 Irvine wrote that Austen's use of three different voices in "Emma"—the voice of Highbury, the narrator's voice, and Emma's voice, can at times make it very confusing to the reader about just whom is actually speaking.However, Irvine wrote that one accepts that the voice of Highbury is often speaking, then much of the book makes sense, as Emma believes she has a power that she does not, to make Frank either love or not via her interest or indifference, which is explained as the result of the gossip of Highbury, which attributes Emma this power.This is especially the case as Emma is born into the elite of Highbury, which is portrayed as a female-dominated world.