Jane Austen Character Profiles and English Grammar Reference

Character Profiles from Jane Austen's Emma

Main Characters

• Emma Woodhouse: At 21, she is the star of the story. She is pretty, bustling, intellectual, and very spoiled. Although she has sworn never to marry, she loves to weave matches for the rest. Emma is determined to manipulate all those around her, but naturally makes many mistakes and causes confusion and embarrassment. It is only at the end of the novel that Emma realizes she is in love with her old friend, George Knightley.
• Mr. George Knightley: Emma's brother-in-law, who is about 37, is among the few people who find any faults in Emma. Knightley is highly respected and considered a gentleman, gifted with intelligence and seriousness that does not tolerate frivolity. He is the standard by which Emma measures all men in her life. He constantly discusses Mrs. Weston's views regarding Emma's spoiled education, for whom he feels great and deep affection. In the end, Mr. Knightley marries Miss E. Woodhouse.

Supporting Characters

• Mr. Woodhouse: Emma's father is a hypochondriac. He is selfish, kind, and demanding that his daughter attend to him with patience and good humor while trying to keep her independence.
• Mr. Frank Churchill: A friendly man liked by everyone except Mr. Knightley, who considers him quite immature. Frank enjoys dancing and music and likes to live life fully. Frank can be seen as a less malicious version of characters from other Austen novels, such as Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice or Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility.
• Jane Fairfax: An orphan whose family consists only of her aunt, Miss Bates, and her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Bates. She is considered a very elegant woman with the best manners, well-educated, and with an exceptional talent for singing and playing the piano; in fact, she is the only person whom Emma envies.
• Harriet Smith: A young friend of Emma, a beautiful girl who is easily manipulated by others, especially Emma. She is the illegitimate daughter of a rich man who was never officially recognized (however, in the last chapter, it is revealed that she is the daughter of a fairly rich and decent tradesman). Harriet was educated at a nearby school. At the beginning of the novel, Emma takes her under her protection and later makes her the object of her nefarious matchmaking attempts. Harriet initially rejects a proposal by the renowned young farmer Robert Martin because of Emma's belief that he is beneath her, despite Harriet's own humble origins. Ultimately, Harriet and Mr. Martin are married.
• Philip Elton: A handsome and ambitious young Anglican vicar. Emma wants him to marry Harriet, but he wants to marry Emma. Mr. Elton quickly displays his materialistic nature by marrying another wealthy woman after Emma's rejection.
• Augusta Elton: The rich wife of Mr. Elton, known for her scathing character. She is portrayed as a very pretentious woman who always wants to be the center of attention and does not like either Emma or her circle. She is patronizing to Jane, which causes her to lose the sympathy of everyone.
• Mrs. Weston: Formerly Miss Taylor, she was Emma's governess for sixteen years and remains her best friend and confidante. She married Mr. Weston, a wealthy widower, in the opening chapter. She acts as a surrogate mother to Emma and, occasionally, as a voice of moderation and reason.
• Miss Bates: A spinster whose mother is a friend of Mr. Woodhouse. Emma is initially friendly with her, but pressured by the social circle of Mrs. Elton, Emma ridicules and despises her for being a poor spinster. This behavior is criticized by Mr. Knightley, who reproaches her attitude and insists she must amend it as soon as possible.
• Isabella: Emma's sister, who is married to Mr. Knightley's brother, John, with whom she has five children (three sons and two daughters).
• Henry: The farmer.

English Grammar Reference

Tenses and Structures

• Past Perfect: THEY / I / SHE / HE / IT / YOU / WE + HAD + VERB (Past Participle)
• Past Continuous: I / HE / SHE / IT + WAS + VERB-ING | WERE + YOU / WE / THEY + VERB-ING?
• Past Simple: THEY / I / HE / SHE / IT / YOU / WE + VERB (Past Form)

Third Conditional

Structure: IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Examples:

• If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.
• If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick.
• She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier.
• She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university.