Austen's Depiction of Society

In the late Romantic Era, there were many expectations of men and women, both in society and when getting married. Jane Austen depicts these expectations in her novel, Emma. Austen’s character, Emma, is the portal into the perceived notions of correctness based on the standards of the Romantic Era.

Throughout her novel, Austen depicts the expectations of people through the eyes of Emma. Emma is a young woman who was born into a well-accepted family. A major reason that Emma’s family was so accepted and respected was their breeding. In the Romantic Era, it was important to be born into a family whose genes were well established. This would place a family higher socially and in the minds of people than anything else (“Emma-Understanding Jane Austen’s World”). In Emma, Mr. Elton proposes to Emma, who is insulted because the “Woodhouses had been settled for generations” unlike the Eltons who, in comparison, “were nobody” (Austen 117). The Woodhouses had come from a family line that had been socially acceptable for several generations, where-as the Eltons had only just become accepted. Emma felt that Mr. Elton had no right to propose to her because of her social position.

Another way for a family to be in high society in by being wealthy. This opened doors for people who didn’t have genes like Emma did. This is shown through the Coles. The Coles were a family who came to Highbury and had an increase in their income. They changed their way of living to match their income. This was called buying into society (“Emma-Understanding Jane Austen’s World”). Emma shows that people who did this were still not as socially acceptable by the way she treats the Coles. She doesn’t want to go to their dinners because she believes they aren’t worthy of her, who is in higher society because of breeding and wealth, not only wealth.

Social classes were very established in the Romantic Era. Austen shows these social classes in her novel. The highest social class was made of families...