When it comes to marriage partnerships, Emma Woodhouse has a strict sense of propriety. Her insistence on matching her less assertive friend, Harriet, results in Harriet's dissatisfaction with the process of matchmaking. Emma's attitudes begin to soften as a result of Mr. Knightley's scathing remarks and the example of the outspoken Mrs. Elton, who is a character who is not dissimilar to herself.