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Mr. Robert Martin is a twenty-four-year-old farmer. He is an industrious and good-hearted young man, though slightly unrefined. He lives at Abbey-Mill Farm, a property owned by Mr. Knightley, with his mother and sisters. In Chapter 3, Emma is concerned to learn that Harriet has spent a lot of time with the Martin family, whom Emma views as “unworthy.” She is even more wary when she senses the romantic attachment that Robert and Harriet have formed. Emma persuades Harriet to reject Robert’s marriage proposal, although the couple is ultimately reunited by the end of the text.
Austen novels are love stories and novels of manners, but they are also socioeconomic commentaries. Emma’s unjust rejection of Robert serves as a commentary on the unfair class prejudices that dominate high society. Emma does not view Robert as Harriet’s equal. She characterizes him as "plain" and “clownish” and compares him negatively to Mr. Elton, whom she celebrates as a pinnacle of gentility. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Robert is actually much more of a gentleman than Mr. Elton because he has an innate kindness that Mr. Elton distinctly lacks. For example, Robert traveled three miles round-trip to bring Harriet walnuts because he knew that she loved them. Mr. Elton, on the other hand, humiliates Harriet by not asking her to dance at the Crown Inn ball even though they were the only two people left without a partner. Through Robert, Austen argues that a true gentleman should be measured by his actions and not his status. It is also worth mentioning that Austen’s affection for Robert is so great that he and Harriet are actually the first of the three couples to get married at the end of the text.
