Social Classes In Jane Austen's Emma

The culture portrayed through Jane Austen’s “Emma” shows the values and nature of the social classes. Each social class was distinguished by their values. The social classes also developed respect and manners as part of the Romantic Period. Lastly, the values of truth and reason were some of the more important values of the culture. All together, these aspects make up the culture of the social classes during the eighteen hundreds.

The social classes during the late eighteen hundreds were separated by their values. The social classes included a lower class, middle class, and upper class. David Cody, an English professor at Hartwick College, explains how the structure of the time period consisted of the upper classes, middle classes, and lower

Manners were an important aspect to the upper class. In Emma, Jane Austen shows how important manners were when Emma criticizes Mrs. Elton and says, “Insufferable woman!” was her immediate exclamation. “Worse than I had supposed. Absolutely insufferable! Knightley!-- never seen him in her life before, and call him Knightley!” (Austen 229). This shows that Mrs. Elton did not possess proper manners and addressed Mr. Knightley inappropriately. Emma is quick to point out this flaw in Mrs. Elton as it was disrespectful. “In Emma and Pride and Prejudice, Austen shows the increasing class tensions of the time by demonstrating how anyone can learn or lack manners, and she explores the idea that sincerity is the key to true manners, which was a quality of particular importance for the upper classes in maintaining their social distinction” (Koziar 39). As mentioned by Koziar, manners were wanted by each class, but manners were to be sincere, and the upper class stressed not only proper manners, but also the execution of them. This allowed for each class to be seperated. “A lack of sincere manners is what divided characters like Elizabeth and Darcy initially and is what caused Mrs. Elton to be seen as an upstart while Mr. Weston was welcomed” (Koziar 47). This example shows how characters from Jane Austen’s novels are affected by the sincerity of their manners. In order to be seen as