1. Jane Austen claimed, in writing Emma: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” What is the significance of whether Austen’s heroine is likable or not? How does Emma’s likability (or unlike ability) relate to the novel’s broader concerns?
2. Austen repeatedly draws our attention in Emma to the relationship of women to money. Why, according to the novel, is that relationship so important? What significance does the novel attach to a woman’s socio-economic status? How does that status affect the opportunities available to her?
3. It would be easy to argue that Emma thinks too well of herself and is overly confident in her own opinions. We might say something similar, though, about Frank Churchill, Mr. or Mrs. Elton, or even Mr. Knightley. Why do you think Austen gives us so many characters who think they know best? Focusing on just one of these characters, discuss how your character’s high opinion of her/himself relates to the novel’s larger concerns about friendship, sociability, and/or community.