Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Emma, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Social Class
Marriage
Gender Limitations
Misperception
Pride and Vanity
Summary
Analysis
Emma finds Frank fixing Mrs. Bates’s spectacles and Jane at the piano. After Frank adjusts the piano for her, Jane plays delightfully. When Frank teases her about the mysterious gift, Emma notes Jane’s pleased blush and suspects her to harbor inappropriate feelings for Mr. Dixon. Nonetheless, she asks Frank to cease his teasing, which he cannot seem to resist.
The interactions between Frank, Jane, and Emma are interpreted differently by each character. As readers, we follow Emma’s misperception that Frank unkindly teases Jane about Mr. Dixon and favors Emma. However, their true relations will eventually unravel these misperceptions.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
Mr. Knightley stops by the house to ask after Jane’s health. Mrs. Weston gives Emma a knowing look, but Emma shakes her head with skepticism. When Mr. Knightley learns that Frank is in, he decides not to stay and continues on his way. Emma and Harriet leave soon after.
Mrs. Weston and Emma also interpret Mr. Knightley’s behavior differently, and the nature of his feelings towards Jane remains unclear. However, his dislike for Frank could not be more obvious.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
