‘Emma’ exposes the impacts of social hierarchies in the way people interact and behave with each other. This is shown through the use of satirical techniques. As Emma starts to realize the effects of her hurtful judgements formed on social class, she begins to develop a sense of self-growth and maturity. However, in order to comprehend the influences behind Emma’s puzzled decisions, it is important to have a basic understanding of the social context. In Austen’s time, the Regency Era, social status was decided by the person’s family background, reputation, occupation and wealth.
Considering the carriage/car scenes in Emma and clueless, do you think attitudes to male/females relationships have changed from early nineteenth century context to late 20th century context. There are clear links between both texts, Emma and Clueless relating to how attitudes to male/female relationship have changed from early 19th century context to late 20TH century context. An aspect of change in male/female relationships is the existence of civility and manners in Emma compared to the way an argument can diminish your respect for someone else in Clueless. In Emma, when there is the conversation over Mr. Elton’s feelings towards Emma, there is a cautious effort to treat one another in a polite manner. For example “Angry as she was, the thought of the moment made her resolve to restrain herself when she did speak.” This highlights the vigilant effort to have respect for a human, no matter how displeased a person is with their actions.
Evaluate the relative importance of differences or similarities between the texts, and the ways in which these differences or similarities reflect values in the text? In both Emma by Jane Austen and Clueless by Amy Heckerling the values have changed. In Clueless to suit a more contemporary society compared to Austen’s world in the 19th century. The similarities between the texts are how communication is valued. And the differences include how the value of marriage has changed to a value in sex and relationships.
Heckerling’s film has transformed Emma into a dramatic twentieth century teen flick that both exemplifies and undercuts the contemporary culture of 1990s Los Angeles defined by consumption and appearance while still maintaining aspects of Emma’s narrative and characterisation. The juxtaposition of the two texts allows the audience to identify the tension between continuity and change through the use of the female protagonist who portrays the flaws of human nature. Jane Austen’s novel begins with, “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich.” This highlights the attributes that were most desired at the time of 19th century Highbury, England. However, Jane Austen’s context had a class hierarchy with males that had inherited wealth at the top. This patriarchal society represented in Emma portrays the importance of marriage for women as it was their only means of financial security as well as the advancement of their position in society.
Both Emma and Clueless deal with a society in which social structure and values are criteria for assessing people. Austen establishes the society of Highbury a “large and populous village”, to reflect and satirise the 19th century society, highlight the rigid and class conscious values of this context. Social class was determined by a person’s wealth, family and marriage. It was considered unacceptable to marry outside your social class. Austin illustrates the restraints of social class through the establishment of particular relationships and characters.
How did Victorian writers use different literary forms to critique prevailing social attitudes? With reference to the work of at least one Victorian poet and Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, discuss the way in which difference in the form of writing impacted on the presentation of social issues. The Victorian era refers to the period in history that spans the reign of Queen Victoria, from her crowning in 1837 to her death in 1901. This essay will demonstrate that prevailing social attitudes of the Victorian era were critiqued by Victorian writers through the use of technical features in the writer’s chosen literary form. The difference in the form of writing impacted the presentation of these literary works and how they were received.
The Victorian era has been described as “outward respectability and inward lust” as it had a tendency for social hypocrisy. This description of the Victorian society suggests a dual nature, which has been driven into the individuals causing humanity to have a dualistic nature. W.D. Hart believes that dualism as a philosophy “signifies the views that the universe contains two radically different kinds of beings”. This definition, if brought down to a smaller scale, defines the Victorian’s society dualistic nature, as respectability and lust are radically different within this context.
When looking at equality within relationships there are three main areas to observe; housework, decision making and Domestic violence. A study done by Young and Willmott greatly supports the idea that husbands and wives now have a relationship based on equality. They argue that there has been a long term trend away from segregated conjugal roles and towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family. By this they mean the roles of husbands and wives are much similar; as women now go out to work, although this is may be part time not full time. Men also no help with housework and childcare, also couple now spend their leisure time together instead of separately with workmates or female relatives.
The Victorian Era saw the emergence of literature which reflect the dramatic changes that were taking place in England on a social, spiritual and intellectual level. Robert Browning’s poems, “Porphyria’s Lover” and “The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church”and Charlotte Bronte’s “The Professor”, through the employment of various literary techniques reflect and challenge previously accepted ideas on religion and gender roles in society during this period. During the Victorian Era it was widely accepted that men had the power in society. Women were thought to be inferior. This concept is reflected and challenged in “Porphyria’s Lover”.
Archer is someone who is vain, has high self-esteem, a big ego, and believes he is superior. He states that he “felt himself distinctly superior of these chosen specimens of old New York gentility; he had probably read more, thought more, and even seen a good deal more of the world, than any other man of the number” (4).Archer believed that his wife should “develop a social tact and readiness of wit enabling her to hold her own with the most popular married women of the ‘younger set,’ in which it was the recognized custom to attract masculine