Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 16 summary
Volume 2, Chapter 16 of 55 · 13 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 16, Emma hosts a dinner for the Eltons and invites Jane Fairfax after Harriet declines, seeking to correct her neglect of Jane. Before dinner, Jane resists Mrs. Elton’s plan to collect her letters, while Emma notices her emotion and chooses not to ask potentially hurtful questions.
What happens
- Highbury entertains the newly married Eltons, and Emma decides that Hartfield must also give them a dinner.
- Harriet declines the invitation because seeing the couple hurts her, allowing Emma to invite Jane Fairfax instead.
- John Knightley’s visit threatens to enlarge the party, but Mr. Weston’s absence restores Mr. Woodhouse’s preferred number of eight.
- Jane explains her morning trip to the post office, and John Knightley’s kind hopes for her future bring her near tears.
- Jane firmly rejects Mrs. Elton’s offer to have a servant collect her letters and turns the conversation toward postal efficiency.
- After a discussion of Frank Churchill’s handwriting, Emma suppresses questions about Jane’s letters and accompanies her toward dinner.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Jane distinguishes her emotional need for correspondence from John Knightley’s practical complaints. Her attachment to letters also explains her resistance to interference with her daily errand.
Quick check
Why does Jane refuse Mrs. Elton’s arrangement for collecting her letters?
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