Change is inevitable, but in society, how much is really changed, and how much remains the same? Although Emma by Jane Austen and Clueless directed by Amy Heckerling were created almost two centuries apart, the underlying themes and values are still similar, if not, the same. In both texts, the importance of social class has a great influence on the characters and the actions of these characters would often depend on another’s social class. Marriage and relationships also play a big role in both texts, as the main characters of both texts are searching for a relationship for either themselves or their friends. The gender roles of males and females also contribute greatly in these texts, as the two genders are portrayed extremely differently.
In Emma, one of the most important things Emma looked for when searching for a partner for her friend Harriet. In the novel, Harriet was offered marriage by Mr Martin, but she was forced to turn him down by Emma and instead she tried to get Harriet and Mr Elton together. This, however, did not work out, as Mr Elton was of a much higher social status and did not want to be associated with Harriet in that way. In the end, Harriet still married Mr Martin, and this turned out to be better than Emma had thought, as Harriet and Mr Martin were of a similar social status and were fairly compatible for each other.
Similarly, in Clueless, social hierarchy in high school mattered a lot to Cher when picking a boyfriend for her friend Tai. She disapproved of the mutual attraction between Tai and Travis in the beginning, as she thought that Travis was just a skateboarding slacker, and was in no way good enough for Tai, so instead, she started pushing Tai towards Elton. This does not work out though, as Elton’s family is of a far wealthier background, and when Cher tells Elton her plan to get him and Tai together, he simply states, “Do you