# A New Competitor explained — Hester

> Chapter companion for Hester by Margaret Oliphant.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/hester_se/chapters/xxiv-a-new-competitor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/hester_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/hester_se/chapters