Emma Misperception Quotes

The real evils, indeed, of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, was at present so unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 1. This quote foreshadows the protagonist’s main flaws and the challenges she will face as a result of them. Highlighted are the spoiled and excessively confident Emma’s egotism and vanity and her being accustomed to having too much of her own way. Her self-assurance and over-confidence are satirized in the description of her thinking “a little too well of herself.” The word “alloy” is used as a metaphor to suggest that her flaws may have the effect of threatening her own happiness. Thus the central conflict upon which the novel is built is foreshadowed. When Emma turns matchmaker her pride and sense of superiority do indeed lead her to meddle in other people’s lives and make bad decisions because of her flawed perceptions.

Mr. Elton was the very person fixed on by Emma for driving the young farmer out of Harriet’s head. She thought it would be an excellent match; and only too palpably desirable, natural, and probable, for her to have much merit in planning it.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 4. Emma goes into full matchmaking mode, as she sets out to pair Harriet with Mr. Elton to make her forget about Mr. Martin. Emma’s blindness, manipulativeness and misjudgments, especially with regard to her matchmaking efforts, are satirized here. Having misread the signals from Mr. Elton, she thinks he is the perfect match for Harriet. She doesn’t see that he is too much of a social climber to settle for the socially inferior Harriet and wants to marry a rich wife. The irony is that he has no romantic feelings for Harriet, has set his sights on Emma and will soon propose to her.

She was quite convinced of Mr. Elton’s being in the fairest way of falling in love, if not in love already…”You have given Miss Smith all that she required,” said he; “you have made her graceful and easy. She was a beautiful creature when she came to you, but, in my opinion, the attractions you have added are infinitely superior to what she received from nature.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 6. Emma should have read the warning signs when Mr. Elton heaped lavish praise on her role in the transformation of her friend Harriet. But she didn’t. Convinced of her great matchmaking skills, she believes that Mr. Elton is falling in love with Harriet, if not already in love. But what she fails to hear is Elton’s obvious admiration for her, something that is obvious to the reader, making this an example of dramatic irony. The quote also reflects how Emma misreads people. All she can hear are Elton’s words of praise for Harriet, which is why Mr. Elton’s declaration of love for Emma comes as a shock to her later.

“Humph – Harriet’s ready wit! All the better. A man must be very much in love, indeed, to describe her so.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 9. With riddles being collected for Harriet’s book, Mr. Elton shows up with one where Emma sees the answer is “courtship.” One of the lines of the riddle is “Thy ready wit the word will soon supply.” Emma misinterprets this as a sign that Mr. Elton is very much in love with Harriet. She is blind to the fact that Mr. Elton is talking about her. This serves as an example of dramatic irony, since the reader is already aware of his interest in Emma.

“There does seem to be a something in the air of Hartfield which gives love exactly the right direction, and sends it into the very channel where it ought to flow. The course of true love never did run smooth – A Hartfield edition of Shakespeare would have a long note on that passage.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 9. Austen’s admiration for Shakespeare can be seen throughout her works. Here Emma speaks of Hartfield as a place where love always flows in the right direction. Her mind is on the match she is encouraging between Harriet and Mr. Elton, whom Emma mistakenly believes loves Harriet. Adding to the irony is the reference to the line from A Midsummer Night’s Dream about true love never running smoothly. For Harriet and Mr. Elton the course of true love will run anything but smoothly.

“Well,” said she to herself, “this is most strange! – After I had got him off so well, to chuse to go into company, and leave Harriet ill behind! – Most strange indeed! – But there is, I believe, in many men, especially single men, such an inclination – such a passion for dining out – a dinner engagement is so high in the class of their pleasures, their employments, their dignities, almost their duties, that anything gives way to it – and this must be the case with Mr. Elton; a most valuable, amiable, pleasing young man undoubtedly, and very much in love with Harriet; but still, he cannot refuse an invitation, he must dine out wherever he is asked. What a strange thing love is! he can see ready wit in Harriet, but will not dine alone for her.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 13. We see Austen’s use of ironic humor and Emma’s propensity for misperception and self-deception when Emma talks of Mr. Elton’s strange behavior towards Harriet. Strange for Emma, because she mistakenly believes that she has made a love match for Harriet with Mr. Elton. But the audience knows that he is more interested in Emma than her friend. And she is too blind to see this.

