The society and time in which Emma and Clueless were composed are very dissimilar from one another. Emma was written by Jane Austen in 1815, in a society where marriage and social standing were of great consequence. In the early nineteenth century, a woman married, above all, for financial security and social acceptability. Matrimony provided a woman with a higher social rank than a spinster and the most important factor in marriage was the social standing of both partners; love was secondary. This is most certainly reflected through the character of Miss Bates and the relationship between Mr and Mrs Elton- a marriage that appears to be sustained predominantly upon the opinions of others.

Clueless however, was composed in 1995 within a society that accepted marriage for love and the fact that a woman did not have to wed in order to have financial security and respect. This

Vast passages of descriptive language detailing the thoughts and emotions of each character are not necessary in Clueless, as filmic and acting techniques allow these features to be conveyed through as little as a single camera shot, music or facial expression of an actor.

can be seen through the wealth and popularity of the main character Cher, who has the respect of all of her peers and is financially stable although she is unmarried and, initially, unattached.

Clueless is set in Beverley Hills, Los Angeles, U.S.A, and the action is centred primarily in an upper class high school and in the home of the protagonist, Cher.

Cher’s (from Clueless) counterpart in the novel is Emma; both are wealthy, self-centred and snobbish, shown with the lines “handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition” and “the real evils of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself”. Both characters undergo a transformation and become self-aware, respectful and mature. Emma and Cher are protagonists used to convey the message that selfishness, vanity and prejudice do not advance a person’s position in life and nor are these qualities favourably looked upon by others.

Some topics in this essay:
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