Emma Chapters 1 -10 Summary Chapter 1 As  Emma  opens, readers learn that  Emma Woodhouse  has recently lost her governess, companion, and mother figure, Miss Taylor, to matrimony. Emma's remaining parent (her mother died when she was five) is her elderly, hypochondriac father. Both Emma and her father,  Mr. Woodhouse , are feeling sad about the loss of Miss Taylor's companionship. This is typical for Mr. Woodhouse, who "hates change of every kind."   Following the wedding, Emma and her father receive a visit from Mr. George Knightley, an intimate family friend. He is recently back from London, where he has been visiting his brother's family. His younger brother, John Knightley, is married to Emma's older sister, Isabella. Mr. George Knightley owns a large estate, Donwell Abbey, about a mile from Highbury, where the Woodhouses live.  Mr. Knightley  and Emma exchange friendly banter after Emma claims credit for Miss Taylor's recent marriage...

Emma Jane Austen Plot Summary Emma , a romantic comedy set in England in the early 1800s, concerns the beautiful, clever, and rich  Emma Woodhouse . Emma lives with her hypochondriac father and was raised primarily by a governess, Miss Taylor (Emma's mother died when she was five). Miss Taylor has recently married Mr. Weston, a widower with a grown son, and Emma misses her terribly.  The other key person in Emma's life is  Mr. Knightley , an English gentleman and close family friend who lives on a nearby estate. Both the Woodhouses and Mr. Knightley are landed gentry, but Mr. Knightley has mostly land, while  Mr. Woodhouse  has mostly money. Mr. Woodhouse's other daughter, Isabella, is married to Mr. Knightley's younger brother, John.   In her effort to fill the void left by the new Mrs. Weston, Emma be friends the young and beautiful  Harriet Smith  and resolves to improve her new friend's social standing. Harriet is being courted by a youn...