Similarities Between Emma And Clueless

Jane Austen’s 19th century novel, Emma, and Amy Heckerling’s film appropriation, Clueless (1995), employ diverse contexts and mediums to display the ultimate similarity in contextually differing social values and the fundamental attitudes and beliefs that govern yet conform to society, through a comparison of Regency England and postmodern, commercialised America. The comparison enables the correlation and assimilation of the composers’ differing opinions in their respective texts, the juxtaposition of contrasting social standings and the illustration of relatively adverse actions of esteemed figures, to scrutinise social values. Emma and Clueless both explore prominent social values, such as relationships, social status and class responsibility,

Emma’s and Mr Knightley’s engagement is Austen’s statement on social status as a crucial resolving factor of an appropriate prospective marriage, seen through Mrs Weston’s comments: “so proper, suitable, and unexceptionable” and “so peculiarly eligible, so singularly fortunate”. The accumulation, repetition of ‘so’ and connotations of the words, such as “proper”, “suitable” and “eligible”, imply that an ideal, befitting relationship is contingent on socio-economic compatibility and maintaining social harmony. This also infers the engagement’s undeniable rationality and enforces the notion of a quintessential relationship. The correlative significance of marriage in Highbury and Regency England signifies that the unobjectionable engagement is Austen’s authorial intrusion and her statement on marriage: spouses should have equivalent socio-economic competence. Similarly, in Clueless, Heckerling infuses the use of social status in match-making criteria through the scene of Cher attempting to find a decent partner for Mr Hall. Point of view shot and zooming is used in an uncut scene of female teachers to indicate exclusive involvement and emphasise on the minute details that contribute to the match-making criterion, which highlights the gravity of social status and compatibility. Swift panning to different teachers and Cher’s repulsed tone in her narration displays her dismissive attitude towards disreputable teachers through the rapid introductions of teachers. Elements of Heckerling’s match-making scene and Austen’s quintessential couple of Emma and Mr Knightley differ, such as Cher’s inclusion of details and profession in her dubious criterion, compared to overbearing importance of affluence in Austen’s blatantly compatible couple.