Resumo de Emma - Jane Austen

The novel opens with Emma, the twenty-one year old daughter of the sick, old Henry Woodhouse, boasting of her success in getting her governess, Miss Taylor, married to the middle-aged widower, Mr. Weston of Randalls. Emma herself has resolved never to marry, for she cannot bear the thought of leaving her old father. She begins to groom the good-looking and sweet-tempered Harriet Smith to become Elton's wife. Since Harriet thinks she is in love Robert Martin, a tenant farmer, Emma must convince her not to marry below her rank. Emma does all kinds of things to encourage Harriet to fall in love with Mr. Elton, the Vicar. She assumes things are going well between Harriet and Elton; then to Emma's surprise, during Christmas week, Elton proposes to her. Emma rejects his proposal and points out that his real object of love should be Harriet Smith. Hurt by Emma's rejection, Elton goes to Bath and wins the love of Miss Augusta Hawkins.While Elton is away from Highbury, Jane Fairfax comes to stay in Highbury with her aunt, Miss Bates. Emma imagines fancifully that Jane is in love with Mr. Dixon, the son-in-law of Colonel Campbell, who raised Jane. In the meantime, Emma finds herself romantically attracted to Frank Churchill, who is secretly engaged to Jane. Realizing Emma's romantic fantasies about him, Churchill uses her to hide his engagement to Jane. At the Coles' party, Frank decides to arrange a ball. Emma dances with both Frank and Knightley. On the day after the ball, Harriet, during her walk, wanders into a camp of gypsies from whom she feels a threat. Luckily, Frank happens to be passing by and saves her. When Harriet narrates this misadventure and her rescue from the gypsies to Emma, Emma thinks that Frank is now falling in love with Harriet. As desired by Mrs. Elton, Knightley arranges a strawberry party at Donwell Abbey, where Emma sees Knightley walking with Harriet. The next day, everyone goes for a picnic to Box Hill. Emma and Frank behave in a very frivolous manner, with Emma being very rude to Miss Bates; their behavior clearly annoys Jane. When the party leaves Box Hill, Knightley accompanies Emma to her carriage and criticizes her for her lack of elegance and vanity. Emma, feeling very ashamed, weeps on her way home, fearing that she has lost Knightley's affection and goodwill. The very next day Emma visits the Bates to apologize to Miss Bates and Jane. Frank's hopes of inheriting the property of the Churchills are fulfilled. Now a wealthy man, he writes a letter to his father to inform him about his secret engagement to Jane. It is during this time that Harriet also confides in Emma that she loves Knightley. At this news, Emma is shocked to realize that she herself is in love with Knightley. She wishes she would have allowed Harriet to marry Robert Martin. In the meantime, Knightley, without Emma's knowledge, has succeeded in bringing Harriet and Martin together. When Emma breaks to Knightley the news of Jane's engagement to Frank, Knightley tells her about Harriet's engagement to Martin. He praises Emma for having refined Harriet's manners. He then proposes to Emma, who readily accepts. He admires Emma for her attachment to her father and agrees to live with her at Hartfield after their marriage.

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