Oftentimes, modern version of a vintage work loses many aspects of the original. This may not be the case with Jane Austen’s Emma and Amy Heckerling’s film version, Clueless. The adaptation carefully parallels the first text, from themes to characterization and even to social context. Equally works explore the relationship among fathers and daughters, men and women, and effectively illustrate the way the treatment of girls has changed after some time. When 1 reads Emma then wristwatches it modern day counterpart, Naive, it is very simple to observe that although the stories come with an almost two-hundred year difference between them, society has changed hardly any.
While the story shows up superficially to get about a rotten young woman who has practically nothing more good for do than play matchmaker, the testimonies are much more complex. Both Emma Woodhouse and Cher Horowitz experience a metamorphosis coming from self-absorbed young woman to mature and empathetic 1.
Emma is set in the Regency Period, a time of rapid modify that found the Napoleonic wars, the first glimmerings of democracy and feminism and the start of the Industrial Wave (Intro. To Austen). Naive takes place inside the U. S. in the nineties, another as well as place with much chance for change. Emma lives in the affluent, “large and populous” town of Highbury, Précieux ” Emma’s equivalent in Clueless ” lives in comparable Beverly Hillsides.
The two women originate from a long, rich lineage, while Austen produces, Emma “had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with little to distress or perhaps vex her” (Austen 1), as had Cher. Equally women had been spoiled by the absence of their very own mothers, while both their very own fathers try to compensate and keep the peace by giving these people anything they desire. Emma provides beaucoup chance and freedom when compared to other girls of her period of time, Cher provides a brand new 4×4 (but no license), a computerized closet, and usage of money anytime she wishes it. To their credit, the young females are concerned about their very own widower dads. Mr. Woodhouse is preoccupied with his digestion, making Emma worry about his health (Ferriss), while in Clueless Mister. Horowitz constantly obsesses about his bad cholesterol and encourages Cher to restrict him to a strict diet.
The Woodhouses and the Horowitzes are members of upper-class world. Emma’s father is famous and everyone retains the Woodhouse family in high esteem. Cher’s father is a famous litigation legal professional. In today’s society, a profession such as this is viewed with a wide range of respect. It can be obvious that Emma thinks very remarkably of herself, and does not think too fondly of the concept of intermingling with individuals of a smaller social list than her. The same costs Cher. These types of feelings of superiority will be exemplified when the girls undertake the task to become friends with someone who isn’t on their level socially. Emma befriends Harriet Smith, the smoothness that corresponds with Tai Frazier. Although Emma feels she is currently taking Harriet underneath her wing in order to support her away, it can be argued that this is merely to fill the emptiness that was left when Miss Taylor left. Not Harriet nor Tai is as refined because Emma or Cher. Harriet Smith is described as quite but with no outstanding features, and. Tai is a transfer student from New York who not fit together with the other, preppy girls. Emma sets out to refine Harriet, much as Cher makes a decision to revamp Tai in order that she will fit in with her uppity clique.
Emma shoves Harriet about in the same way that Cher doggie snacks Tai. Both equally Harriet and Tai absence self-confidence and independence, and let Emma and Cher to influence them. Harriet desires to marry Robert Martin, an awesome man who also happens to be a player, but declines his pitch because Emma says he isn’t high enough on the social ladder intended for Harriet. In Clueless, Tai has a smash on “skater boy” Travis that Précieux does not say yes to. The pressure to fit in is so wonderful upon Harriet and Tai that they allowed themselves to become manipulated by their class-conscious friends.
Both equally Emma and Cher play matchmaker, with unintended outcomes. Emma stimulates a relationship between Harriet and Mister. Elton, but Mr. Elton misunderstands her intentions and thinks she wants him for their self. This offends Emma mainly because while she considers Mr. Elton good enough for Harriet, she will not see him as rich or adequate for her: inches[Mr. Elton] must know that in fortune and consequence [Emma] was significantly his superior” (Austen 100). Likewise, Précieux tries to collection Tai plan Elton. She’s offended once she discovers that Elton actually enjoys her, as with her snobbery Cher believes Elton is good enough intended for Tai but is not for their self.
An additional similarity among Emma and Cher is that they have tiny regard intended for education. Emma makes email lists upon email lists of ebooks she plans to read, yet never quite gets around to examining them. Cher receives more than a few papers handed down back with failing marks on them which is obviously unaware about world affairs. A news segment about Bosnia comes on and Cher contains a truly puzzled expression when ever she says, “But I thought they declared tranquility in the Middle East! ” The two women are very attractive and charming, which suggests that in both societies it is all right for a female to be below bright if perhaps she is fairly.
A single distinction among Emma and Clueless is definitely society’s objectives for women. In Jane Austen’s time, girls were anticipated to be beauty, obedient, and nonintellectual. While writer Monica Veiga states, “Due to their inability to do anything else, ladies time was specialized in reading and practicing music, drawing, and dancing, the accomplishments that men thought they ought to have” (Veiga). Men controlled can certainly lives to a great extent, and had more freedom to come and go as they pleased. Austen writes: “A young female, if your woman falls in to bad hands, may be tempted, and held at a distance by those your woman wants to be with, but one cannot understand a young male’s being below such restraint” (Austen 143). Clueless, in comparison, takes place within a society by which women can do anything males can, in addition to few ” if any ” limitations on precisely what is socially acceptable. Girls find out they can have got high aspirations, and that it’s not a catastrophe if they don’t marry.
Jane Austen’s Emma and Amy Heckerling’s Clueless provide the same messages: don’t impact other people’s associations, learn to accept that you are not always right, and do not be quick to guage (Rich to Ditz). Through these lessons, Emma and Cher be complete people. At the end in the novel Emma is truly sorry for the way she has meddled in the lives of others. The girl with repentant and realizes that she will not always know what’s suitable for everyone. Précieux comes to the same realization near to the end of Clueless. It can be remarkable to witness the way the morals of the story surpasse two hundred years and remain applicable in today’s society.
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