Often, the modern adaptation of a classic work loses many elements of the original. This is not the case with Jane Austen and Amy Heckerling's film adaptation of Emma, ​​Clueless. The adaptation closely parallels the original text, from themes to characterization and even cultural context. Both works explore the relationship between fathers and daughters, men and women, and successfully illustrate how the treatment of women has changed over time. When you read Emma and then watch its modern counterpart, Clueless, it's very easy to see that even though the stories have a gap of almost two hundred years, society has changed very little. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although the story superficially appears to be about a spoiled young woman who has nothing more beneficial to do than play video games. matchmakers, the stories are much more complex. Emma Woodhouse and Cher Horowitz both experience a metamorphosis from self-centered young woman to mature, empathetic woman. Emma is set in the Regency period, a time of rapid change that saw the Napoleonic Wars, the first glimmers of democracy and feminism, and the start of the Industrial Revolution (Intro. To Austen). Clueless is set in the United States in the 1990s, a different time and place with plenty of opportunities for change. Emma lives in the wealthy, “large and populous” town of Highbury; Cher – the equivalent of Emma in Clueless – lives in the same neighborhood of Beverly Hills. Both women come from a long and rich lineage; as Austen writes, Emma “had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world without anything to grieve or vex her” (Austen 1), just like Cher. Both women have been spoiled by their mother's absence, as both their fathers try to compensate and keep the peace by giving them everything they want. Emma has a lot of opportunities and freedom compared to other girls of her time; Cher has a brand new Jeep (but no license), a computerized closet, and access to money whenever she wants. It must be recognized that young women worry about their widowed fathers. Mr. Woodhouse is concerned about his digestion, causing Emma to worry about his health (Ferriss), while in Clueless, Mr. Horowitz constantly obsesses about his cholesterol and prompts Cher to restrict him to a strict diet. Both the Woodhouses and the Horowitzes are members of upper-class society. Emma's father is well known and everyone holds the Woodhouse family in high regard. Cher's father is a renowned trial lawyer. In today's society, a profession like this is viewed with great respect. It is obvious that Emma has very high self-esteem and does not really like the idea of ​​mingling with people of a lower social rank than herself. The same goes for Cher. These feelings of superiority are illustrated when girls undertake to befriend someone who is not on their level socially. Emma becomes friends with Harriet Smith, the character who corresponds to Tai Frazier. While Emma considers taking Harriet under her wing in order to help her, we can say that it is simply a question of filling the void left by Miss Taylor's departure. Neither Harriet nor Tai are as refined as Emma or Cher. Harriet Smith is described as pretty but without any outstanding features, and. Tai is a transfer student from New York who doesn't fit in with the other preppy girls. Emma sets out to refine Harriet, just as Cher decides to reorganize Tai so that she fits into her haughty clique. Emma pushes Harriet the same way Cher treats Tai. Harriet and Tailack self-confidence and independence and allow Emma and Cher to influence them. Harriet wants to marry Robert Martin, a wonderful man who happens to be a farmer, but declines his proposal because Emma says he's not high enough on the social ladder for Harriet. In Clueless, Tai has a crush on "skater boy" Travis who Cher does not approve of. The pressure to fit in is so great on Harriet and Tai that they allow themselves to be manipulated by their class-conscious friends. Emma and Cher both play matchmaker, with unexpected consequences. Emma encourages a relationship between Harriet and Mr. Elton, but Mr. Elton misunderstands her intentions and thinks she wants it for herself. This offends Emma because although she considers Mr. Elton good enough for Harriet, she does not consider him rich or good enough for her: “[Mr. Elton] must know that in terms of fortune and consequences, [Emma] was greatly his superior” (Austen 100). Likewise, Cher tries to hook Tai up with Elton. She is offended when she learns that Elton really likes her, because in her snobbery, Cher thinks that Elton is good enough for Tai but not for herself. Another similarity between Emma and Cher is that they have little respect for education. Emma makes lists upon lists of books she plans to read, but never actually gets around to reading them. Cher receives many papers returned with failing grades and is clearly ignorant of world affairs. A news report about Bosnia comes on and Cher has a genuinely perplexed expression as she says, "But I thought they declared peace in the Middle East!" » Both women are very attractive and charming, which suggests that in both societies there is nothing wrong with a woman being less brilliant if she is pretty. One distinction between Emma and Clueless is society's expectations of women. In Jane Austen's time, women were expected to be delicate, obedient and non-intellectual. As writer Monica Veiga says: “Because of their inability to do anything else, women devoted their time to reading and practicing music, drawing, and dancing, accomplishments that men thought they should have” (Veiga). Men controlled women's lives to a large extent and had more freedom to come and go as they pleased. Austen writes: “A young woman, if she falls into the wrong hands, may be teased and kept at a distance from those with whom she wishes to be; but it cannot be understood that a young man should be subjected to such restraint” (Austen 143). Ignorance, on the other hand, occurs in a society in which women can do anything men can do, and where there are few, if any, restrictions on what is socially acceptable. Girls know that they can have big aspirations and that it's not a crisis if they don't get married. Jane Austen's Emma and Amy Heckerling's Clueless deliver the same messages: don't interfere in other people's relationships, learn to accept that you are not always right. , and don't be quick to judge (Rich to Ditz). Through these lessons, Emma and Cher become more well-rounded individuals. At the end of the novel, Emma is truly sorry for the way she interfered in other people's lives. She repents and realizes that she doesn't always know what's best for everyone. Cher comes to a similar realization near the end of Clueless. It is remarkable how the moral of this story transcends two hundred years and remains applicable in today's society. Works Cited Ashford, Viola. “A Brief Introduction to Jane Austen.” February 9, 2004. Suite 101. February 19, 2004. "A Brief Introduction to Jane Austen." Suite 101. February 19, 2004. Austen, Jane. Emma. 2001st ed. New/54864>.