The Austenian Heroine Reimagined: Clueless (1995) and Emma. (2020) in Debate

Abstract

[eng] Jane Austen’s novels have had a pervasive influence on society, cinema and television up to the present day. For instance, the remarkable adaptability of her comedy of manners entitled Emma (1815) in terms of plot and themes to modern contexts allows for varied reinterpretations and transformations while preserving its core elements. This final research project examines how the protagonists of two films adaptations of Austen’s Emma, Cher in Clueless (Heckerling 1995) and Emma in Emma. (de Wilde 2020), have been portrayed in terms of their femininity and how they correlate with the postfeminist and fourth-wave feminist context of their times, respectively. This paper argues that Cher epitomises the archetypal postfeminist heroine of the 1990s, with her inherent contradictions, whereas the latest adaptation of Emma showcases a much more humanised character with an updated feminist attitude which resonates with the ideals of fourth-wave feminism, despite being set in the same temporal framework as the protagonist from the source text. All the same, both film adaptations have made distinctive contributions to the feminist movement: Clueless reclaims activities commonly associated with women and young girls, such as shopping and beauty, highlighting their empowering connection to personal identity and opposing second-wave feminists. Nonetheless, problematic discourses and certain gender stereotypes which can be regarded as detrimental to women and feminism are still perpetuated in the film, albeit with a parodic undertone. Conversely, Emma. has transformed a 19th-century character into a protagonist with an assertive attitude, who resists the societal expectations imposed on women, managing to retain Austen’s essence while infusing the protagonist with a fresh and unique quality