 Harriet is not considered a match for Elton due to her lowly class standing, despite what Emma encourages her to believe.Emma's initial disregard for class standing (in regards to Harriet at least) is brought to light by Mr. Knightley who tells her to stop encouraging Harriet.The scholar James Brown argued the much quoted line where Emma contemplates the Abbey-Mill Farm, which is the embodiment of "English verdure, English culture,
English comfort, seen under a sun bright, without being oppressive" is a fact meant to be ironic.