Hester · Chapter
A New Competitor explained
Emma Ashton arrives in Redborough and immediately sets her sights on securing an invitation to Mrs.
What happens
Emma Ashton arrives in Redborough and immediately sets her sights on securing an invitation to Mrs. Merridew's dancing teas, viewing it as her 'chance' to meet a suitable husband. She openly discusses her practical approach to marriage with her grandparents, Captain and Mrs. Morgan, while also observing the strained relationship between Hester and Edward Vernon, which she romanticizes as a lovers' quarrel. Hester, for her part, remains cold and distant toward Edward, especially near Catherine Vernon's house.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Emma treats marriage as a practical necessity and a means of securing financial stability, contrasting with the romanticized view of Hester and Edward's relationship.
Gender Roles and Power
Emma explicitly compares a girl's 'chance' at social events to a young man's ability to set up an office, highlighting the limited agency of women in shaping their own futures.
Family and Obligation
Emma's reliance on her brother Roland for a home and her history of being passed between married sisters underscores the burdens and expectations placed on family members.
Characters to notice
- Hester Vernon
Shows unwilling politeness and coldness toward Edward, especially near Catherine Vernon's house; accompanies Emma to see the town.
- Edward Vernon
Encountered by Hester and Emma; agrees to secure an invitation for Emma from Mrs. Merridew; hurries away, anxious to avoid being seen with Hester.
- Emma Ashton
Newly arrived in Redborough; openly discusses her need to marry and her 'chance' at social events; romanticizes Hester and Edward's relationship as a lovers' quarrel; determined to get an invitation to Mrs. Merridew's dance.
- Captain Morgan
Listens to Emma's practical views on marriage with some haughtiness and disapproval; protective of Hester's reputation.
- Mrs. Morgan
Soft-spoken and gentle; tries to mediate between Emma and the captain; expresses concern that Mrs. Merridew may not invite Emma.
- Roland Ashton
Mentioned as having met Emma and told her about the Vernon cousins; Emma lives with him in Redborough.
Key passages
“We hold each other at arm’s length. We are not even civil if we can help it”
Edward describes the family's strained relations, where they deliberately keep their distance and avoid politeness.
Edward explains the Vernon family's coldness to Emma, reflecting the ongoing family rift.
“a girl’s chance is in making—friends. If one goes for a governess one’s family does not like it.”
Emma argues that a young woman's best opportunity is to form social connections, as becoming a governess is looked down upon by family.
Emma articulates her practical view of marriage as a social and economic necessity.
“She had been taught to believe that she had no right to anything, that it was out of their bounty and charity that her brothers and sisters, now one, now another, afforded her a temporary home.”
Emma was raised to feel she had no claim to support, and that her siblings provided for her only out of generosity.
The narrator explains Emma's background of dependence and insecurity, motivating her desire for a stable marriage.