Emma And Clueless

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Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, characterized by realism and irony have place her in a place among the most read writers in English literature. “Emma” was first published in December 1815 and deals with a youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. Later some films based on “Emma” were released, but the one I will used to compare with is “Clueless” released in 1995 and written and directed by Amy Heckerling. In this work, I will try to see which events or thoughts are taken from Ema by Amy Heckerling and used in the movie, being my hypothesis “Clueless takes the topics regarding society that are mocked by Jane Austen in Emma.”…show more content…
This can be seen not only in Emma, but in different characters from others of Austen's novels. The quest for marriage and financial security are often important themes in the Austen’s stories, and “Emma” is not an exception. “During this period the traditional "aristocratic ideology, based on a hierarchy of social birthright, began to clash with a "progressive ideology" emerging from burgeoning notions of individualism and capitalism. Emma exists as a text enmeshed in this debate and presents a tenuous equilibrium upholding social stability”(Melissa Mazmanian). However, Emma does not have to worry about marriage, and together with Cher, they believe it is their obligation to help the ones in a less privileged position and to search for a balance between mutating social convictions. Despite the fact that Emma wants to marry to somebody she loves does not prevent her from wanting the rest to marry somebody whose role and position in society make him/her respectable whether there is love involved or not. As love becomes increasingly important, it has to be balanced against the possibility of financial incompatibility. The same happens to Cher, who tries to tutor her new friend Tai and explains to her who she should and should not befriend. Amy Heckerling has taken the question of prejudice from “Emma” and applied it to 90’s society. Therefore,…show more content…
Cher lives in a privileged sector, and she will continue growing in the same place with important acquaintances; while Tai will not be able to reach Cher’s status due to the fact that she belongs to other social class and will not be able to fit in Cher’s circle. Also, despite Tai being a good girl, she is not valued as a respectable person and her kindness is irrelevant compared to her position. Finally, Heckerling takes another “Elton” to support the idea that money and position is more relevant that being a good
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