“I thank you; but I assure you you are quite mistaken. Mr. Elton and I are very good friends, and nothing more;” and she walked on, amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which often arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for ever falling into.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 13. Emma’s response to John Knightley’s observation about Mr. Elton’s romantic pursuit of her is an excellent example of Austen’s use of humor and irony. Emma dismisses Knightley’s comments as a mistake typically made by “people of high pretensions to judgment.” Ironically this description perfectly fits her. Emma finds amusement in the misjudgments of others, especially regarding anything romantic between her and Mr. Elton. Due to her arrogance and pride in her superiority, she is blind to the truth. Mr. Elton is indeed interested in her, not Harriet, as she believes.

“I never thought of Miss Smith in the whole course of my existence – never paid her any attentions but as your friend: never cared whether she were dead or alive, but as your friend. If she has fancied otherwise, her own wishes have misled her, and I am very sorry – extremely sorry – But, Miss Smith, indeed! – Oh! Miss Woodhouse! who can think of Miss Smith, when Miss Woodhouse is near!…I have thought only of you.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 15. Emma’s efforts to matchmake her lower class friend Harriet with Mr. Elton backfire, as seen in Mr. Elton’s response to Emma’s demand that he direct love to Harriet and not her. In a furious rant, Mr. Elton says that he doesn’t care whether Miss Smith is alive or dead, professing that he only has thoughts for Emma. Laid bare here is Emma’s poor judgment and misreading that Mr. Elton was romantically interested in Harriet. While she was preoccupied with matchmaking the two, she neglected to see that Mr. Elton was attracted to her.

The first error and the worst lay at her door. It was foolish, it was wrong, to take so active a part in bringing any two people together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious, a trick of what ought to be simple. She was quite concerned and ashamed, and resolved to do such things no more.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 16. For the first time Emma becomes aware of her mis-matchmaking, as she realizes that she might have misjudged Mr. Elton’s intentions. This is after Mr. Elton declares his love for Emma and proposes to her in the previous chapter. Never having considered Mr. Elton as a romantic partner, she had been convinced that he was courting her friend Harriet. Having attempted to matchmake Mr. Elton and Harriet, Emma realizes her own blindness and has to reexamine her own actions and feelings. The quote marks an important step on her journey from an over-confident meddler in other people’s romantic lives to a more mature woman who knows that love must be allowed to grow naturally. But old habits die hard and Emma never fully overcomes her desire to make matches for others.

At that moment an ingenious and animating suspicion entering Emma’s brain with regard to Jane Fairfax, this charming Mr. Dixon, and the not going to Ireland.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 19. Based on the flimsiest evidence, Emma believes that Jane is in love with her friend Mrs. Dixon’s husband. Jane is coming to Highbury to stay for three months, while her guardians the Campbells visit their newlywed daughter and husband Mr. Dixon in Ireland. The reason Jane is not accompanying them to Ireland, Emma thinks, is because of a romance between her and Mr. Dixon. This is an example of Emma’s misreading people and their actions.

Emma was sorry; – to have to pay civilities to a person she did not like through three long months! – to be always doing more than she wished, and less than she ought! Why she did not like Jane Fairfax might be a difficult question to answer; Mr. Knightley had once told her it was because she saw in her the really accomplished young woman, which she wanted to be thought herself; and though the accusation had been eagerly refuted at the time, there were moments of self-examination in which her conscience could not quite acquit her.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 20. Emma’s irrational dislike of Jane Fairfax exposes her own vanity and pride, as well as her tendency to misread people. As a woman of accomplishments Jane presents a rival to Emma, who clearly is jealous of her. Emma enjoys being the alpha female of Highbury, clings tightly to that status and sees Jane as a threat to her position.

