CHARACTERS

Emma

Highbury, the large and populous village, almost amounting to a town, to which Hartfield, in spite of its separate lawn, and shrubberies, and name, did really belong, afforded her no equals. The Woodhouses were first in consequence there.

Emma Woodhouse:
"handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her. "

"The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself"

"Emma is spoiled by being the cleverest of her family. At ten years old, she had the misfortune of being able to answer questions which puzzled her sister at seventeen. She was always quick and assured"

"Such an eye!--the true hazle eye--and so brilliant! regular features, open countenance, with a complexion! oh! what a bloom of full health, and such a pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure! There is health, not merely in her bloom, but in her air, her head, her glance."

Mr. Woodhouse:
" for having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years; and though everywhere beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper, his talents could not have recommended him at any time."

"He was a nervous man, easily depressed; fond of every body that he was used to, and hating to part with them; hating change of every kind. Matrimony, as the origin of change, was always disagreeable; and he was by no means yet reconciled to his own daughter's marrying."

"and from his habits of gentle selfishness, and of being never able to suppose that other people could feel differently from himself."

Mr. Knightly:
"a sensible man about seven or eight-and-thirty"

"had a cheerful manner, which always did him good"

"was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the only one who ever told her of them"

"was a native of Highbury, and born of a respectable family, which for the last two or three generations had been rising into gentility and property. He had received a good education, but, on succeeding early in life to a small independence, had become indisposed for any of the more homely pursuits in which his brothers were engaged, and had satisfied an active, cheerful mind and social temper by entering into the militia of his county, then embodied."

"Mr. Knightley's air is so remarkably good that it is not fair to compare Mr. Martin with him. You might not see one in a hundred with gentleman so plainly written as in Mr. Knightley."

Mr. John Knightly:
"Mr. John Knightley was a tall, gentleman-like, and very clever man, rising in his profession; domestic, and respectable in his private character: but with reserved manners which prevented his being generally pleasing; and capable of being sometimes out of humor. He was not an ill-tempered man, not so often unreasonably cross as to deserve such a reproach; but his temper was not his great perfection; and, indeed, with such a worshipping wife, it was hardly possible that any natural defects in it should not be increased...He was not a great favorite with his sister-in-law. Nothing wrong in him escaped her."

Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston:
"the mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint"

"intelligent, well-informed, useful, gentle"

Mr. Weston:
"was a man of unexceptionable character, easy fortune, suitable age, and pleasant manners."

"Mr. Weston is such a good-humoured, pleasant, excellent man"

"was a general favourite"

Mr. Frank Churchill (25):
"a manner so frank and so graceful that his person, which was uncommonly handsome, received additional charms from his voice and expression."

"he was a very good looking young man; height, air, address, all were unexceptionable, and his countenance had a great deal of the spirit and liveliness of his father's; he looked quick and sensible. She felt immediately that she should like him; and there was a well-bred ease of manner, and a readiness to talk"

Mr. Elton (26/27):
"a gentlemanlike and pleasing young man"

"Mr. Elton is good-humoured, cheerful, obliging, and gentle."

Mrs. Elton:
"Her person was rather good; her face not unpretty; but neither feature, nor air, nor voice, nor manner, were elegant."

"was a vain woman, extremely well satisfied with herself, and thinking much of her own importance; that she meant to shine and be very superior, but with manners which had been formed in a bad school, pert and familiar; that all her notions were drawn from one set of people, and one style of living; that if not foolish she was ignorant, and that her society would certainly do Mr. Elton no good."

Mrs. Bates:
"the widow of a former vicar of Highbury, was a very old lady, almost past every thing but tea and quadrille. She lived with her single daughter in a very small way, and was considered with all the regard and respect which a harmless old lady, under such untoward circumstances, can excite."

Miss Bates:
"enjoyed a most uncommon degree of popularity for a woman neither young, handsome, rich, nor married. Miss Bates stood in the very worst predicament in the world for having much of the public favour; and she had no intellectual superiority to make atonement to herself, or frighten those who might hate her into outward respect. She had never boasted either beauty or cleverness. Her youth had passed without distinction, and her middle of life was devoted to the care of a failing mother, and the endeavour to make a small income go as far as possible. And yet she was a happy woman, and a woman whom no one named without good-will."

"The simplicity and cheerfulness of her nature, her contented and grateful spirit, were a recommendation to every body, and a mine of felicity to herself. She was a great talker upon little matters."

Miss Jane Fairfax:
"Jane Fairfax was an orphan, the only child of Mrs. Bates's youngest daughter."

"Her disposition and abilities were equally worthy of all that friendship could do; and at eighteen or nineteen she was, as far as such an early age can be qualified for the care of children, fully competent to the office of instruction herself"

"Jane Fairfax was very elegant, remarkably elegant; and she had herself the highest value for elegance. Her height was pretty, just such as almost every body would think tall, and nobody could think very tall; her figure particularly graceful; her size a most becoming medium, between fat and thin, though a slight appearance of ill-health seemed to point out the likeliest evil of the two."

"Her eyes, a deep grey, with dark eye-lashes and eyebrows, had never been denied their praise; but the skin, which she had been used to cavil at, as wanting colour, had a clearness and delicacy which really needed no fuller bloom. It was a style of beauty, of which elegance was the reigning character, and as such, she must, in honour, by all her principles, admire it:--elegance, which, whether of person or of mind, she saw so little in Highbury. There, not to be vulgar, was distinction, and merit."

"Miss Fairfax is reserved."

Miss Harriet Smith:
"Miss Smith was a girl of seventeen, whom Emma knew very well by sight, and had long felt an interest in, on account of her beauty."

"was the natural daughter of somebody."

"She was short, plump, and fair, with a fine bloom, blue eyes, light hair, regular features, and a look of great sweetness."

"She (Emma) was not struck by any thing remarkably clever in Miss Smith's conversation, but she found her altogether very engaging."

"Harriet certainly was not clever, but she had a sweet, docile, grateful disposition, was totally free from conceit, and only desiring to be guided by any one she looked up to."

Mr. Martin (24):
"He could sing a little himself. She (Harriet) believed he was very clever, and understood every thing. "

"Mrs. Martin had told her one day (and there was a blush as she said it,) that it was impossible for any body to be a better son, and therefore she was sure, whenever he married, he would make a good husband."

"His appearance was very neat, and he looked like a sensible young man, but his person had no other advantage; and when he came to be contrasted with gentlemen."

"I never hear better sense from any one than Robert Martin. He always speaks to the purpose; open, straightforward, and very well judging."

Mrs. Goddard:
"was the mistress of a School."

" She was a plain, motherly kind of woman, who had worked hard in her youth, and now thought herself entitled to the occasional holiday of a tea-visit."

Mr. Perry:(the apothecary)
"was an intelligent, gentlemanlike man."

Description of charcters from Pride & Prejudice

Description of charcters from Sense & Sensibility

Description of characters from Persuasion

Quotes from Austen novels

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