Amy Heckerling successfully uses many devices and techniques to transform the 18th century text Emma by Jane Austen into Clueless the contemporary flim about teenage life and pop-culture in America.
Advanced English - HSC assessment task 2001
Module A - Transformation: [Clueless & Emma]
Intro
Amy Heckerling successfully uses many devices and techniques to transform the 18th century text EMMA by Jane Austen into "Clueless", the contemporary flim about teenage life and pop-culture in America. However, a reading of Austen's Emma allows for a whole new understanding of Heckerling's Clueless. Not only are the many types of humour transformed, but also the main characters and the themes such as "Money and Status", "Growth and Self Knowledge" and "Truth and Error". The use of these similarities clearly show responder that "Clueless" is the modern day reflection of Jane Austen's "Emma".
Parallels in Characters
Upon viewing Heckerling's Clueless, the responders are presented with some very distinct similarities with the characters of Austen's Emma. Not only are some of the names alike, but also the character's personalities and the relationships that are formed between the characters.
Themes in Emma and Clueless
Upon the transformation of the texts, Heckerling has cleverly recreated the themes that were presented in Emma so that they will appeal to a modern teenage audience.
Money and Status
One of the themes that show distinct similarities with the 18th century text is "Money and Status". Like Emma, the society presented in Clueless us very much "money-minded". In Austen's Emma, people were either married to gain wealth and status, or they would marry someone who belongs to the same or higher social class. Similarly, Heckerling's Clueless is also set in a society or culture that is controlled and dominated by people with money and those who belong to a high social class. Emma prevents Harriet from marrying Mr Martin because he is not wealthy enough and belongs to a lower class. She instead tries to set up Harriet with Mr Elton, who is fairly wealthy. Heckerling recreates this through Cher, who stops Tai from seeing Travis because he is a low class "loadie". The precise recreation of this theme allows readers to better understand Austen's Emma.
Module A - Transformation: [Clueless & Emma]
Intro
Amy Heckerling successfully uses many devices and techniques to transform the 18th century text EMMA by Jane Austen into "Clueless", the contemporary flim about teenage life and pop-culture in America. However, a reading of Austen's Emma allows for a whole new understanding of Heckerling's Clueless. Not only are the many types of humour transformed, but also the main characters and the themes such as "Money and Status", "Growth and Self Knowledge" and "Truth and Error". The use of these similarities clearly show responder that "Clueless" is the modern day reflection of Jane Austen's "Emma".
Parallels in Characters
Upon viewing Heckerling's Clueless, the responders are presented with some very distinct similarities with the characters of Austen's Emma. Not only are some of the names alike, but also the character's personalities and the relationships that are formed between the characters.
Themes in Emma and Clueless
Upon the transformation of the texts, Heckerling has cleverly recreated the themes that were presented in Emma so that they will appeal to a modern teenage audience.
Money and Status
One of the themes that show distinct similarities with the 18th century text is "Money and Status". Like Emma, the society presented in Clueless us very much "money-minded". In Austen's Emma, people were either married to gain wealth and status, or they would marry someone who belongs to the same or higher social class. Similarly, Heckerling's Clueless is also set in a society or culture that is controlled and dominated by people with money and those who belong to a high social class. Emma prevents Harriet from marrying Mr Martin because he is not wealthy enough and belongs to a lower class. She instead tries to set up Harriet with Mr Elton, who is fairly wealthy. Heckerling recreates this through Cher, who stops Tai from seeing Travis because he is a low class "loadie". The precise recreation of this theme allows readers to better understand Austen's Emma.