She was, in fact, beginning very much to wonder that she had ever thought him pleasing at all; and his sight was so inseparably connected with some very disagreeable feelings, that, except in a moral light, as a penance, a lesson, a source of profitable humiliation to her own mind, she would have been thankful to be assured of never seeing him again.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 22. We witness a turning point for Emma as she experiences a moment of self-awareness and growth. She recognizes how badly she can misread people and the missteps she has made in her matchmaking. Her judgment of Mr. Elton’s character was way off the mark, she now realizes. Far from being the pleasant man she had thought, he is in fact very disagreeable.

“Very thoughtful of Colonel Campbell, was not it? – He knew Miss Fairfax could have no music here. I honour that part of the attention particularly; it shews it to have been so thoroughly from the heart. Nothing hastily done; nothing incomplete. True affection only could have prompted it.” Emma wished he would be less pointed, yet could not help being amused; and when on glancing her eye towards Jane Fairfax she caught the remains of a smile, when she saw that with all the deep blush of consciousness, there had been a smile of secret delight.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 28. You would need to be a linguistics expert to interpret the secret languages spoken and unspoken during the piano scene at the Bates’s apartment. Frank Churchill is talking about the music that came with the piano Jane Fairfax is playing. To Jane, secretly engaged to Frank, he is expressing his “true affection” for her. For it was he who secretly bought her the piano and music. But to everybody else’s ears, Frank is saying that Colonel Campbell supplied the music and is implying the piano was a gift from him too. Emma of course misreads everything she hears and sees. She believes that the piano came from Mr. Dixon, the husband of Jane’s friend. To Emma, the reference to “true affection” is a dig at Jane’s supposed affair with Mr. Dixon. Jane’s blushes and smile are enough to confirm Emma’s suspicions.

This amiable, upright, perfect Jane Fairfax was apparently cherishing very reprehensible feelings.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 28. After Emma sees a “deep blush of consciousness” and “smile of secret delight” on Jane’s face, she suspects her of having inappropriate feelings for Mr. Dixon. She uses a sarcastic and ironic tone when she describes her as “perfect” in the same breath. However, Emma completely misreads the situation. It is Frank Churchill’s flirting that is causing Jane’s blushes and smiles. Mr. Dixon is husband to the Campbells’ daughter, Jane’s friend. Emma has jumped to the conclusion, without proper evidence, that there was a romance between Mr. Dixon and Jane before he married.

“She is playing Robin Adair at this moment – his favourite.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 28. When Frank Churchill remarks to Emma about Jane playing his favorite Irish melody on the piano, he refers to himself in the third person. But Emma misinterprets this as meaning Mr. Dixon, because she thinks he and Jane are romantically connected. Emma is barking up the wrong tree, however, as will be apparent when Jane’s secret engagement to Frank is later revealed. This revelation is foreshadowed here.

“It was something to feel that all the rest of my time might be given to Hartfield. My regard for Hartfield is most warm” – He stopt again, rose again, and seemed quite embarrassed. – He was more in love with her than Emma had supposed; and who can say how it might have ended, if his father had not made his appearance? Mr. Woodhouse soon followed; and the necessity of exertion made him composed.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 30. Austen takes us through one of Emma’s many self-deceptions and misperceptions at a meeting between her and Frank Churchill before he leaves to visit his sick aunt. Emma wrongly interprets his agitation, hesitation and distress as signs that he is in love with her. It is later revealed that Frank is in fact secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax.

It had been a very happy fortnight, and forlorn must be the sinking from it into the common course of Hartfield days. To complete every other recommendation, he had almost told her that he loved her. What strength, or what constancy of affection he might be subject to, was another point; but at present she could not doubt his having a decidedly warm admiration, a conscious preference of herself; and this persuasion, joined to all the rest, made her think that she must be a little in love with him, in spite of every previous determination against it.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 30. Emma misreads the actions and words of the wealthy and charming Frank Churchill as a sign that he is in love with her. Flattered by this and maybe having a little crush on him, she deceives herself into believing that she loves him.

