Analyze how the novel’s epistolary format enables Emma’s voice to function as a form of resistance against attempts to control her narrative.

Explore the London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s as a collective character. How does its community contrast with Emma’s family environment?

Trace the garret’s evolution over the course of the narrative. In your answer, be sure to address how its changing state reflects Emma’s own evolution, and consider how the arrival of the tenant changes the space.

Beyond providing comfort, how does Emma’s application of epic narratives like Paradise Lost and The Tempest to her domestic conflicts shape her character arc and her understanding of agency?

Analyze how Archibald and Lady Eugenia represent different facets of the patriarchal system that Emma must overcome to achieve autonomy.

Analyze how the novel uses specific legal and economic realities of its 1880s setting to drive the central conflict and explore the theme of female financial independence.

How do the opposing loyalties of Agnes and Parian reflect and amplify the central power struggle between Emma and Archibald for control of Lapis Lazuli House?

The arrival of the mysterious tenant is preceded by the Roman’s ghostly prophecy that a “man of war” is coming (95). Analyze how the narrative uses suspense, physical description, and the silent interactions between him and Emma to establish his significance as a new and disruptive force in her life.