This text offers a challenge to critics informed by new theories about the essential indeterminacy of language and hence literature. Nevertheless, post-structuralist methodologies have played an increasingly important part in studies of Emma during the last 20 years. This collection brings together the most significant of these studies and, by means of the editor's introduction and context notes, helps the reader to assess the extent to which a revolution in critical practice has changed the understanding of Austen's classic novel.