3 page English Essay
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drama_essay_homework.docENG 1020
Drama Essay
Directions:
Analyze in depth, Hills like White Elephants, in an essay of 850-1200 words. (If you would like to analyze a work not studied in class, it must be a work of literary fiction, and must be approved by me first. Otherwise, it will not be graded.)
· Analyze a film adaptation of one of the stories we read in class in terms of the degree to which the film altered the original story, and the specific techniques employed in adapting the story to the screen.
· You should focus on differences between the story and the film relative to differences between the two different media, as opposed to simply judging one as “better” than the other.
· Discuss how the filmmaker(s) adapted the story’s plot, character, setting, dialogue, and theme (you may discuss all of these elements, or you may choose to discuss just a couple of them).
· Discuss how each of these elements translate onto the screen. (Consider the elements of the film such as motion, light, color, movement, editing and its effect on narrative time, sound (including musical score and soundtrack), characters/actors, and special effects.)
· The paper should include reference to specific passages from the literary work, as well as specific scenes from the film.
· Include a Works Cited page.
More about this essay…
For this assignment, you will compare the film version of a story to the original, which you will have carefully read, then write an essay utilizing critical analysis as well as comparison/contrast methods. Be certain to describe and quote from both enough to make clear how print and cinema interpret events, characters and ideology. A key component of your essay could be a discussion of the resultant strengths (and possibly weaknesses) in each work due to narrative techniques employed and artistic choices made. Almost any other comparison/contrast analysis of part or all of the two works is possible. Your evaluative judgment of the overall merits of the literary work and the film could be a natural outgrowth of your examination although that should not be the sole focus.
You will consider the movie differs from the story, if at all; how the director and actors chose to represent its characters and key issues; and what the movie adaptation suggests about its audience and the culture at the time and place it was adapted. This is a fairly open-ended assignment. This is because the issues will differ depending on the stories each of you select. Some tweaking of this assignment is expected. You may, for instance, choose to engage in a critical exploration of the issues represented in your story and its adaptation. Be creative – just remember that critical thinking and careful analysis are the keys.
Remember to ask yourself, was the screenplay written by the author of the original text? Is the screenplay faithful to the original text? Do the filmmakers complicate or complement the story line through the use of special effects, flashbacks, recurring image motifs, or other visual schema?
Drama Essay Steps:
1. Read the original story.
2. Watch the film and take notes: what are the similarities? What are the differences?
3. Read the original story again. Take notes. What similarities and differences do you notice upon the second read?
4. Watch the film again. Take more detailed notes. Transcribe dialogue that you may want to use as evidence in your essay.
5. Decide which elements/devices you want to focus on in your essay—character? plot? setting? dialogue? symbolism? Elements of film such as editing, voiceover, camerawork, soundtrack, etc?
6. Speculate: why did the screenwriter(s) and/or the director make these choices? (Sometimes the screenwriter and director are the same person. Sometimes they are not. If they are not the same person, it’s up to you whether you want to credit the screenwriter or director with the choices that were made. We don’t have time in this short drama unit to discuss the intricacies of each of these jobs.) Use this website to find detailed information about these films (and all films!) http://www.imdb.com/
7. Speculate some more: How do the changes made affect the theme of the original work?
8. Research: Look up interviews with the director, screenwriter(s), or anyone else who will provide insight. Your essay can be part analysis, part research. It’s up to you. Just make sure you cite ALL of your outside sources.
9. Outline your essay. It will look something like this:
I. Intro- summarize the film in relation to the original story
Thesis- answer the question: To what extent does the filmmaker stay true to the original theme(s) and how?
II. Device 1: For example, characters
How do the characters in the film compare to the characters in the original piece? What changes were made? Why? How does this impact the theme? Use evidence from both the original story and the film.
III. Device 2: For example, plot
How does the plot of the film compare to the characters in the original piece? What changes were made? Why? How does this impact the theme? Use evidence from both the original story and the film.
IV. Device 3: For example, elements of film
How do the elements of film (such as voiceover, camera work, soundtrack, and editing impact the theme? Use evidence from both the original story and the film.
Original Story
file:///C:/Users/hannah/Documents/Hills%20Like%20White%20Elephants%20-%20Ernest%20Hemingway.pdf
Film
