Miss Hetty Bates is a supporting character in Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma.
Miss Bates is a friendly, overly-talkative spinster who lives with her mother, Mrs. Bates; and is the maternal aunt of Jane Fairfax. Though Miss Bates considers the novel's protagonist a dear friend, Emma often finds her chattiness quite annoying, at one point even insulting her, to Emma's almost immediate remorse.
Biography[]
Miss Bates is the daughter of the former, late Vicar of Highbury. Though she enjoyed comfort and wealth in her youth, her family has since lost a considerable amount of their fortune.
By the time of the novel, Miss Bates lives with her widowed mother in genteel poverty, having only one servant, living in rooms rented from another Highbury resident, and often relying on her neighbors for support. Despite Miss Bates' lack of substantial wealth, she and her family are important parts of the Highbury community and are present on many social occasions.
Character[]
Miss Bates is known for being incredibly, and nearly unendingly talkative (with dialogue often stretching across multiple pages). Despite her lot in life, Miss Bates in shown to be quite cheerful and friendly to her fellow Highbury residents and is more then grateful for their charity towards her and her family.
In the Novel[]
During a picnic in the country, Emma humiliates Miss Bates by alluding to her tiresome prolixity. Afterward, Mr. Knightley sternly rebukes Emma for her prideful and mean spirited treatment of the less fortunate. Shamed and remorseful, Emma tries to make amends, this marking her ameliorating character.
Relationships[]
Mr. Woodhouse[]
Both Miss Bates and her mother are regarded as valued friends of Mr. Woodhouse, and are often seen at Highbury to visit him.
Jane Fairfax[]
Jane Fairfax is Miss Bates' niece, the daughter of the latter's late sister. Jane was in Miss Bates' care after the death of her parents and before she was taken in by the Campbells. Jane is the light of Miss Bates' life and she takes great pride in her, with Miss Bates being often very eager to share news about Jane with her neighbors whenever she receives it.