# Emily Forsyte — The Forsyte Saga character guide

> Emily Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Emily, Mrs. James, Mrs. James Forsyte

**First appearance:** 0006-part-i-i-at-home-at-old-jolyon-s

## Snapshot

James's wife and Soames's mother, a managing, practical woman whose presence shapes the household and the family's sense of decorum.

## Who they are

Emily is married to James Forsyte and mother to Soames, a woman of the older generation who keeps the domestic machinery running and the proprieties observed. She belongs to the family's solid, respectable core, and her influence is felt in the way her son moves through the world. In the early arc she helps define the household Soames comes from and the expectations that press upon him.

## Relationships

### [James Forsyte](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/characters/james_forsyte)

_family_

A conventional Victorian marriage where Emily manages James's anxieties and maintains household order.

### [James Forsyte](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/characters/james_forsyte)

_family_

A conventional Victorian marriage where Emily manages James's anxieties and maintains household order.

### [James Forsyte](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/characters/james_forsyte)

_family_

A conventional Victorian marriage where Emily manages James's anxieties and maintains household order.

## In the story

### [Night in the Park](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-iii-ii-night-in-the-park)

James confides in her about his worries over Soames's marriage and the threat of scandal.

### [James Sees Visions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-i-v-james-sees-visions)

Tries to calm James and manages the household; reveals Dartie's departure to Buenos Aires with the pearls.

### [Val Hears the News](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-i-ix-val-hears-the-news)

Comforts Val at dinner; deflects James's questions about Irene; gives Val five pounds and advice about Oxford.

### [Soames Puts It to the Touch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-ii-ii-soames-puts-it-to-the-touch)

Emily is present at the Park Lane dinner and tries to soothe James's remarks about Soames's lack of a son.

### [Dinner at James'](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-ii-ix-dinner-at-james)

Arranges the dinner with nostalgic flair; supports Val's decision and tries to soothe James's anxiety.

### [Here We Are Again!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-ii-xiii-here-we-are-again)

Offers comfort to Winifred and suggests prosecuting Dartie for taking the pearls.

### [James in Waiting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-iii-viii-james-in-waiting)

Comforts James, brushes his hair, and mediates the conversation about the divorce.

### [XIII: James Is Told](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-iii-xiii-james-is-told)

Nurses James; sends for Soames; shows deep emotion but remains composed in the sickroom.

### [His](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/part-iii-xiv-his)

Kisses Soames and thanks him for his help during James's death.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/characters/emily_forsyte
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/characters