Emma And Clueless Comparison
A hundred and seventy years apart, yet Jane Austen’s novel and Amy Heckerling’s film both explore the themes of marriage, money and social status. The values and techniques of the composers are demonstrated by the final chapter of Emma and Scene Three of Clueless, at the school walkway. On the one hand, we have the small, traditional English village of Highbury. On the other, Beverly Hills, icon of consumerism, globalisation and change. Both are experiencing escalating social fluidity as wealth becomes the main criteria for social status, rather than land, family or race. Austen and Heckerling suggest that personal worth should be valued more highly, as illustrated by Mr Knightley’s approval of tenant farmer Robert Martin and
Cher’s close friendship with African American Dionne. The composers also emphasise the need for individuals to fulfil their obligations to society. These values reflect how the composers were influenced by their political contexts: Austen by the French Revolution and Heckerling by the campaign for legal equality between races and genders. Emma and Clueless both support a hierarchical society. In each text, this is cleverly communicated through the language. Emma’s wit and Mr Knightley’s unfailing courtesy mark their breeding, while Mrs Elton’s vulgar familiarity – ‘Mr E’ and ‘Knightley’ – suggest her coarseness and inferiority. In Heckerling’s film, the characters’ wit and ability to comprehend jargon likewise marks their social position. Cher’s “full-on Monet” and Dionne’s “our stock would plummet” acts as a stark contrast to Tai’s “You guys talk like grown-ups.” Despite the emphasis of society on money, Austen and Heckerling convey disapproval of materialism and consumerism. In Emma, this is achieved through satire, for instance, juxtaposing Mrs Elton’s comments about white satin with “the perfect happiness of the union” of Emma and Mr Knightley. Clueless uses contemporary allusions and stereotypes, such as Dionne’s reference to the “cheap K-Mart hair extension.” Heckerling censures those characters who measure others by possessions. While the plot of Emma is driven by marriage, Clueless focuses on relationships and foregrounds sex. This reflects the different contexts. Marriage was a financial imperative for women in the early nineteenth century, but by the 1990s, women had economic autonomy. Instead, Heckerling portrays weddings as an opportunity to make a fashion statement. Therefore, attitudes to marriage and physical chastity change dramatically. Emma and Clueless idealise relationships founded on social, intellectual and financial compatibility. However, male authority within these relationships is an ideal sustained by both texts. Both Emma and Cher capitulate to the values and figure of the male hero. However, the valetudinarian figure of Mr Woodhouse adds to the illusion of Emma’s independence, while Mel Horowitz embodies authority from the dramatic introduction, with low camera angles and the comment, “Daddy’s a litigator… the scariest kind of lawyer.” Thus, Emma is arguably more modern in its portrayal of women than Clueless. Austen’s masterful manipulation of the written medium has created a complex, subtle text. Her use of authorial intrusion and connotative language conveys her values to the reader. Heckerling has cleverly translated Austen’s use of humour, irony and satire into the visual medium. A particularly effective technique is the combination of camera frame and voiceover to create an ironic gap between Cher’s perceptions and reality. Emma and Clueless are still valued because they are humorous, enjoyable texts, and because Austen and Heckerling’s values and insights apply to marriage, money and social status today.
Cher’s close friendship with African American Dionne. The composers also emphasise the need for individuals to fulfil their obligations to society. These values reflect how the composers were influenced by their political contexts: Austen by the French Revolution and Heckerling by the campaign for legal equality between races and genders. Emma and Clueless both support a hierarchical society. In each text, this is cleverly communicated through the language. Emma’s wit and Mr Knightley’s unfailing courtesy mark their breeding, while Mrs Elton’s vulgar familiarity – ‘Mr E’ and ‘Knightley’ – suggest her coarseness and inferiority. In Heckerling’s film, the characters’ wit and ability to comprehend jargon likewise marks their social position. Cher’s “full-on Monet” and Dionne’s “our stock would plummet” acts as a stark contrast to Tai’s “You guys talk like grown-ups.” Despite the emphasis of society on money, Austen and Heckerling convey disapproval of materialism and consumerism. In Emma, this is achieved through satire, for instance, juxtaposing Mrs Elton’s comments about white satin with “the perfect happiness of the union” of Emma and Mr Knightley. Clueless uses contemporary allusions and stereotypes, such as Dionne’s reference to the “cheap K-Mart hair extension.” Heckerling censures those characters who measure others by possessions. While the plot of Emma is driven by marriage, Clueless focuses on relationships and foregrounds sex. This reflects the different contexts. Marriage was a financial imperative for women in the early nineteenth century, but by the 1990s, women had economic autonomy. Instead, Heckerling portrays weddings as an opportunity to make a fashion statement. Therefore, attitudes to marriage and physical chastity change dramatically. Emma and Clueless idealise relationships founded on social, intellectual and financial compatibility. However, male authority within these relationships is an ideal sustained by both texts. Both Emma and Cher capitulate to the values and figure of the male hero. However, the valetudinarian figure of Mr Woodhouse adds to the illusion of Emma’s independence, while Mel Horowitz embodies authority from the dramatic introduction, with low camera angles and the comment, “Daddy’s a litigator… the scariest kind of lawyer.” Thus, Emma is arguably more modern in its portrayal of women than Clueless. Austen’s masterful manipulation of the written medium has created a complex, subtle text. Her use of authorial intrusion and connotative language conveys her values to the reader. Heckerling has cleverly translated Austen’s use of humour, irony and satire into the visual medium. A particularly effective technique is the combination of camera frame and voiceover to create an ironic gap between Cher’s perceptions and reality. Emma and Clueless are still valued because they are humorous, enjoyable texts, and because Austen and Heckerling’s values and insights apply to marriage, money and social status today.