“Dear Harriet! I would not change you for the clearest-headed, longest-sighted, best judging female breathing. Oh, the coldness of a Jane Fairfax! Harriet is worth a hundred such: and for a wife – a sensible man’s wife – it is invaluable. I mention no names; but happy the man who changes Emma for Harriet!”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 31. Speaking to herself, Emma expresses her love and admiration for Harriet. In her outpouring of affection in these final line of the chapter, she refers to Harriet as worth a hundred Jane Fairfaxes. She would be an excellent wife for a sensible man, Emma believes. Emma’s dislike of Jane prompts her to label her as cold and distant. This is an unfair misreading of Jane’s behavior. Jane’s reserve may arise from her embarrassment of having to seek a governess’s position, she being an orphan with limited means and not rich like Emma. We also later learn that Jane has been secretly engaged to Frank Churchill, another reason she might appear reserved.

“Why really, dear Emma, I say that he is so very much occupied by the idea of not being in love with her, that I should not wonder if it were to end in his being so at last.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 33. Mrs. Weston thinks that Mr. Knightley’s preoccupation with the idea of not being in love with Jane Fairfax is a sign they will end up in love. This is another example of the misperceptions characters in the story have in the face of reality. Mrs. Weston’s statement is also ironic, because Mr. Knightley is hiding his true feelings – but for Emma, not Jane.

She wished she might be able to keep him from an absolute declaration. That would be so very painful a conclusion of their present acquaintance! – and yet, she could not help rather anticipating something decisive. She felt as if the spring would not pass without bringing a crisis, an event, a something to alter her present composed and tranquil state.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 37. Emma anticipates “something decisive” from Frank Churchill in the way of a declaration of his feelings for her, an event she dreads. With this on her mind, she talks of the “crisis” to come that will change her “composed and tranquil state.” Emma is of course half right. She is under the misperception that Frank, who is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, is in love with her. But what will alter her tranquil state is the announcement of that engagement and also Emma and Mr. Knightley admitting their true feelings for each other and getting engaged themselves. These two events are foreshadowed here.

“But it is a pleasure to me to admire him at a distance – and to think of his infinite superiority to all the rest of the world, with the gratitude, wonder, and veneration, which are so proper, in me especially.”
“I am not at all surprised at you, Harriet. The service he rendered you was enough to warm your heart.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 40. When Harriet speaks of the new man who has won her heart, Emma mistakenly believes she is referring to Frank Churchill. For Emma has been encouraging a match between the two. But, in another example of Emma’s mistaken perceptions, Harriet is thinking of Mr. Knightley. He rescued her from humiliation at the Crown Inn ball by asking her to dance. But Emma on the other hand is thinking of Frank saving Harriet from the Gypsies. The theme is social class is found here, with Harriet describing the man she admires as having “infinite superiority.”

“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.

She could have no doubt – putting every thing together – that Jane was resolved to receive no kindness from her. She was sorry, very sorry. Her heart was grieved for a state which seemed but the more pitiable from this sort of irritation of spirits, inconsistency of action, and inequality of powers; and it mortified her that she was given so little credit for proper feeling, or esteemed so little worthy as a friend: but she had the consolation of knowing that her intentions were good, and of being able to say to herself, that could Mr. Knightley have been privy to all her attempts of assisting Jane Fairfax, could he even have seen into her heart, he would not, on this occasion, have found any thing to reprove.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 45. Jane Fairfax makes it clear that she doesn’t want a friendship with Emma. When Emma reaches out a number of times, she is rebuffed. As a result Emma feels wounded and embarrassed. If Mr. Knightley knew all that Emma had done to help Jane, he would find nothing to reproach her with, she believes. Emma views Mr. Knightley as her moral guide. But as usual, Emma is operating under wrong assumptions. As far as she is concerned Frank Churchill has affections for her and no interest in Jane. She has no clue that Frank and Jane are an item and are secretly engaged. And Jane sees Emma as a threat because of the flirtatious behavior that has taken place between Emma and Frank.

