Same as the other novel written by Jane Austen, there’s still the plot about the marriage of the characters. Instead of writing the marriages of between the poor or two different social status that characters use this as an opportunity to realize social mobility, such as Elinor and Edward Ferrars and Elizabeth marrying Mr. Darcy, in Emma, Emma is a wealthy woman herself, that she has a different point of view and concept on marriage, since she doesn’t need to care for her life quality after marriage. The uniqueness of Emma’s theory of marriage is because of her being born in the genteel society, which has greatly influenced her own experience and her vision on love, social status, and her personal happiness.
Emma’s family background has already destined her characteristics to be quite different from other females during that period. Due to her wealthy family and high social status, she didn’t need to ingratiate others to reach a higher achievement in society, so she usually focuses on her own personal happiness which prioritizes her own feelings. Emma has a lot of interest in paintings and music, but the numerous portraits of friends and family, not one of them had been finished, and she plays piano for fun, not never regard it as a career or important skill. She has shown some talent and interest in both, but she lacks discipline, and never puts great efforts. It’s not surprising that Emma has these kinds of thoughts because she didn’t need these skills to be eye-catching, or attract the rich, that she is rich and high status herself. All interests she reveals are only interest, are something that she does as an amusement. This also implies that Emma uses her own experience that she can also be happy even though she isn’t married, forming a contrast on the traditional concept of the young women should get married as early as possible, which is the most important thing in their life, and is their only felicity. Therefore, Emma’s theory of marriage is always based on her personal happiness that is against the traditional perception of people during the Victorian Era, however, this is mostly because of her wealthy family background.
Just the same as her aim is always to maximize her personal happiness due to her high social status and wealth, her choice of her marriage is also being concerned by adverse social status. It’s quite common that Jane Austen wrote about the conflicts between social status, which is everything based on wealth and authority in society. Emma has heatedly counters that Mr. Martin, who’s a farmer, it’s the right thing that Harriet, who may be a daughter of a gentleman, refuses him, which a farmer is not equal to a daughter of a gentleman, even though she was grown up under Mrs. Goddard at the inferior circle of society. Although this is nothing about Emma’s marriage, but according to her perspective on Harriet and Mr. Martin’s relationship, it's still obvious that she really focuses on the equality of social positions. This is typically implied in the dialogue between Emma and Mr. Knightley that they have the opposite view between Harriet and Mr. Marin, and Emma intensely trust the unequal and Harriet has the right to refuse a farmer from beginning to end. All these opinions have significantly shown Emma’s consideration of social status, and attention on social compatibility and suitability rather than on romantic love.
Despite Emma's emphasis on social considerations, she still values the importance of independence and personal decision in her marriage. From her perspective, there’s no encounter between social deliberations and genuine affection and mutual respect in a marriage that could exist at the same time. She had told Mr. Elton and Harriet about, “I must see somebody very superior to any one I have seen yet, to be tempted” and “I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall”. Emma has explicitly given the reference of her belief in marriage, and it’s important that herself is being tempted by the other, or else, she won’t be in love, at least at this current period. She rejected the idea that marriage is for convenience or the obligation of family, which she won’t accept if she doesn’t like the other. This shows her firm aim of independence in marriage, that is built on her born social status, and is against the common phenomenon during the Victorian Era. The utter following of her personal decision and the degree of importance of independence in marriage, further emphasize Emma's theory of not relying on the marriage and never make her marriage as an absolute essential part of her life.
In conclusion, Emma’s theory of marriage is somehow different from the other characters in Jane Austen’s novels. In Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, there’s both a character that considers marriage as a chance to reach a better life. However, for Emma’s choice of marriage, she’s unlike the others, she is born to be at the high social status and wealthy, which in has a great effect on her idea of marriage, so she tends to be following her personal happiness of life, and being self-regulating and has the authority to decide her marriage, but not being controlled over by someone else. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that social aspect is not included in the consideration of her marriage, she still thought equal social status is something that is important for a good and balanced marriage.
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