# Aunt Emma — Oil! character guide

> Aunt Emma in Oil! by Upton Sinclair.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Emma

**First appearance:** 0001-oil

## Who they are

Another aunt of Bunny, part of the extended Ross family.

## In the story

### [III: The Drilling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii-the-drilling)

Widow of Dad's drunkard brother, enjoys shopping and attending ladies' club functions to uphold the Ross family prestige.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v)

The widow of a drunkard son; indulges in cosmetics and social climbing.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vi)

Makes a futile attempt to defend poetry and history against Dad's practical oil education.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii)

Aunt Emma chatters about the well in ladies' clubs, leading Dad to ban discussions at the family table to prevent leaks of information.

### [IV: The Ranch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv-the-ranch)

Questions Bunny about his mother's gentleman friends and is suspicious of women around Dad Ross.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/i)

Questions Bunny about his mother's gentlemen friends, revealing her suspicions.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii)

Contrasted with Ruth's simplicity; Bunny imagines her with silk stockings and Parisian corsets.

### [V: The Revelation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v-the-revelation)

Beams at Bunny's normalcy and helps with furnishing the bungalow.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/i)

One of the family members who nagged to get Bunny into school.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii)

Beams at Bunny's normalcy and the Ross family's social position.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv)

Mentioned as the source from whom Bertie learned the facts about their mother.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vi)

Disapproves of Bunny choosing to go to Paradise with Dad instead of attending the football game.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii)

Teased by the family for her ladylike use of 'Excelsior Peter'.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii)

Brings home gossip from clubs about Dad Ross losing caste among his associates due to the strike.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii)

Bunny's aunt; upset about his late hours but unable to articulate why.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii)

Vigorously patriotic, attends clubs and listens to lady-orators, scolds Dad for his unpatriotic talk.

### [IX: The Victory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ix-the-victory)

Now mistress of the household in the new Angel City palace.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv)

Spills tears over Bunny's decision to go to war.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii)

Now the mistress of the household in the new Angel City mansion.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii)

Tricked by a reporter into providing a photograph of Bunny for the Evening Howler.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xi)

Horrified and tearful, she mistakenly believes Bunny lost a prize due to Bolshevik agents.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv)

Proud matchmaker for Alberta's wedding; attempts to persuade Bunny to marry Vee Tracy, praising her as a 'natural-born aristocrat.'

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv)

Delivers the urgent message and money to Bunny, terrified by the prospect of Dad's arrest.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii)

Keeps house for Bunny and Dad on the Riviera, admires European refinement.

### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/x)

Falls in love with a Nebraska hardware merchant and marries him, leaving for a honeymoon in Nebraska.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii)

Referenced by Bunny as a bourgeois standard who would not approve of their relationship.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/characters/aunt_emma
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/characters