.
Emma and Cher, the protagonist of Clueless, subscribe to these social "rules- while subverting the expectations of their world though freewill. The rebellion however still results in one condition: the characters' choices must ultimately live up to society's demands. Yet, in Emma, Austen shows her criticism of the society by making Emma step out of her expected line of a woman's duty, "with very little intention of marrying at all-.
Similarly, in an American pop culture' set in a Beverly Hills high school in the midst of exaggerated plastic noses, mobile phones, drugs and the sexual revolution, a resemblance can be seen as viewers relate the novel to film. Cher and Dionne talk on mobile phones whilst only feet from each other; Cher's mother's death is a result of "routine liposuction- and she explains that she doesn't need to know how to park because "everywhere you go has a valet-. However, even though sex before marriage is assumed in most social circles and prevalent in current film, Cher herself steps out of social expectations and admits to remaining a virgin despite friends whom "say it like it's a bad thing-. However, she stays true to her society engaging in shopping sprees, matchmaking and diet programs as does Emma in her tea parties, matchmaking and morning walks. We become increasingly aware of these social differences yet there are also similarities in novel and film; differences in society but similarities in the way society revolve around the characters. .
The plot of the film remains true to the novel and so do many characters in the film where we undoubtedly see the scene-to-scene allusions to Emma. Mr Elton gets the picture of Harriet framed; Elton keeps Tai's photograph in his locker, Mr Knightley dances with Harriet; Josh rescues' Tai, Emma offends Miss Bates; Cher offends their maid Lucy, Harriet is rescued from gypsies by Churchill; Tai is rescued by Christian in the mall and Emma/Cher go through a journey of self-realization and fall in love with Mr Knightley/Josh.