Adapting to the novel- learning
Sample questions A
1. In the context of our module, what is meant by fidelity and how can it be used in
adaptation criticism?
The quality of being faithful. (Hermansson, Casie.)
- as a goal (from the perspective of film production)
- as evaluation (from the perspective of reviews)
- as comparison (from the perspective of adaptation studies)
2. How can narrative point of view be translated from novel to film?
3. Name and briefly explain 3 characteristic elements of a costume drama.
- Life in the past is less complicated
- Life in the past is not about politics, or religion or sex (or only in a funny way- like
religion in Emma is presented as a joke)
- Period drama offers a model, it explains what it means to be (a woman, English, a
good person, etc.)
- Period drama must offer something, anything, it must have a purpose, it is not
mere entertainment.
- (and otherwise; historical setting & authentic costumes, character development,
attention to detail and production design)
4. Why would you consider Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a children’s novel? Give 3
reasons.
Grensby rules for children literature
- Readership: written for children (as we see them today)? Ony by children? Adults too?
Why?
- Textual qualities: tone, child focalizer, round child character, taking childs pov seriously
- Product: marketed for kids?
- Origin: told by individual adult to child?
- Aim: fusion of education & entertainment
5. There’s a cameo of Coppola in Apocalypse Now: briefly describe the scene and explain why
it is relevant.
, - When: His cameo occurs during the scene at the Do Lung Bridge, a chaotic and surreal
setting. In this scene, Captain Willard (played by Martin Sheen) encounters a group of
soldiers engaging in various activities, including surfing and playing music, and filming;
the director is Coppola.
- Why: his cameo serves as a subtle yet poignant commentary on the complex nature of
war and the role of media in shaping our understanding of it. metafictional layer
Sample questions B
2. Hutcheon argues that viewers and readers appreciate “repetition with variation” or “the comfort
of ritual combined with the piquancy of surprise.” To what extent does this apply to Heart of
Darkness & Apocalypse Now?
- In summary, both "Heart of Darkness" and "Apocalypse Now" demonstrate a balance of
repetition with variation, offering audiences the comfort of familiar themes and narrative
structures while injecting surprises through shifts in setting and adaptation choices. This
dynamic interplay contributes to the enduring appeal of these works for viewers and
readers alike.
3. It has been suggested that non-diegetic music can function as a less intrusive voice-over. Discuss
with reference to High Fidelity.
- While a traditional voice-over might interrupt dialogue or action, non-diegetic music can
achieve similar narrative effects without directly interfering with character interactions.
It operates in the background, subtly influencing the viewer's emotional response and
understanding of the story without dominating the visual or verbal elements.
- example: "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. In the film, this classic soul track plays during
a scene in which the protagonist, Rob Gordon (played by John Cusack), reflects on his
romantic relationships and contemplates his feelings. The use of "Let's Get It On" in this
context acts as a subtle commentary on the romantic and sexual themes in the scene
Theories
Week 1
Welles (in Stam) ‘’If one has nothing new to say about a novel, why adapt it?’’
int: an adaptation is a new body of work, with a new ‘’author’’, so there will be a new
interpretation of the story. If the story does not need to be changed in some way, why adapt it?
Adapting (OED) The action or process of adapting one thing to fit with another, or suit specified conditions, esp.
a new or changed environment, etc.; (also) an instance of this.
Adaptation ( the audience must experience the adaptation as an adaptation. Adaptations are about the ways
Linda Hutcheon) that we tell each other the same stories.
1. Adaptation is repetition, but repetition without replication.
2. Adapting a formal entity: Medium: text (novel) → film . . ., Time: early →
later, Place: (national) culture → (national) culture,
3. Process of creation & interpretation, reception
4. Intertextual, inherently palimpsestuous (Adaptions are part of a network,
every adaptions take different elements from different adaptations)
Sample questions A
1. In the context of our module, what is meant by fidelity and how can it be used in
adaptation criticism?
The quality of being faithful. (Hermansson, Casie.)
- as a goal (from the perspective of film production)
- as evaluation (from the perspective of reviews)
- as comparison (from the perspective of adaptation studies)
2. How can narrative point of view be translated from novel to film?
3. Name and briefly explain 3 characteristic elements of a costume drama.
- Life in the past is less complicated
- Life in the past is not about politics, or religion or sex (or only in a funny way- like
religion in Emma is presented as a joke)
- Period drama offers a model, it explains what it means to be (a woman, English, a
good person, etc.)
- Period drama must offer something, anything, it must have a purpose, it is not
mere entertainment.
- (and otherwise; historical setting & authentic costumes, character development,
attention to detail and production design)
4. Why would you consider Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a children’s novel? Give 3
reasons.
Grensby rules for children literature
- Readership: written for children (as we see them today)? Ony by children? Adults too?
Why?
- Textual qualities: tone, child focalizer, round child character, taking childs pov seriously
- Product: marketed for kids?
- Origin: told by individual adult to child?
- Aim: fusion of education & entertainment
5. There’s a cameo of Coppola in Apocalypse Now: briefly describe the scene and explain why
it is relevant.
, - When: His cameo occurs during the scene at the Do Lung Bridge, a chaotic and surreal
setting. In this scene, Captain Willard (played by Martin Sheen) encounters a group of
soldiers engaging in various activities, including surfing and playing music, and filming;
the director is Coppola.
- Why: his cameo serves as a subtle yet poignant commentary on the complex nature of
war and the role of media in shaping our understanding of it. metafictional layer
Sample questions B
2. Hutcheon argues that viewers and readers appreciate “repetition with variation” or “the comfort
of ritual combined with the piquancy of surprise.” To what extent does this apply to Heart of
Darkness & Apocalypse Now?
- In summary, both "Heart of Darkness" and "Apocalypse Now" demonstrate a balance of
repetition with variation, offering audiences the comfort of familiar themes and narrative
structures while injecting surprises through shifts in setting and adaptation choices. This
dynamic interplay contributes to the enduring appeal of these works for viewers and
readers alike.
3. It has been suggested that non-diegetic music can function as a less intrusive voice-over. Discuss
with reference to High Fidelity.
- While a traditional voice-over might interrupt dialogue or action, non-diegetic music can
achieve similar narrative effects without directly interfering with character interactions.
It operates in the background, subtly influencing the viewer's emotional response and
understanding of the story without dominating the visual or verbal elements.
- example: "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. In the film, this classic soul track plays during
a scene in which the protagonist, Rob Gordon (played by John Cusack), reflects on his
romantic relationships and contemplates his feelings. The use of "Let's Get It On" in this
context acts as a subtle commentary on the romantic and sexual themes in the scene
Theories
Week 1
Welles (in Stam) ‘’If one has nothing new to say about a novel, why adapt it?’’
int: an adaptation is a new body of work, with a new ‘’author’’, so there will be a new
interpretation of the story. If the story does not need to be changed in some way, why adapt it?
Adapting (OED) The action or process of adapting one thing to fit with another, or suit specified conditions, esp.
a new or changed environment, etc.; (also) an instance of this.
Adaptation ( the audience must experience the adaptation as an adaptation. Adaptations are about the ways
Linda Hutcheon) that we tell each other the same stories.
1. Adaptation is repetition, but repetition without replication.
2. Adapting a formal entity: Medium: text (novel) → film . . ., Time: early →
later, Place: (national) culture → (national) culture,
3. Process of creation & interpretation, reception
4. Intertextual, inherently palimpsestuous (Adaptions are part of a network,
every adaptions take different elements from different adaptations)
