One of the main themes and preoccupations of Jane Austen's character, Emma, is that of marriage. Although Emma herself claims she has no wish for marriage, for the other female characters in the book it is one of the most important events in their lives. At the time that this novel is set, in the 1810's, marriage was more than the uniting of two people in love, for many women, in particular, it was an important opportunity in life that opened new doors to them. It was not uncommon for people to merely marry in order to gain status, for a poor lower middle class girl the only opportunity she had for a more comfortable life would be to get married to a well healed upper middle class gentlemen who had either inherited or earned enough wealth to support a family. Mrs Elton's family and what Emma wants...