Amy Heckerling's Treatment Of Women In Clueless

Amy Heckerling- writer and director of ‘Clueless’- chose to appropriate Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ to show the audience the themes that are relevant to the twenty-first century by presenting it in a modern format. The main themes Heckerling wanted to explore was the role of women in a patriarchal society, the importance of social class, the universal and timelessness of folly and the role of marriage. In discussing the themes stated, we can clearly see that Heckerling chose ‘Emma’ for specific reasons.

The theme of the role of women in a patriarchal society is one of the main reasons Heckerling wanted to appropriate ‘Emma’. Heckerling wanted to show that the theme was just as important in the twenty-first century as it is in Austen’s time. In a

Heckerling wanted the audience to see that social class may still exist in today’s society but is not as prominent in ‘Emma’. During ‘Emma’, Austen highlights the theme of social class and its importance, as shown when Mr Weston marries Miss Churchill- who is someone who is above his social class. Although both were happy with each other, their marriage did not end well since society shunned the couple. Social class is also another reason why Mr Elton never took Harriet seriously; Mr Elton revealed his true personality through revealing his socially conscious temperament, stating that “everybody has their level” but thinks he is “not, quite so much at a loss” (p. 132). Inclusive language is used in this dialogue to highlight that every individual in society would be judged and placed into classes. Mr Elton’s remark reveals his socially conscious temperament and he takes account of an individual’s place in society. In the same way, ‘Clueless’ also shows- although social class is not as prominent as it is in ‘Emma’- social class still exists. This is shown when Elton suddenly pulls over, shocking Cher that Elton is socially aware, stating that Tai and Elton will “never make sense” but Cher and Elton “makes sense”. This scene reveals Elton’s socially conscious temperament, which is shown amplified through the use of repetition from the phrase “make sense”. With the use of