Emma

by Jane Austen

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.

Matrimony, as the origin of change, was always disagreeable;

“Emma never thinks of herself, if she can do good to others,”

its being a great deal better to choose than to be chosen, to excite gratitude than to feel it.

but a real, honest, old-fashioned Boarding-school, where a reasonable quantity of accomplishments were sold at a reasonable price, and where girls might be sent to be out of the way, and scramble themselves into a little education, without any danger of coming back prodigies.

God forbid the young women become prodigies - oh, the horror!!

She would notice her; she would improve her; she would detach her from her bad acquaintance, and introduce her into good society; she would form her opinions and her manners.

The Savior Complex

Harriet certainly was not clever, but she had a sweet, docile, grateful disposition, was totally free from conceit, and only desiring to be guided by any one she looked up to.

Prime for enmeshment

Mrs. Weston was the object of a regard which had its basis in gratitude and esteem. Harriet would be loved as one to whom she could be useful. For Mrs. Weston there was nothing to be done; for Harriet every thing.

but when it appeared that the Mr. Martin, who bore a part in the narrative, and was always mentioned with approbation for his great good-nature in doing something or other, was a single man; that there was no young Mrs. Martin, no wife in the case; she did suspect danger to her poor little friend from all this hospitality and kindness, and that, if she were not taken care of, she might be required to sink herself forever.

The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do. A degree or two lower, and a creditable appearance might interest me; I might hope to be useful to their families in some way or other. But a farmer can need none of my help, and is, therefore, in one sense, as much above my notice as in every other he is below it.”

The older a person grows, Harriet, the more important it is that their manners should not be bad; the more glaring and disgusting any loudness, or coarseness, or awkwardness becomes.

What is passable in youth is detestable in later age.

perhaps no man can be a good judge of the comfort a woman feels in the society of one of her own sex,

Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of her drawing-up at various times of books that she meant to read regularly through—and

Girl, let's compare TBR lists 😂

Emma is spoiled by being the cleverest of her family. At ten years old, she had the misfortune of being able to answer questions which puzzled her sister at seventeen.

where Emma errs once, she is in the right a hundred times.”

She had always wanted to do every thing,

standing memorial of the beauty of one, the skill of the other, and the friendship of both;

A woman is not to marry a man merely because she is asked, or because he is attached to her, and can write a tolerable letter.”

though Emma continued to protest against any assistance being wanted, it was in fact given in the formation of every sentence.

“it is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for any body who asks her.”

and he found it easier to meet her eye than her friend’s.

Calimitous!

To Miss—

To Miss [fill in the blank here] How very impersonal

That Mr. Elton should really be in love with me,—me,

You sure about that?

If he had been anxious for secrecy, he would not have left the paper while I was by; but he rather pushed it towards me than towards you.

Or, hear me out, was it because the paper was meant for you and not Harriet?

My being charming, Harriet, is not quite enough to induce me to marry; I must find other people charming—one other person at least. And I am not only, not going to be married, at present, but have very little intention of ever marrying at all.”

“I must see somebody very superior to any one I have seen yet, to be tempted;

I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry.

Girl, same.

“But still, you will be an old maid! and that’s so dreadful!”

Is it really so dreadful?

mine is an active, busy mind, with a great many independent resources;

Emma experienced some disappointment when she found that he was only giving his fair companion an account of the yesterday’s party at his friend Cole’s,

This man does not want your friend

to stay at home himself, and keep all under shelter that he can;—here are we setting forward to spend five dull hours in another man’s house, with nothing to say or to hear that was not said and heard yesterday, and may not be said and heard again to-morrow.

Me, every Thanksgiving 😂😂

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.

little minds belong to rich people in authority,