Themes in Emma and Clueless Wealth Class and Charity * The aristocracy in Emma had a ‘noblesse oblige’ to help the less fortunate. * The class system and aristocracy didn’t function because many ignored their ‘noblesse oblige’. * Mr Knightley is the ideal aristocratic gentleman of 18th Century England. * Cher and the wealthy in Clueless are the modern equivalent of Emma’s gentry. * Cher knows little of poor and charity and doesn’t feel that she has a ‘noblesse oblige’.
This is odd as the object of her affections is her husband,whom has no feelings towards her. He is undeserving of her love,as Emilia could be offering all this love to one whom actually deserves it. This is a good character trait in Emilia. Due to her not getting the love she wants from husband, she develops the belief that women should be able cheat on there husbands. Subsequently they had a rocky relationship,even though
The two heroines being contrasted are Emily Grierson and Alice Kingsleigh. Emily Grierson truly wanted to get married and meet men, but while her father was alive, she was not permitted to socialize and meet men. “We remembered all the young men her father had driven away…” (Faulkner 4) Due to her father’s overprotectiveness, she did not know how to flirt with men, so when a fellow by the name of Homer came by, she fell in love with him knowing that he was not the marrying type. Instead of using her charms to win him over, she lost all confidence once her
Unfortunately, her characteristics hurt the friendship most important to her, that of Harriet Smith. Although Harriet does not voice the issues she has with Emma, it is evident that she is hurt. In the very beginning, the reader can acknowledge Emma’s blindness to Harriet’s feelings. When Mr. Martin, a nice suitable man, proposes to Harriet, Emma has a conniption. She imagines her best friend marrying a gentleman, not a farmer.
He is so blinded by his luxurious possessions that he does not see that money cannot buy love or happiness. The author argues that the common, and false, perception of the American Dream is that wealth, happiness, and a trouble-free life go hand-in-hand. However, through diction, foreshadowing, and irony, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a dream can become corrupted by one’s focus on acquiring wealth, power, and love. From the very beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald creates the illusion in Gatsby’s mind that wealth automatically generates happiness. When Fitzgerald envisions, “however glorious might be his future… he was at present a penniless young man without a past…” (149).
One way in which the theme of power is displayed is through wealth, one way in which this is shown is when Claudio asks Don Pedro at the very end of the exposition “how much is she worth?” This suggests that Hero may not be worth the effort of Claudio because wealth was the one thing that made a marriage or a relationship worthwhile because in those times without money, you were powerless and weak. Although the way that Claudio talks about Hero makes it seem that he would settle down regardless of the place that Hero stood in society; this suggests that Claudio has truly fallen in love with Hero and as it is said there is nothing more powerful than true love, this also reinforces the symbolism and idealism of true love and the power that this has over people’s lives causing them to act without regard for others just to get their objective which in this case is Hero. Throughout the Great Gatsby Wealth is displayed as leading to power, one example of this is a few pages into chapter one where Gatsby is explaining about Daisy and her life. ”Her husband, among various physical accomplishments, had been one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven – a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savours of anti-climax.” This suggests that to Tom; Daisy is just an object and can be easily
It was said that the greatest night of their lifes is when they marry and lose their virginity to their beloved husband. “ Without sexual purity, a women was no women but rather a lower form of being “fallen women” unworthy of love of her sex and unfit for their company” ( Lavender 2). It was unlikely at this time for the unfit “fallen women” to get married. However in “A Respectable Women”, Mrs. Baroda defies the role of purity when she desires her husband’s friend. In the short story “A Respectable Women” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Baroda the leading women goes against her purity and faithfulness to her husband because she was his friend Gouvernail.
To start off financial studies have shown, “Overall, consumer debt in America has increased by a whopping 1700% since 1971” (Michael, Infowars.com). This large increase, in spending money we don’t have has to do with the creation of credit cards and inability to be content with what we have. The frivolous spending has become the American way, because if we don’t have the money that’s ok, just charge it to the credit card. The Federal Reserve calculated that, “Americans are carrying a grand total of $798 billion credit card debt” (Michael, Infowars.com). The use of credit cards has become a sickness in America, which has spiraled a majority of the population into mound of debt.
On the outside, The Great Gatsby seems to be a story about a twisted love affair and nothing else. In reality, though, Fitzgerald is subliminally showing the many changes happening during the 1920s socially, and how it affected the idea of the “American Dream.” In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the strives for wealth and status, which defined the American Dream during the roaring 20s, and which continues to be defined as a desire for wealth, success, and status today. The Great Gatsby was written soon after World War II. After World War II, there was a great economic boom which left many people suddenly rich, people referred to as “new money.” There quickly came to be a distinct difference between the “new money” group of people and people who were previously wealthy. What used to be “the pursuit of happiness” turned into a pursuit of money and greed.
He always had some resolves like this or something’”(173). Gatsby works and works for his wealth, his whole life spent in a quest for monetary success and eventually Daisy after “he wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath”(110). And although he has these things for a small amount of time, it is important to look at the situation after Gatsby is killed. One of the most important factors of his funeral is that: “Nobody came”(174). He did not truly make any friends through his wealth, and his money is no use to him now that he is dead.