Social Status in Jane Austen's Emma

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her. The Eltons are the middle class ones despite the fact that Mr.Elton was a well known figure and finally the lower class were the Martins, whom Emma considered as mere farmers and the Bates who were Emma's neighbors. In between are the "social climbers" which either eventually gain the riches and therefore rise in status or attempt to act as if they are part of the upper crust. An example of this in the novel are the Coles who with their raise of income changed their lifestyle to match with those of the upper class, something which Emma highly disapproved of. She also hated how Mrs. Elton talked on and on about her sister's marriage to a rich guy and how she made herself appear as an aristocrat helping the lowers like Jane to pursue a job as a governess. "'I have no faith in Mrs. Elton's acknowledging herself the inferior in thought, word, or deed; or in her being under any restraint beyond her own scanty rule of good breeding. I cannot imagine that she will not be continually ...

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and closest friend, who is of a much closer status to him. Emma then claims that the match happened with her efforts and decides that she will be the matchmaker from now on. " And you have forgotten one matter of joy to me, said Emma, " and a very considerable one - that I made the match myself ..." (pg.8) With this feeling of thinking she's so great Emma sets out to match another couple. In one of the parties held, Mrs.Goddard brings along Harriet from her school. Emma immediately takes a liking to her because of her looks and works to get her used to the upper class and create a match between her and Mr. Elton. Over the summer Harriet had been visiting a family called the Martins ...

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