Clueless Regency England Analysis

Qualities of relationships have transformed through time along with values, the parallel worlds within postmodern Beverly Hills and Regency England display the contextual shifts brought forth. The bildungsroman novel Emma by Jane Austen exemplifies the strict values within Regency England society whilst Amy Heckerling’s film Clueless illustrates the transformation of these values within Beverly Hills. The values of social status and pride and vanity are explored through the inflexible Regency England society in comparison to the more fluid postmodern society of Beverly Hills. The use of various language and film techniques enhances the observation of the parallel values displayed within both contexts.
Wealth is an important determinant of one’s
The opening sequence displaying Cher’s inner turmoil when selecting her clothes on her computer exemplifies the materialism embedded within 1990s Beverly Hills where image determines one’s place in high school cliques. The panning of the camera from feet to hair of Tai shows her lack of style and reinforces Cher’s ability to manipulate her due to her inferiority in the social hierarchy where wealth and image help boost one’s social standing displaying a more fluid social hierarchy in comparison to birthright and association as determenants of one’s social ranking during Regency England. The snobbish tone displayed within Elton when Cher explains a possible pairing between him and Tai, “Don’t you even know who my father is?” emphasises that despite the contextual shifts in time the social hierarchy retains but it is less rigid and more fluid as displayed through Cher’s association with Tai despite their different social standings whereas Emma would not have been able to that because of the strict order of the social hierarchy. Despite the contextual shift, wealth continues to play an important role within both societies but it is less rigid and more fluid within the 1990s Beverly Hill in comparison to Regency
Regency England displays Emma’s naivety in which her pride and vanity causes her to meddle with other characters, blindsided by her own wrongdoings. The omniscient voice “The real evils, indeed, of Emma’s situation were the power of having too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself…” aligns the reader with Emma encouraging her own imaginative mind and vanity where her actions cause her to act in problematic ways other characters. The repetition of personal pronouns, “I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry…I never have been in love…I do not think I ever shall.” explores Emma’s belief that her wealth allows her to be financially secure with reassurance that others will not treat her like Miss Bates for her decision to remain single. The use of narrator’s anthypophora in “Why she did not like Jane Fairfax...she saw in her the really accomplished young woman, which she wanted to be thought herself.” exhibits Emma’s jealousy as she sees Jane as a threat to her ego because she may carry more accomplishments than herself which leads to her initial dislike of Jane. The prominence of pride and vanity creates problems as a consequence as it blindsides one’s better judgement. One’s importance of materialistic items continues to be a main feature in the modern