Of all the unseen characters in literature, one of the most interesting is Mr. Perry, the doctor in Jane Austen’s Emma. Perry, who never actually appears in the novel, is alluded to often, and his wisdom is constantly cited by Emma’s hypochondriacal father. Along with the book’s other background characters, he deepens the world Austen evokes by giving texture to the village of Highbury; he also furthers the plot and allows Austen to get in a little dig at the This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Five Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 37 Reformed Characters Should adaptations read between the lines? Arts & Culture Issue 47 Alice Sheppard On dance as a channel to commune with the body—even when it hurts. Arts & Culture Issue 47 Dr. Woo Meet the tattoo artist who's inked LA. Arts & Culture Issue 47 Walt Odets The author and clinical psychologist on why self-acceptance is the key to a gay man's well-being. Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 47 A Picture of Health Xiaopeng Yuan photographs the world’s weirdest wellness cures. Arts & Culture Issue 47 Chani Nicholas and Sonya Passi Inside the astrology company on a mission to prove workplace well-being is more than a corporate tagline.
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