About Emma
...etty girl and her beauty happened to be the sort which Emma particularly admired. She was short, plump, and fair, with a fine bloom, blue eyes, light hair, and regular features, and a look of great sweetness.” Altogether she was a very engaging person who, in Emma’s opinion, could be made over into a better person and brought into society. However everything we see and learn about Harriet is tainted because it is only Emma’s opinions of Harriet, not hard fact, and seen only through Emma’s eyes. However what we learn about Emma through her judgment of Harriet is comparably larger than that which we learn about Harriet herself. In the beginning of the story we learn that Emma is of a rich family and has had most everything given to her. From the very beginning we can see that she has a sense that she is above everyone. We see that Emma knows Harriet well by sight. This tells us that Emma is a person that is superficial and quick to judge others by their clothing and appearance, not by getting to know them personally “She was a very pretty girl, and her beauty happened to be the sort which Emma particularly admired.” She returns a gracious invitation to the party because she decided that Harriet was beautiful enough to be allowed to come. Later on in the story we see Emma as even more superficial. She admits to, “not finding anything clever in Harriet’s conversation”, and yet because of her looks, mannerisms, and the fact that she seemed to act grateful towards Emma and Hartfield, she decides to keep her around. At this point Emma decides to take it upon herself to notice and improve her and detach her, from what Emma decided were Harriet’s “bad acquaintances”, and introduce her to a good society. “...