What is the connection between marriage and social status in the three marriages in Jane Austen's Emma: the marriages of Jane Fairfax and Frank...

The
strangest connection between marriage partners and social status is in that between Jane Fairfax
and Frank Churchill. Jane is the daughter of Miss Bates's sister, who was Mrs. Bates's younger
daughter. The Bates were high enough in social status for Miss Bates's sister to marry a
commissioned officer, "Lieut. Fairfax," in the regimental military. Indeed, Mr.
Knightley refers to the lessened social status in which the Bates's now live, especially when he
scoldsfor being discourteous and unkind to Miss Bates, "She is poor; she has sunk from the
comforts she was born to":

Jane Fairfax was an
orphan, the only child of Mrs. Bates's youngest daughter.

The marriage of
Lieut. Fairfax ... and Miss Jane Bates, had had its day of fame and pleasure, ... but nothing
now remained of it, save the melancholy remembrance of him dying in action abroadof his widow
sinking under consumption and grief soon afterwardsand this girl.

Frank Churchill is the natural son of Mr. Weston whose family was
"respectable" yet originally without property or wealth, though they had been rising
in both for "two or three generations." Mr. Weston, receiving a small inheritance in
his youth, advanced his position further by "entering into the militia of his county"
and rising to Captain. Frank, after his father had left the militia and gone into trade and
after the early death of his mother, was adopted by his Uncle and Aunt Churchill and raised in
their family having high social status. Thus, this marriage was, in its natural circumstances,
between a bride of a higher social status and a groom of a lower one, notwithstanding his
adoptive circumstances elevated him into a higher social status.

The marriage
between Robert Martin and Harriet is of no exceptional interest relating to social status: he is
an established respectable farmer; she is a respectable well provided for, though independent,
woman on the same socio-economic level. The one distinguishing factor here is that Harriet is
the illegitimate--though well cared for and properly educated--daughter of a tradesman. Her
unknown parentage (though it does become known) sets her off with a unique and distinct social
status that would have barred anyone higher than Robert Martin from seriously considering a
marriage with her, as Elton made quite clear. Nonetheless, had she not been illegitimate, as the
daughter of a wealthy tradesman, she would have been more on the level of a Mr. Elton than a
Farmer Martin (thus it turned out well for Martin!).

[Harriet] proved to be the daughter of a tradesman, rich enough to afford her the
comfortable maintenance which had ever been hers, and decent enough to have always wished for
concealment.

The marriage between Emma and Mr. Knightley
is the least remarkable of all in terms of social status. He is a gentleman of wealth. She is
the daughter of a gentleman of wealth. They are perfectly suited and equal in social status. The
one peculiarity in their marriage is that Mr. Knightley agrees to leave Donwell Abbey--the
dominant residence and seat of the primary patron of Highbury and the surrounding farms--and
live with Emma in Mr. Woodhouse's house in order to care for him. Otherwise, it is socially
perfectly ordinary and right that Emma and Mr. Knightley marry.