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By Professor Yasmine Gooneratne, In ‘Making Sense: Jane Austen on the Screen’. Published in H Antor & K L Cope (eds). Intercultural Encounters: Studies in English Literatures, Heidelberg, 1999. Also published in Sensibilities, the refereed journal of the Jane Austen Society of Australia Inc., #22, June 2001. Reproduced by kind permission of the author.
Based on an approach by Dr Saw-Choo Teo, in ‘The art of conversation in Pride & Prejudice,’ in Sensibilities 15, JASA, Dec 1997: 34 - 40.  

From Chapter V, Emma, by Jane Austen.
Conversation discussed in Making Sense: Jane Austen on Screen, by Professor Yasmine Gooneratne

Mr Knightley has called on Mrs Weston in her husband’s absence, and it is he who introduces the topic (two indicators to the fact that the subject concerns him closely). Analysis breaks this conversation down as follows:

Mr Knightley: (Introduces the topic) Emma: He thinks the friendship between Emma and Harriet Smith is ‘a bad thing’ (for Emma).

Mrs Weston: (Supports the topic, but opposes Knightley’s viewpoint) She thinks it will be a good thing for Emma, encouraging her to read more in order to educate Harriet Smith.

Mr Knightley: (Introduces the topic) Emma: her intentions are better than her execution. Having known her from the time she was a child, he does not expect her to abide by any systematic course of study.

Mrs Weston: (Supports the topic, but opposes Knightley’s viewpoint) Emma never omits doing anything she asks her to do.

Mr Knightley: (Continues the topic) Emma: her gifts of mind, her wish to control affairs, and her self-assured confidence in her own judgment.

Mrs Weston: (Supports the topic, but implicitly opposes Knightley’s viewpoint) Is Mr Knightley implying that she was unable herself, though she was employed as a mother-substitute, to ‘cope with’ Emma’s tendency to dominate and control?

Mr Knightley: (Continues topic) Emma: Living with Emma has inculcated in her governess a willingness to submit to another person’s will that is an essential qualification for marriage.

Mrs Weston: (Introduces topic) Her husband’s easy-going nature.

Mr Knightley: (Introduces topic) Frank Churchill may give Mr Weston cause for worry.

Mr Knightley: (Introduces topic) Emma: Her ‘genius for foretelling and guessing.’

Mr Knightley: (Reversion to Topic I): Emma: The Emma/Harriet friendship will injure and hurt both young women.

Mrs Weston: (Change of subject): Emma: Her pleasing appearance.

Mr Knightley: (Supports the topic, but opposes Mrs Weston’s viewpoint) Emma: He regards Emma from the viewpoint of ‘a partial old friend.’

Mrs Weston: (Continues topic) Emma’s loveliness and wholesome, healthy appearance.

Mr Knightley: (Supports topic, but opposes Mrs Weston’s viewpoint) Emma: Her pleasing lack of personal vanity – but ‘her vanity lies another way.’

Mr Knightley: (Reversion to Topic I): Emma: The Emma/Harriet friendship will injure and hurt both young women.

Mrs Weston: (Supports topic, but opposes Mr Knightley’s viewpoint) Emma’s qualities may be trusted.

Mr Knightley: (Introduces topic) Emma: He will discuss the matter at Christmas with John Knightley and Emma’s sister Isabella.

Mrs Weston: (Supports topic, but opposes Mr Knightley’s viewpoint) Advises him that it will be counter-productive for him to discuss the matter with the John Knightleys.

Mr Knightley: (Introduces topic) Emma: While accepting Mrs Weston’s advice in good part, wonders what Emma’s future will be.

Mrs Weston: (Supports topic) Agrees.

Mr Knightley: (Continues topic) Emma: Thinks it would do Emma good to fall in love and be ‘in doubt of a return.’

Mrs Weston: (opposes Mr Knightley’s viewpoint) Emma falling in love would greatly disrupt her father’s comfort and peace of mind.

Mr Knightley: (Change of subject) The weather.

Of the 24 contributions listed above, 14 are Knightley’s, of which 12 focus directly or indirectly on Emma. Of the remaining two, one indicates a problem that concerns him, and which is indirectly related to Emma: Frank Churchill’s tendency to worry his father. This is the only criticism we hear of Churchill, and it is an early indication that Knightley will not welcome an attachment between Churchill and Emma. The other signals a change of subject to the weather.

Eight of Mrs Weston’s ten contributions are in the nature of Topic Support, either by agreement with or by polite opposition to a statement of Mr Knightley’s. The remaining two tactfully introduce new (if related) topics on which they are in agreement: Emma’s beauty, and Mr Woodhouse’s fear of change.