Emma · Character

Isabella Knightley

Emma's elder sister, settled in London with John Knightley and a growing brood of children, whose delicate nerves and anxious affection make her perpetually 'poor Isabella.'

supporting

Also known as Isabella, Bella, poor Isabella

First appearance: x

As a supporting figure in Emma, Isabella Knightley is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Emma's elder sister, married to Mr.

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Isabella has left Highfield for Brunswick Square, where she presides over a household of children and a husband whose sharp sense contrasts with her tender fretting. Her father's anxious temperament lives on in her; she worries over drafts, illnesses, and her little ones with a devotion that is both comic and genuinely warm. Her visits home bring news of the wider family and quietly remind Emma of the domestic path she has so far refused.

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Character Web

15 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Central Highbury Society
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this passage, Emma reaches the emotional peak of self-awareness by confronting the discrepancy between her…

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In the story

Isabella Knightley appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Emma
Emma's elder sister, married to Mr. John Knightley. She is mentioned as having a similar disposition to their father, with strong family attachments.
XI
Isabella arrives with her family, showing tender attachment to her father and sister, and expresses strong advocacy for matrimony and admiration for Mr. Weston's kindness.
XII
Visits Hartfield with her children, praises Jane Fairfax, and defends her choice of South End.
Chapter XIII
Enjoys her visit to Hartfield with her children, though briefly mentioned.
XIV
Isabella expresses sympathy for Frank Churchill, living with an ill-tempered aunt, and remarks on the misery of such a situation.
Chapter XVII
Departs Hartfield with her family; described as a model of right feminine happiness, blind to her children's faults.

Chapter companion notes

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See Isabella Knightley in Emma