Characters Of Emma And Cher example essay topic

Clueless. Does it embrace unhealthy philosophies? Plugged in Film Reviews, is of the opinion that. ".. the creative forces behind Clueless chose to exploit the immorality of a generation". However, upon critical analysis of Heckerling's contemporary film, one appreciates that Clueless does not in fact embrace unhealthy philosophies at all.

On the contrary, it exposes and criticises them. By adopting a satirical tone on modern day society, Heckerling successfully transforms to film Jane Austen's 19th century 'classic of good taste, 'Emma'. Both the film Clueless and the novel Emma focus on the potential of each character to become a better person. Through various situations and the relationships between the characters, the composer presents an image of teenagers 'behaving badly', who eventually learn from their mistakes and who are, consequently, able to adopt quite solid social values. Clueless is a film not to be missed. The reviewers initial character attack focuses on Cher, a sixteen year old girl, who is accused of being 'manipulative', 'superficial', a substance abuser, a liar and a cheat.

Certainly, she does appear to be these things at first glance, but she changes when she falls in love with Josh (in his early twenties) who has a more mature outlook towards life. Gradually Josh is able to influence her perspective on life when he says things to her like '... maybe Marky Mark wants to use his popularity for a good cause, make a contribution. In case you have never heard of that, a contribution is the giving of... ' This particular quote changes Cher's perspective to use her popularity for good causes. Cher's equivalent in the novel Emma is the character Emma herself.

Austen depicts Emma as fairly frivolous and snobbish yet she too changes under the influence of Mr Knightly who is a good ten years older than she is. When they discuss the situation of Mr Martin and Harriet and Emma wishes them every happiness, Mr Knightley notes that she is 'materially changed', and she replies I hope so - for at that time, I was a fool. ' This may be a transformation of characters from the context of Emma into that of Clueless, but the values being portrayed are identical. Both females mature and become better people. Lifestyles are also criticised by the reviewer. Clueless is accused of endorsing lax attitudes towards marriage and risky sex.

Cher's father has been married three times and many of her friends are permissive with their sexuality. Even though she is surrounded by these sorts of values, Cher makes a conscious decision to live her life in a more moral manner. She has gone against the conventions of her peer group. Likewise, Emma also goes against the conventions of her society by not looking, neither actively nor passively, for a husband. Marriage, in fact, would not do for her. It would be incompatible...

She would not marry, even if she were asked by Mr. Knightley. Although her wealthy status allowed her this freedom, it is also an indicator of her strong will and character. The world of Clueless might be perceived as centring on materialism and obviously the reviewer thinks this because again he / she has totally missed the message. The film transforms the world of Emma where the rich are happy and the poor are not into its modern context where every contented teen must have a mobile phone, a car, trendy clothes, lots of money and what everyone else has, to live a truly worthwhile life. This though is not the real message of the film. The responder is meant to realise that possessions do not bring happiness - love brings happiness.

Cher and Josh, and Emma and Mr knightley all learn this after a series of circumstances enlighten them. Cher is no happier with the latest clothes than Emma is with the latest gossip in the end. Again we have a transformation of characters and context, but maintenance of true values within both texts. The criticism of popular youth culture is another weakness of the review of Clueless. The whole point of the film is that it would attract an audience who would be able to relate to it and perhaps find themselves altering their behavior as a consequence of viewing it. Obviously the audience is seeing typical teenagers who eventually will grow up and become responsible adults just as we know Cher will be.

Emma metamorphoses from a silly interfering young woman into an attractive marriage partner for Mr Knightley. The message is that most people have an innate goodness that will be enhanced by contact with other good people. The reviewer has completely missed this point. Finally, the reviewer condemns the superficial reflection on the excesses of a single group of high school students.

Again, the reviewer has failed to recognise and acknowledge the purpose of focusing on a microcosm. Heckerling focuses on the behavior of this mini-teenage world so as to minutely examine and demonstrate the changes and development of characters in relation to themselves and others. In addition to, it is also easier to be satirical about modern values than in a macrocosm. Cher, being the main character of Clueless primarily demonstrates this transubstantiation from a superficial character to a character with more depth and meaning. In the climaxed scenes of the film, it is realised that Cher finds true happiness in her love for Josh than she finds in the unimportant excesses of her life. This too is a parallel message that is derived from Emma.

In Emma, another exhibit of a microcosm, Emma finds more happiness in her love for Mr Knightley than she does in her excesses of her life. These ideals that both Austen and Heckerling wanted to portray would have been much harder to exhibit in a macrocosm than in a microcosm where change in each character's personalities is much more obvious. Furthermore, Heckerling transforms these ideals from Austen not only to criticise modern society but also to satirist the way teenagers in Beverly Hills, and another microcosms alike, behave and to show how they can improve. Both the characters of Emma and Cher are self-centred and conceited but the fact that they are capable for the admiration of their fathers's hows that they have the possibility of goodness in them. They are counter-balanced with this quality of being good. It is their redeeming quality that leads to a better person in the end.

The review, however, doesn't acknowledge this change and therefore the weakness within the review is that it only focuses on the initial superficial images and fails to recognise the important substantial messages of the film.