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Oh my god Mr Woodhouse is directing everybody’s meals by the guidance of his own frail constitution, and it is deeply aggravating.

“Have an egg! A soft-boiled egg. A small egg. A completely harmless, small, soft-boiled egg. Also have a tart. BUT just a LITTLE tart. Just a little.” Sir, you are eating like a prison inmate.

Emma believes she has made a positive impression on Harriet, which is sweet. It also occurs to me that Emma stays through all of these social engagements to ensure that she can counterbalance her extremely finicky father so the guests don’t leave feeling negatively about him!!!

This is eldest daughter behavior. No wonder she wants a little diversion. She’s going a little stir-crazy being the Lady of the House at her young age! I am riding for Emma. This girl is doing her best, bless her little head.

I’m just realizing I misspelled—well, fully mistook—Mr Elton as “Mr Eston” because of the existence of Mr Weston, which is not as egregious as when I kept confusing Jane and Elizabeth in P&P. I’ll never claim to be adept at keeping these names straight in my little head. It will happen again.

Anyway, Chapter 4 begins with the blossoming friendship between Harriet and Emma. Emma is utterly delighted that Harriet can be a walking companion for her since Mr Woodhouse—bless his rheumatic, consumptive little head—would not set his frail footfalls beyond a certain threshold of shrubberies.

I’m also realizing that I am predisposed to root for these characters since I had such a nice time with Pride and Prejudice, and that might color my reading of Emma. I’m not sure how, yet, but I can see my journey with these characters is about to be pretty different.

Hmm. Emma ruminates on Harriet—grateful, amiable, agreeable, acquiescent Harriet—being so different than Mrs Weston née Taylor. Harriet could be improved with Emma’s influence, whereas Mrs Weston née Taylor was too grown and independent to need anything from her.

This seems like a cheerfully paved path to toxicity.

OH this is so interesting to me because this paternalistic impulse is something I usually associate with masculinity. I’m more accustomed to seeing men attracted to people over whom they might be considered an authority or a better. And that tends to go sour pretty fast.

The eventual realization that people might not need them as an authority figure in the way they assumed is the basis of many a corvette-honking midlife crisis, tbh.

LMAO Emma tries to figure out who Harriet’s parents are, and Harriet is simply not that curious about it. I haven’t settled on a read of this detail yet.

I’m not sure if Harriet is just comfortably sure of herself in a way Emma can’t quite comprehend OR if Harriet has calculated the over/under on whether her situation would improve if her parentage was known and decided her life would most likely be best situated without that knowledge.

Aw, Harriet seems to really like the Martins, and Emma finds it cute (in a patronizing way) that Harriet is so impressed by the way they live.

Emma is a little annoying in this regard.

Oh Emma does not like that Mr Martin is a single man! This would be bad for… Harriet’s prospects? Or something? I don’t totally understand her concern, but okay. I assume there’s some regency more I’m neglecting to consider. Or maybe Emma is just being overbearing. I don’t know.

Okay, so here I find myself disagreeing with Jane Austen—Mr Martin is definitely exceedingly hot. He’s a sweet fellow who goes out of his way to bring Harriet little treats!!! That is not scrub behavior. That is hot guy shit. AND HE TAKES HARRIET’S READING RECOMMENDATIONS!!!

Canonically Sexy Mr Martin.

He’s 24! He’s a baby!!

Oh my god. He’s a sweetie!!! Emma let the girl shack up with the hot farmer who is nice to her. He’s perfect. Hell, I’ll marry him. Harriet, move.

I think Emma's basing it on the fact that she *likes* Harriet and finds her easy to spend time with, which makes the idea that she wouldn't have Appropriate parentage unfathomable

I think you're right, but as we see later, Emma also feels that if Harriet were to marry Mr. Martin, she would (a) be taken away from her in the same sense that Mrs. Weston was and (b) no longer be someone she could maintain a close friendship with, being only a farmer's wife.

Decisive teenage girls just entering marriageable age learning lessons about how the world actually works is a mainstay of Austens works.

Isn't Emma 21?

Also Harriet is extremely pretty! Emma’s matchmaking strategy is basically, find a gentleman willing to overlook Harriet’s dubious parentage bc she’s beautiful. Since Emma is basically doing that herself, she fails to see the problem.

I will pipe in to say Emma is basing this off the fact that Harriet’s absent father (supposedly) set her up with enough money to be schooled well while keeping his name out of it, and so she’s assuming he’s a gentleman because he could afford to set her up and to keep himself anonymous.

Oh my god if Emma were around today, she would one hundred percent be a menace in the comments on AO3, starting fights over competing headcanons.

Wait never mind, I’m on Emma’s team again. bsky.app/profile/mich...

“I like you, which means you’re automatically better than most people in all regards, actually. You’re welcome.” This is my girl. Emma is my girl.