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 50 Close Knit Meet the weavers keeping traditional Egyptian tapestrymaking alive. Arts & Culture Issue 50 The Old Gays Inside a Californian TikTok “content house” of a very different stripe. Arts & Culture Issue 50 New Roots The Palestinian art and agriculture collective sowing seeds of community. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Angela Trimbur An all-out tour de force. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Peace & Quiet In the UK, a centuries-old Quaker meeting house encourages quiet reflection.
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