“I have escaped; and that I should escape, may be a matter of grateful wonder to you and myself. But this does not acquit him, Mrs. Weston; and I must say, that I think him greatly to blame. What right had he to come among us with affection and faith engaged, and with manners so very disengaged? What right had he to endeavour to please, as he certainly did – to distinguish any one young woman with persevering attention, as he certainly did – while he really belonged to another? – How could he tell what mischief he might be doing? – How could he tell that he might not be making me in love with him? – very wrong, very wrong indeed.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 46. When Mrs. Weston delivers the news of Frank Churchill’s secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, Emma is outraged. Not because she herself was carrying a torch for Frank, as Mrs. Weston thought. Rather she is angry at Frank’s deceitful, manipulative and irresponsible behavior. She emphatically condemns it as “very wrong, very wrong indeed.” The flirtatious Frank pretended to be romantically interested in her, while he belonged to another, she complains. Pointing out the harm he could have done, she admits that Frank could have made her fall in love with him. But she appears relieved to have “escaped” that situation. Emma’s anger is further fueled by her embarrassment over having encouraged her friend Harriet’s affections for Frank. This is revealed in the next chapter. The quote also shows Emma’s misjudging and misreading of people, because she believed Frank harbored feelings for her and not Jane.

“If a woman can ever be excused for thinking only of herself, it is in a situation like Jane Fairfax’s. – Of such, one may almost say, that ‘the world is not their’s, nor the world’s law.'”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 46. Emma makes this comment about Jane Fairfax’s behavior on learning of her secret engagement to Frank Churchill. As Emma expresses understanding and admiration for Jane, she references a line from Romeo and Juliet. It refers to the world and its laws being stacked against the apothecary and preventing him escaping poverty. With Frank a wealthy man and Jane having no fortune of her own, Jane will now have financial security. Reflected here are the limited options available to women with no wealth in Austen’s England. The quote also reveals a significant shift in Emma’s perception of Jane. In the past she tended to Judge Jane and view her with a mixture of dislike and jealousy. This is an important step in Jane’s personal growth and maturing as a woman.

Poor Harriet! to be a second time the dupe of her misconceptions and flattery. Mr. Knightley had spoken prophetically, when he once said, “Emma, you have been no friend to Harriet Smith.” – She was afraid she had done her nothing but disservice.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 47. Emma is filled with guilt and regret over the extent of her social errors. On learning of Frank Churchill secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, she is angry with herself for encouraging Harriet’s feelings for Frank. But a shocked Emma is about to learn that Harriet does not love Frank, instead she has feelings for Mr. Knightley. This is another example of Emma’s misperceptions about the people around her.

“I should not have thought it possible,” she began, “that you could have misunderstood me! I know we agreed never to name him – but considering how infinitely superior he is to every body else, I should not have thought it possible that I could be supposed to mean any other person. Mr. Frank Churchill, indeed! I do not know who would ever look at him in the company of the other. I hope I have a better taste than to think of Mr. Frank Churchill, who is like nobody by his side.”

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 47. When Emma claims that Harriet gave her reason to believe she cared about Frank Churchill, Harriet dismisses this. She rubbishes the idea of an attachment to Frank, declaring she had better taste than what. Just as Mr. Knightley predicted, Harriet has become a conceited woman. So who is Harriet’s mystery fancy man? To her shock and dismay, Emma soon finds out. This quote is another example of Emma misreading people and situations.

With insufferable vanity had she believed herself in the secret of everybody’s feelings; with unpardonable arrogance proposed to arrange everybody’s destiny. She was proved to have been universally mistaken; and she had not quite done nothing – for she had done mischief. She had brought evil on Harriet, on herself, and she too much feared, on Mr. Knightley.

– Jane Austen

Emma, Chapter 47. A self-aware Emma acknowledges that her vanity led her to meddling in other people’s lives and causing them harm with her misperceptions. She accepts how arrogant it was to think herself an expert on people’s feelings so she could arrange their destinies. In her moment of clarity, epiphany and self-discovery, she hyperbolically describes what she did to her friends as evil, her arrogance as unpardonable and vanity as insufferable.
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