Knightley; – and till she is in being, I will manage such matters myself.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 42. When Mrs. Elton tries to take over the planning of a trip to Mr. Knightley’s estate, he asserts his authority and politely but firmly puts her in her place. When he speaks of a future Mrs. Knightley, there is foreshadowing here, as he admits to his potential for love and marriage.

“That’s quite unnecessary; I see Jane every day: – but as you like. It is to be a morning scheme, you know, Knightley; quite a simple thing. I shall wear a large bonnet, and bring one of my little baskets hanging on my arm. Here, – probably this basket with pink ribbon.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 42. Mrs. Elton is speaking here, as she plans a summer outing to Donwell Abbey and what she will wear. Austen sneakily and cleverly inserts a hidden allusion to the Shakespeare play, As You Like It, into the dialogue of the pretentious Mrs. Elton.

“She only demands from each of you either one thing very clever, be it prose or verse, original or repeated – or two things moderately clever – or three things very dull indeed, and she engages to laugh heartily at them all.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. At the Box Hill picnic we see Frank Churchill’s deception at work. In a calculated performance to appear as if he is pursuing Emma, he flirts with her. He demands that everyone in the group play a game of saying clever and dull things for Emma to judge. His flirtation is a ruse to conceal his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax.

“I shall be sure to say three dull things as soon as ever I open my mouth, shan’t I?” Emma could not resist. “Ah! ma’am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me – but you will be limited as to number – only three at once.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. The most cruel incident in the novel happens at the Box Hill picnic, when Emma mocks Miss Bates. Frank Churchill makes up a game, with each person having to say one very clever thing, two moderately clever, or three dull things. When Miss Bates says that she has no trouble saying three dull things, Emma cruelly jokes that she will have trouble stopping at three. This is a rather cheap jibe at Miss Bates’s talkative nature.

“Ah! – well – to be sure. Yes, I see what she means, (turning to Mr. Knightley,) and I will try to hold my tongue. I must make myself very disagreeable, or she would not have said such a thing to an old friend.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. Miss Bates is obviously hurt by Emma’s sarcastic comment about her overly talkative nature at the Box Hill gathering. In what is a dignified reply she offers to “try to hold my tongue.” Despite it said that Miss Bates boasts neither beauty nor cleverness in comparison to Emma, she comes out the more admirable character at Box Hill.

“It is only by seeing women in their own homes, among their own set, just as they always are, that you can form any just judgment. Short of that, it is all guess and luck – and will generally be ill-luck. How many a man has committed himself on a short acquaintance, and rued it all the rest of his life!”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. At the Box Hill outing Frank Churchill makes this statement about men marrying in haste. He warns of the danger of wedding a woman without first getting to know her in her natural environment, among family and friends. His comments are ostensively about the Eltons, saying how lucky they are that they suit one another. But they are also part of Frank’s secret language and a taunt aimed at Jane. He implies that he got engaged too quickly and now wants out. For Frank is secretly engaged to Jane, something he goes to great pains to disguise and hide from family and friends. An upset Jane responds briefly to his taunt, is stopped by a cough, then recovers her voice. And in their secret coded argument she gives as good as she gets: “It can be only weak, irresolute characters, (whose happiness must be always at the mercy of chance,) who will suffer an unfortunate acquaintance to be an inconvenience, an oppression for ever.”

“I hope some body will chuse my wife for me. Will you? (turning to Emma.) Will you chuse a wife for me?”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. Frank openly flirts with Emma at the Box Hill outing, asking her to chose a wife for him. He does this to conceal his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, whom he embarrasses. This is evidence of Frank’s manipulative and deceptive nature.

“How could you be so unfeeling to Miss Bates? How could you be so insolent in your wit to a woman of her character, age, and situation? – Emma, I had not thought it possible.” Emma recollected, blushed, was sorry, but tried to laugh it off.
“Nay, how could I help saying what I did? – Nobody could have helped it. It was not so very bad. I dare say she did not understand me.”
“I assure you she did. She felt your full meaning. She has talked of it since. I wish you could have heard how she talked of it – with what candour and generosity.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. Mr. Knightley strongly rebukes Emma for her insensitive remarks at the Box Hill outing about Miss Bates. There Emma makes Miss Bates the target of her wit, implying she is dull and over-talkative. While Emma tries to laugh it off, this is yet another example of her self-deception and misreading of people. Mr. Knightley tells her that her insult has impacted Miss Bates and has been playing on her mind since. Because of his close relationship with Emma, Knightley is one of the few people who can openly criticize and challenge her. The Box Hill incident is a pivotal scene where Emma’s series of flawed perceptions reach a climax in the story. It becomes a life-changing crisis for her, forcing her to confront her flaws.

She was vexed beyond what could have been expressed – almost beyond what she could conceal. Never had she felt so agitated, so mortified, grieved, at any circumstance in her life. She was most forcibly struck. The truth of his representation there was no denying. She felt it at her heart. How could she have been so brutal, so cruel to Miss Bates! How could she have exposed herself to such ill opinion in any one she valued! And how suffer him to leave her without saying one word of gratitude, of concurrence, of common kindness!…Emma felt the tears running down her cheeks almost all the way home, without being at any trouble to check them, extraordinary as they were.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 43. Emma takes to heart Mr. Knightley’s criticisms of her for insulting Miss Bates at the Box Hill picnic outing. Harsh and painful words of truth from a faithful friend are enough to cause her to break down and cry most of the way home. She is angry at herself and deeply remorseful because of the cruelty of her behavior. The passage shows how Emma is growing and maturing. Her thoughtless remarks at Box Hill mark a turning point in her self-awareness and realization of how she misreads and misperceives people and situations. One of the few people in a position to point out these flaws is her neighbor and friend since her childhood, the older and wiser Mr. Knightley.

The wretchedness of a scheme to Box Hill was in Emma’s thoughts all the evening…If attention, in future, could do away the past, she might hope to be forgiven. She had been often remiss, her conscience told her so; remiss, perhaps, more in thought than fact; scornful, ungracious. But it should be so no more. In the warmth of true contrition, she would call upon her the very next morning, and it should be the beginning, on her side, of a regular, equal, kindly intercourse.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 44. Emma feels very remorseful over her humiliating treatment of Miss Bates during the Box Hill gathering. Mr. Knightley’s admonishment of her behavior is still very much in her thoughts. She accepts that she was “scornful” and “ungracious.” So she resolves to call on Miss Bates the next morning, to visit her regularly and be kinder to her in the future.

Emma was most sincerely interested. Her heart had been long growing kinder towards Jane; and this picture of her present sufferings acted as a cure of every former ungenerous suspicion, and left her nothing but pity.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 44. When Emma calls to see Miss Bates, she discovers that Jane Fairfax is unwell. This passage indicates a major change in Emma’s feelings towards Jane. Her suspicion and dislike of Jane is now replaced by newfound empathy and compassion, reflecting Emma’s maturing as a character.

Mrs. Churchill, after being disliked at least twenty-five years, was now spoken of with compassionate allowances. In one point she was fully justified. She had never been admitted before to be seriously ill. The event acquitted her of all the fancifulness, and all the selfishness of imaginary complaints.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 45. These are Austen’s satiric observations on what happens when a disliked person like Mrs. Churchill dies. Chronically ill for years, Mrs. Churchill was guardian and aunt to Frank and was very possessive of him. Her death puts to rest the claims that her ill-health was a deceptive ploy to prevent Frank from visiting his father.

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