To what extent has the transformation of Emma into Clueless presented new ideas?

Authors Avatar

Emma/Clueless Notes

To what extent has the transformation of Emma into Clueless presented new ideas?

  • The transformation of Jane Austen’s novel 1816 novel, Emma, by Amy Heckerling in her 1995 film Clueless, has presented new ideas to the extent by which it allows us as responders to gain a greater understanding of both the social contexts of Austen’s world, as well as that of Heckerling. Through comparison of the ways in which status and wealth, morality and the role of women are examined in both texts, greater insight can be gained of these contexts, and the values and ideas they portray.    

Wealth, Class and Charity and Morality

  • Mr Knightley is used as a model of upper class landed gentry, representing the epitome of wealth, class and charity in normal society.  This is first and foremost demonstrated in his name, “knightley”, as well as his first name, pertaining to King George of England at the time.  Emma says of him to Harriett “You will not see one in a hundred, with gentleman so plainly written as in Mr. Knightley.”
  • Knightley is presented in Austen’s novel as Emma’s moral role model; as much as she enjoys the privileges of her wealth and social status, she does not know at the beginning of the novel the true meaning of charity.  Although she is depicted as being “kind to the poor”, she behaves uncharitably towards Miss Bates.  Knightley’s subsequent criticism of Emma, “Were she a woman of fortune, I would not quarrel with you for any liberties in manner – but she is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to.  Her situation should secure your compassion” implies a complex social structure and nature of personal relationships which is puzzling and difficult to understand to the contemporary reader.
Join now!

  • Clueless can help us better understand this structure.  Similar to the relationship in Emma of Emma and Mr. Knightley is the relationship between Josh and Cher.  At the beginning of the film, Cher is politically naïve, but believes she understands the nature of political relationships.  This is shown in the way she is portrayed in the debate about Haitians, in which her careless and offhand manner (shown by her facial expressions in close up, and using the yellow gum she twists around her fingers) suggest an ‘unpreparedness’ for the world and little knowledge of its issues.  “If ...

This is a preview of the whole essay