Emma Emma takes place in Hartfield, which is a part of Highbury, England. Highbury was a large and populous village, but Hartfield was much quieter and secluded. The story is in a time where you only married people of your own social status. Therefore, the story probably takes place in the Eighteenth century but there is no direct reference to the time at which the story takes place. It was a romantic time where women were concerned with marrying their true loves, but only if they were of their same class. The importance of the village in which Emma lives is that to entertain herself she engages herself in matchmaking activities. The main charact