Clueless, a film written and directed by Amy Heckerling is and adaptation of Jane Austen's 19th century novel Emma. Clueless and Emma are equivalents of each other adapted to the context in which they are to be viewed and responded to. With the adaptation, the context, language and textual form has changed, although I believe the messages and themes conveyed in Clueless are essentially the messages that Jane Austen communicated to her audience in Emma. The similarities of these messages are evident when analysing the themes of social stature, vanity, transformation and deception. These themes are common to both texts and highlight the parallelism between them.
The common message of social stature and its role in society is explored through the characters of Emma and Cher, who are equivalents of each other. In both, Emma and Clueless society is structured according to wealth. Heckerling has adapted to the twentieth century culture and transformed the small, quiet village of Highbury into Beverly Hills High School. The high school itself has many sublevels, split according to wealth and beauty, much the same as Austen's town of Highbury. These sublevels rarely communicate with each other, but within there are many interactions. Emma's and Cher both wealthy and beautiful fall amongst the top level of society and their social values are reflected upon when they interact with those people outside their social circle. Emma's disproval of Mr. Martin as a husband for Harriet clearly demonstrates Emma's perspective. "The yeomanry are precisely the order of people I feel I can have nothing to do". The quote is spoken by Emma regarding Mr. Martin and his lack of social stature. Being a farmer, Emma doesn't feel obligated to associate with him. Austen is able to convey the common values of her society through Emma and her opinions of the lower class.
Tai is a new girl at the high school. Tai is somewhat a contrast to Heckerling's main characters, as she doesn't fit the conventional wealthy girl style.
Miss Emma Woodhouse is a very interesting character in the novel Emma, written by Jane Austen. ... Emma did not even speak to Mr. ... Weston is like a mother to Emma, so she is biased when it comes to discussing Emma's faults. ... Weston are talking about Emma, Mr. ... Emma's love for Mr. ...
Emma's Development And Progression: Emma is a member of the gentry" class in English society. ... People such as Robert Martins, a farmer, is so far below Emma's social class that she "cannot help him." ... Therefore, the context of Emma's social position and the rules of behavior that govern her rank are essential realities that shape Emma Woodhouse's development. ... Emma Woodhouse, despite her social standing and her basic intelligence, is not such a person when the novel opens. ... This was not, the narrator continues, "particularly agreeable to Emma herself" b...
The Evolution of Emma Jane Austen is considered to be the first great English novelist, and Emma, is undoubtedly her greatest work. ... (pg.7) Emma's life centers on herself and her father. ... Initially, Emma rejects Mr. ... Emma believes that Mr. ... The incidents between Emma and Jane allow Emma to reach a higher level of maturity, understanding and self-awareness. ...
Emma's perceptions are most notably amiss when dealing with Harriet, a young woman of unknown parentage, whom Emma befriends and attempts to remake in her own image. ... Emma goes on to highlight the good qualities of Mr. ... Due to Emma's endorsement of Mr. ... His praise for how Emma has improved Harriet, his delight over Emma's artistic skills, and his eagerness to take the drawing to London are all misperceived by Emma. ... The book's final "happy union" (439) is a sign that Emma has achieved that end. ...
Emma is inclined to disregard Mr. ... Austen uses Emma to follow a cause and effect methodology where all of Emma's actions affect the plot and the novel as a whole. ... She serves as an exaggeration of all of Emma's bad characteristics. ... Martin because she knows this is what Emma wants. ... Throughout the novel, Knightley corrects and leads Emma, and, in marrying Knightley, Emma indicates that her judgment has begun to coincide with his. ...
Emma Woodhouse, the heroine of Emma, has both social position and personal fortune. Emma's father comes from a good, well-respected family; he owns a private estates Hartfield. ... Since Emma's older sister is married, Emma's duty in life is to look after her father. This duty causes problems when late in the book Emma and Mr. ... When her father died Emma would have no useful duty to perform for society. ...
Throughout Emma, parties and social events are used widely as turning points in the novel. ... This Chapter also indicates Emma's ignorance, through the mention of Frank Churchill. ... The second important social occasion in Emma is the dinner party at the Coles. ... This alteration of Emma's disposition towards Jane is likely to stem from an increased maturity. ... The continual existence of Emma's active imagination, for example in her persisting belief that Jane Fairfax and Mr Dixon have formed an illicit attachment, proves that Emma has not yet reached full maturity. ...
Contrastingly, the society of Emma places no importance on self-image, as the only description we receive of Emma is that she is "handsome, clever, rich" but they do value etiquette. ... Austen also uses this to show the mistakes and unclear perception of Emma that leads her to her own downfall. ... Emma Woodhouse is first in consequence of Highbury where everybody looks up to her. It is Emma's independent fortune and the anonymity of Harriet's parentage that allows Emma to have friendship and the authority to manipulate Harriet. ... Education for women and men in Emma is highly valu...
