Emma associates Knightley with any thoughts of amiable, respectable, well-mannered gentlemen. In every recollection of hers of the past, he is the first one in her thoughts – what he was doing and saying, where he sat or stood, and how gentleman-like his behavior was.
An example of a situation that demonstrates Emma's incessant preoccupation with Knightley is when her friend Harriet tries to remind her of the time when Mr. Elton left his pencil at Hartfield. Emma doesn’t manage to recall the day according to Harriet's description. Only when something reminds her that Knightley was present, is she able to remember the instance. "I do remember it…Mr. Knightley and I both saying we liked it…Mr. Knightley was standing just here…" (p. 256). She remembers exactly what he said to her and where he stood, even though moments before, she couldn’t even remember the occurrence.
One of the most
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Knightley to any other man whose name comes up, always favoring Knightley of course: "Mr. Knightley's air is so remarkably good, that it is not fair to compare Mr. Martin with him." (p. 26), and "Mr. Knightley, he is not a trifling, silly young man." (p. 160) (as opposed to Frank who went to London to get his haircut). In effect, no man can live up to Emma's image of Knightley as the perfect gentleman – "I know no man more likely than Mr. Knightley…to do any thing (sic.) really good-natured, useful, considerate, or benevolent." (p. 169) - surely a sign of infatuation, if not proof of love. He is also quite unique in Emma's eyes, and any attempt to mimic him would fail miserably: "…Mr. Knightley's…manner…suits him very well…but if any young man were to set about copying him, he would not be sufferable." (p. 27).
Even when Emma is at a ball with Frank (who she has been waiting her whole life to meet), she cannot stop paying attention to Knightley. In effect, "She was more disturbed by Mr. Knightley's not dancing, than by anything else." (p.