Jane Austen is one of the most widely read authors in English literature. The plots of Austen's classic novels often portrayed the dependence of women on marriage as a means to securing social standing. The novels served as a critique of sensibility and they helped lead to 19th century realism.Emma is a classic novel portraying the themes of hubris and the danger of matchmaking. Emma Woodhouse is the very unlikable "heroine" of the story.