Emma Lesson Plan

Emma confesses to Harriet that she has no intentions of marrying. What are the reasons she gives, and how convincing is she?

Emma does not need any more wealth, anything more to occupy her time, or any more power. Children are really the only thing she cannot have outside of marriage, but she has nieces and nephews. Most of all, though, she has never been in love, believing it not within her nature, and without a change in sight in that regard, sees no reason to pursue a marriage.

Whether or not she is convincing is an open-ended question. She is convincing in that it is true that no marriage could improve her social class, as her father loves her more than anything in...