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Chapters
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Chapters
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Emma has 55 chapters.
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Chapters55 items
Chapter 1
We meet Emma Woodhouse, a clever and wealthy young woman who lives with her anxious, hypochondriac father at Hartfield.
Chapter 2
The chapter gives background on Mr. Weston.
Chapter 3
Emma and her father host an evening gathering at Hartfield. The guests include the Westons, Mr.
Chapter 4
Emma and Harriet spend more time together, and Harriet mentions a farmer named Robert Martin who has been kind to her.
Chapter 5
Mr. Knightley and Mrs.
Chapter 6
Emma continues her matchmaking project, now convinced that Mr. Elton is falling for Harriet.
Chapter 7
Harriet receives a letter from Robert Martin proposing marriage. Emma reads it, is quietly impressed by its quality, but immediately steers Harriet toward refusing.
Chapter 8
The argument between Emma and Knightley continues and sharpens. Emma insists Harriet is too good for Robert Martin and has real potential to rise socially.
Chapter 9
Emma and Harriet spend time together making up riddles and word games. Mr.
Chapter 10
Emma and Harriet go for a walk and encounter Mr. Elton, who joins them.
Chapter 11
Mr. John Knightley arrives at Hartfield with his wife Isabella and their children for the Christmas visit.
Chapter 12
The Westons host a dinner that brings together the main social circle. Mr.
Chapter 13
Snow threatens to cut the Christmas party at Randalls short, and Mr. John Knightley is annoyed at having been dragged out in bad weather.
Chapter 14
Emma rides home alone after the carriage scene and processes what just happened. She is embarrassed, angry at herself, and worried about Harriet.
Chapter 15
Emma tells Harriet what happened with Elton. Harriet is hurt but handles it with more dignity than Emma expects.
Chapter 16
Emma processes the shock of Mr. Elton's proposal in the carriage and realizes she has been completely wrong about his feelings.
Chapter 17
Emma tells Harriet about Elton's proposal. Harriet is hurt but handles it with more dignity than Emma expected.
Chapter 18
Frank Churchill is discussed at length. He is Mrs.
Chapter 19
Miss Bates and Jane Fairfax come into focus. Jane is the niece of Miss Bates and the granddaughter of old Mrs.
Chapter 20
Emma visits Miss Bates and Jane Fairfax. The visit is polite but strained on Emma's side.
Chapter 21
Miss Woodhouse receives a visit from Mrs. Weston and Mr.
Chapter 22
Frank Churchill finally arrives in Highbury. Emma meets him and is immediately charmed.
Chapter 23
Frank Churchill spends more time in Highbury and joins a social gathering. He and Emma grow more comfortable together, and there is open flirtation between them.
Chapter 24
Frank Churchill's visit to Highbury ends and he leaves. Emma reflects on his departure and decides she is glad not to feel heartbroken, which confirms her belief that she was neve…
Chapter 25
A large social gathering is planned at the Coles' house. Emma initially feels she should not attend because the Coles are in trade and below her social standing, but she ends up g…
Chapter 26
Frank Churchill arrives in Highbury and makes a strong impression on everyone, including Emma. He is charming and good-looking, and Emma finds herself drawn to him.
Chapter 27
Frank Churchill pushes for a ball to be held in Highbury, and the plan generates excitement. He and Emma spend time together and their rapport grows.
Chapter 28
A piano arrives anonymously at the Bates household, clearly a gift for Jane Fairfax. Everyone speculates about who sent it.
Chapter 29
The long-anticipated ball at the Crown Inn finally takes place. Emma dances with Frank Churchill and enjoys the evening.
Chapter 30
The morning after the ball, Frank Churchill arrives at Hartfield with news that Harriet was stopped on the road by gypsies and frightened badly.
Chapter 31
Mr. Elton returns to Highbury with a new wife, Augusta, whom he married quickly in Bath.
Chapter 32
Emma visits the newly married Eltons at the vicarage. Mrs.
Chapter 33
The social world of Highbury keeps turning. Mrs.
Chapter 34
A dinner party at the Eltons' gives Mrs. Elton another stage.
Chapter 35
Plans are made for a strawberry-picking party at Donwell Abbey, Mr. Knightley's estate.
Chapter 36
Frank Churchill returns to Highbury, and Emma notices he seems distracted and oddly eager to visit the Bates household.
Chapter 37
Frank Churchill leaves Highbury again, this time abruptly, and Emma reflects on what his visits have meant. She half-heartedly wonders whether she loves him, then talks herself ou…
Chapter 38
The Crown Inn ball finally takes place. It's a social set piece that reveals character through behavior on the dance floor and in the margins of the room.
Chapter 39
The day after the ball, Harriet is rescued from a frightening encounter with gypsies by Frank Churchill, who happens to be nearby.
Chapter 40
Harriet tells Emma that she has given up her feelings for Mr. Elton and transferred them to someone worthier.
Chapter 41
Frank Churchill returns to Highbury, and the group dynamic shifts noticeably. Emma starts to sense something off about Frank's behavior, though she can't pin it down.
Chapter 42
The famous Box Hill excursion is planned and carried out. The outing is meant to be a pleasant summer party, but it turns sour.
Chapter 43
In the aftermath of Box Hill, Emma tries to make amends by visiting Miss Bates and Jane Fairfax. The visit is awkward.
Chapter 44
Frank's secret engagement to Jane Fairfax is revealed. Mrs.
Chapter 45
Emma sits with her changed understanding of herself and her feelings for Knightley. She is not hopeful.
Chapter 46
Emma receives devastating news: Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill have been secretly engaged the whole time. The revelation reframes everything Emma thought she understood about bo…
Chapter 47
Emma processes the engagement and starts to feel relieved that she was never truly in love with Frank herself. But that relief is quickly replaced by a new alarm: Harriet reveals…
Chapter 48
Emma sits with her new self-knowledge and tries to figure out what it means. She does not know if Knightley loves her, and she does not know if Harriet has any real chance with hi…
Chapter 49
Knightley returns from London, where he went after hearing about Frank and Jane's engagement. He comes to comfort Emma, assuming she must be heartbroken over Frank.
Chapter 50
A letter from Frank Churchill arrives explaining his behavior throughout the novel. He defends himself, explains the pressures of the secret engagement with Jane, and apologizes f…
Chapter 51
Frank Churchill's long letter of explanation finally arrives, and Emma reads it carefully. He lays out the full history of his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, explaining how th…
Chapter 52
Emma visits Jane Fairfax to offer genuine goodwill now that the engagement is public. The meeting is awkward at first because both women know how much has been concealed and how l…
Chapter 53
Mr. Woodhouse remains deeply opposed to Emma's engagement to Mr.
Chapter 54
Frank Churchill visits Highbury with Jane Fairfax, and the community sees them together as an engaged couple for the first time.
Chapter 55
The novel closes with two weddings: Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston's marriage was the event that opened the book, and now Emma and Mr.
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