Resumo de Emma - Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse is
twenty one and lives with her widowed father at Hartfield in Highbury, just
sixteen miles from London. Mr
Woodhouse, her widowed father,is a who considers everything to be too much
effort, from eating unfamiliar dishes to going outside in the fresh air. He hates change and when his children?s
governess marries well, he refers to her constantly as ?Poor Miss Taylor?, even
though she is now Mrs Weston.
Similarly, his elder daughter is ?poor Isabella? to him, although she
has been married for several years to Mr John Knightly and has five children.

Her father?s
hostess and someone he relies on, Emma has a rather inflated opinion of herself
and her ability to assess people and situations. Wealthy and spoiled, respected more for her father?s standing
than her own, she declares she will never marry. Insisting the marriage of her governess was of her doing, she
decides her role in life is as a matchmaker for her friends and acquaintances,
whether they wish her help or not.

Her first
candidate is the shy, but charming Harriet Smith, introduced to her by Mrs Goddard who runs the local girls?
boarding school. Harriet is enamoured
of a local farmer, Mr Robert Martin, but Emma feels a lowly farmer is not good
enough for her friend. When the young
man proposes to Harriet, Emma makes it quite clear she should not for a moment
consider accepting.

Emma decides that
a local gentleman, Mr Elton, would be a far better match for Harriet and sets
about throwing the couple together, unaware that Mr Elton himself has mentally
rejected Miss Smith and that marrying Emma would be far better for his social
and financial prospects.

Mr Weston?s son,
Frank Churchill writes a letter to Mrs saying he intends to visit his father
and new stepmother. This letter is
discussed by two elderly ladies, a Miss Bates and her widowed sister-in-law,
Mrs Bates. They are kindly and
distracted, enjoying the patronizing society of the Woodhouses but also
suffering under Emma?s acerbic tongue

The Misses Bates
are joined by their niece, Jane Fairfax, and although inclined not to like her
Emma grudgingly admits she is beautiful
and accomplished. Jane herself is
circumspect about her time in Weymouth, and more so about Mr Frank Churchill
whom she met while living there.

When Emma makes a
fool of Miss Bates at a picnic, George Knightly, Emma?s brother-in-law takes
her to task over her cruelty. Emma is
unexpectedly shaken by his censure and realizes she feels more for him than
mere brotherly respect.

When Emma hears
that Mr Elton has become engaged to a Miss Hawkins whom he met on a trip to
Bath, she is very concerned how Harriet will feel about the news. Mr Woodlouse?s comments on the engagement
are to lament "that young people would be in such a hurry to marry?and to
marry strangers too."

Mr Elton returns
to Highbury and Emma?s next meeting with him changes her opinions of his
character as he is eager to tell her that Miss Hawkins has a fortune of then
thousand pounds and no other relatives.
She decides his ?pique and pretention?, is unattractive and feels
sympathy for the young woman.

When Frank
Churchill finally arrives for his delayed visit, Emma is very taken with him,
and whenever they are together in company he makes a point of paying her a great
deal of attention.

Emma attends a
party where the Bates ladies and Jane Fairfax are invited. It appears that a new pianoforte has arrive
anonymously for Jane at the Bates? house.
Mrs Weston and Miss Bates make allusion to the possibility that the instrument
was a present from Mr Knightly, although
Emma is dismissive of this suggestion but also alarmed.

Frank Churchill
receives a letter saying Mrs Churchill is ill and he must return home. He take his leave of Emma, who has convinced
herself he admires her and toys with the idea of being a little in love with
him herself. Frank appears nervous and
ready to say something but leaves without doing so, confirming Emma?s
assertion.

When the Eltons
return to Highbury, Emma takes Harriet with her on a visit. Emma dislikes Augusta and is particularly
enraged by Augusta?s referring to George Knightly as simply ?Knightly?.

When Jane Fairfax
declines an invitation to her former employer?s house in Ireland, Emma is
convinced this is due to her growing relationship with Augusta Elton. She also demands from George Knightly to
know his true feelings for Jane, but to her relief he says he would never think
of marrying her.

Eventually, to
Emma?s astonishment, it is discovered that Frank Churchill has entered into a
secret engagement with Jane Fairfax, and has been using Emma to camouflage his
true feelings.

Mr Knightly,
warns Emma her ambitions for the girl are too lofty for a girl who is the
natural daughter of an unknown gentleman and that she shouldn?t interfere, that

Mr Martin is a
good match for her. When Emma concedes,
Harriet feels free to accept Mr Martin?s proposal and at their wedding, Emma
invites the pair to Hartfied for a visit, something she would never have done
previously.

George Knightly
declares his feelings for Emma, who finally realizes she loves him too and
another wedding is arranged.

The story evolves
during some rather tedious chapters conducted in various drawing rooms, salons
and local shops with lengthy conversations where everyone misunderstands
everyone else?s feelings and preferences.
The dialogue can drag sometimes and there seem to be far too many
instances of nothing really happening, but the conclusion of the story with
Emma realizing she had misconstrued everyone?s feelings, including her own, is
the only really acceptable one.

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