Despite the shift in context from 19th century England to late 20th century Beverly Hills, Austen’s main plot and ideas have been retained to a great degree. However, the different ways in which these ideas are portrayed in Clueless, as well as the variations from Emma’s plot, provide new insights into both contexts and hence emphasises the contextual influences that cause the changes. Through the consideration of Austen’s 19th century context we gain a deeper understanding of the impact of class attitudes on people’s behaviour and relationships. Social hierarchies are addressed through Mr Elton’s denial of Harriet and the corresponding action of Elton’s rejection of Tai. The character Mr Elton represents the class based attitudes of 19th Century England when he claims that “everyone has their own level”.
Transformations: How has your perceptions of transformations been illuminated by your comparative study of the prescribed texts? The responder’s understanding of transformations has been illuminated by a comparative study of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ and Amy Heckerling’s ‘Clueless’. The word transformation refers to the change of form or appearance. In order for Heckerling to transform Emma she needed to change the context of Austen’s 19th Century, English novel ‘Emma’ to better fit her 20th Century American film, ‘Clueless’. Marriage, charity, wealth, owning a home and even the means of transportation are all things seen and acted upon differently in a more modern context.
Essay The book Emma by Jane Austen and the film Clueless by Amy Heckerling are two texts that are strongly influenced by their context and are an expression of their cultural values. This concept is highlighted through the time the texts were written in, differences in Emma and Clueless, themes, language techniques and film techniques. Time is a factor that will have impact on a text and therefore determine its context, thus this will express its cultural values. Emma was published in 1816 in England. The novel was written for a 19th century reading public, mainly gentry and middle class audience.
The process of transformation entails adapting a text to a contemporary contextual environment in order to make it appeal to modern consciousness. By comparing both Jane Austen’s “Emma” and Amy Heckerling’s “Clueless” it is apparent that the film has been re-appropriated in such a way that Austen’s voice is still heard today while, simultaneously projecting Heckerling’s views on contemporary society. Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s 1995 re-contextualisation of Jane Austen’s Emma replicates Austen’s ironic commentary on the necessity of entering into a relationship that will not challenge status quo. Though Heckerling transforms a 200 year old story to suit modern audiences through a reinvention of the key characters, context, language and form,
A comparative study of texts allow a responder to examine issues such as race, power and its application, gender, the thirst for revenge and the nature of institutions. A comparative study also challenges the responder to consider how these issues are represented in a specific context. Discuss the way in which the context of each text has impacted on the way two of these issues have been represented in Shakespeare's play, Othello and Sax & Davies’ film Othello. By comparing Shakespeare’s Othello, with Sax’s modern film adaptation of the play, the audience can appreciate and explore the extent to which context, or the surrounding influences, impact upon the key concerns in both texts. Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy set in
Emma vs. Clueless Essay 1.1 “In what way have the changing values and attitudes of different times been shown by the study of your two texts?” At different periods of time human society has been recorded to value certain qualities and behaviours over others, this is evident in art, music and literatures. By observing the similarities and differences of two novels belonging to periods, with the difference of a century’s time between them, we are given a perfect example of this alteration in values and attitudes. In Emma Jane Austen challenges the values of the Regency period’s strict social hierarchy and the attitudes of the “higher class” verses the “lower class.” She also reflects the roles of woman and their minor role in 19th century English society, when compared to men of ‘equal’ birth and wealth, and the importance of a “good match” when entering into the matrimonial state. In Hecherling’s Clueless we are also faced with a class structure, though it appears to be more fluid and easily manipulated or overcome by the use of money. In 20th century America the reasons and importance on marriage for both women and men has clearly changed and it is no longer necessary to be settled early and therefore couples are free to marry for life.
Texts are often reshaped and appropriated to relate to the modern context. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen is an example of this, as Fay Weldon’s expostulatory novel, Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen, analyses the central themes and values of the text and creatively reshapes them to make it more relevant for the modern audience. Values presented in Pride and Prejudice such as morality in marriage and the value of education. These values have been creatively reshaped in Letters to Alice, thereby allowing a wider audience to comprehend the themes presented. 09 concept, but is still presented in Pride and Prejudice.
The similarities of each text comments on the universality or unchanging nature to aspects of humanity. It is looking at the modern day equivalents in each text that we see can the contrasting values of these starkly different worlds. Thus, on close examination, comparisons are revealed, making the process a truly enriching transformation. By examining heroines in both texts, we are forced to revisit familiar themes and issues. Heckerling’s characters may use the language of the 1990s and have modern-day interests and occupations, but they depict similar traits as Austen’s characters: they display self-interest, vanity and practise deception but also demonstrate personal growth and perceptive honesty.
How has the study of Emma and its appropriation of Clueless developed your understanding of context influencing values. Jane Austen’s Emma and Heckerling’s appropriation of Clueless (1995) reveal the impact of context on societal values. Clueless differs in medium as it has been appropriated from the society of the Regency Era in England represented in Austen’s novel, into the Californian teenage culture of the 20th century. This transformation enables modern audiences to recognise that despite seemingly drastic shifts in contextual settings, both texts use satire to reaffirm the transcending values of social order, the role of women, patriarchy and marriage. Austen recognises the individual’s social standing as a significant distinguishing factor affecting acceptance in society through the use of tone.
Emma vs. Clueless Whilst the context, language and textual form have changed, the messages in Clueless are essentially the messages that Jane Austin communicated to her Audiences. Discuss. Despite the change in context, language and textual form, the messages in Clueless are fundamentally the messages that Jane Austen communicated to her audiences. While the consistency of human nature allows for common issues between texts to be possible, a drastic change of context will inevitably involve a change in social values. In this case those of Regency England and those of Post-modern America.