Values And Restrictions Of Their Respective Societies example essay topic

Emma by Jane Austen is set in Highbury, a small village in England in 1815 while Clueless by Amy Heckerling sets Cher in multicultural Beverly Hills LA. Both Emma and Cher are the protagonist heroines of Emma and Clueless respectively. They are constrained by the values and restrictions of their nature and background. Emma is constrained by classicism and position within a society while Cher is constrained by the 20th century society i.e. Wealth and image.

Various language techniques have been transformed into Film techniques so as to suit the modern 20th century audience. Satire a literary technique used frequently by Jane Austen has been transformed effectively by Heckerling so as to emphasize the values and restrictions of their societies. Emma is set in the village of Highbury, a rural representation of early 19th century English life while Clueless is set in the last 20th century, multicultural Beverly Hills, USA. In Emma, there is a hierarchical social structure based on birth and property, the professions of law, military, clergy and medicine are represented as the second tier of the society with the tradesmen, tenant farmers and servants beneath them. Money and professional success are the criteria for social status and respect in clueless e.g. Mel Horowitz is very busy and successful litigation lawyer, His daughter Cher has an affluent lifestyle depicted through shots of her "classic 1972 "house, expensive and trendy car and extensive computer coordinated wardrobe.

Both the heroines are afraid of stepping outside their society, they are afraid of the consequences, they are afraid of losing their own social position. In Emma, Emma had to decide whether or not she should attend the Coles's party because by going to their party it might lower her statues due to the Cole's lower statue. This occurs in Clueless when Cher is deciding whether she should make a cameo in the valley party, she feels that the valley party is a waste of time and not up to class. Throughout her novel Emma Austen shows various traits that her society valued. Marriage, manners, education and wealth were amongst these.

Woman who had no chance of getting married and winning economic security had to depend on charity or would have to work as a governess, therefore most young ladies spent all of their time and effort looking for a suitable husband. If a husband was of a lower social degree, it was seen as a failure. Emma was horrified at the thought of Harriet marrying lower than she ought, to Mr Martin, and says with relief after her having refused the proposal, "It would have grieved me to lose your acquaintance, which must have been the consequence of your marrying Mr Martin". Among the most important values of Highbury and of the society in general were well-bred manners.

Examples such as: "Her person was rather good... but neither feature, nor air, nor voice, nor manner were elegant". ; and "As for Mr. Elton his manners did not appear". show how poor manners can deplete from other's view of a person, while a quote such as. ".. the expectation of seeing him which every morning had brought, the assurance of his attentions, his liveliness, his manners... ". show how good manners contribute to a generally positive judgment of a person. Miss Augusta Hawkins is a woman that Emma does not much like, but society in general accepts her and her marriage to Mr. Elton, largely attributing to the fact that she is wealthy, "The charming Augusta Hawkins, in addition to all the usual advantages of perfect beauty and merit, was in possession of an independent fortune, of so many thousands as would be called ten; a point of some dignity, as well as convenience; the story told well; he had not thrown himself away - he had gained a woman of 10 000 L. or thereabouts". The values of marriage, manners and wealth all compliment each other and are deeply associated, for example, the quality of a good marriage match is attributed to whether the partner has more money or better manners. Jane Austen shows that the role of women is severely limited their social and economical status dependent on fathers, husbands or brothers. This importance is emphasized as a means of providing economical security and status for women it also improves one's rank in society and is a mean of ensuring social stability. Compared to clueless although young women are more independent and outspoken social acceptance and popularity is still a priority.

Cher discusses the advantages and disadvantages of attending the valley party just like Emma when she is deciding whether or not she should attend the Cole's party. Social interactions, e.g. Balls, picnics, dinner, card parties etc. are designed to facilitate and promote suitable matches and Emma's preoccupation with matchmaking is not unusual. In Clueless being popular depends on being seen at the right parties, in the right clothes and with the right partner. The obsession with image is shown as part of the modern culture and inspires Cher's preoccupation with makeovers which "gave her a sense of control in a world of chaos". Both authors expose a prevailing anti intellectual attitude to women through Cher's endeavor to read one non-school book a week beginning with "Fit or Fat" and her propensity to argue her grades and Emma's discarded lists of improving books and unfinished sketches. The lack of social awareness and responsibility is presented by Cher's idea of contributing to society as "donating expensive outfits to Lucy".

Even in her "enlightened" state, Cher's donations to the Pismo Beach disaster e.g. Donating expensive Skiing equipment show that Cher is still clueless. This contrast with Emma where when the Wood houses give food to the Bates it may seem minor the effect and the motivation are highly valued. Both authors present a microcosmic view of the world, Emma's world is limited to Highbury with only passing references to London while Cher relates the case of the Haitian refugees to her father's 50th birthday party. The main threat to the happiness of the heroines is their own lack of awareness. Austen criticize the triviality of female lives, the obsession of matchmaking and marriage and the propensity to judge people accordingly to social rank rather than individual worth, but she leaves us in doubt of the correct moral and social values and those that threaten to undermine society. Heckerling presents a post modern world where there is an absence of an essential truth and agreed values and an emphasis on individualism and consumerism.

However this is ironically still a world which subscribes to the Cinderella syndrome, the belief that people are meant to be together and that Cher will be "saved" by Josh. There is a limited but significant movement in society as seen by the decline into genteel poverty of the Bates and the rising influence and therefore status of the Coles and Robert Martin. Society imposes moral obligations on the individual and duty, honesty, consideration and responsibility are enforced through rigid conventions. Respect and admiration is accorded to those who demonstrate moral and social responsibility. We can see the changing values over the 180 years between texts. Though marriage and manners are still valued by Heckerling's Clueless society, it is not to the same degree as in Emma.

The most significant reason for such a change in values is due to the main value of the 1990's being individuality, so basically 'anything goes'. This is a vast leap from Austen's time, where conformity was the biggest rule to popularity. Values must correspond with the values of the time and place that the text is created. Changing contexts show a stark contrast in culture, and particularly in values, which can be shown most clearly through the comparison of Jane Austen's Emma, reflecting values of 1815, and Amy Heckerling's film Clueless, reflecting values of the 1990's. Emma and Cher are constrained by the values and restrictions of their respective societies.

Although within their society they are at the top, in reality they are clueless, they have no idea about the outside world because of their societies and values. They are afraid of losing their high statue and position if they left their society, their family also restricts them to certain places disallowing them to experience more things.