Literary Adaptations 9/20/2018 Assignment for Embedded Honors Essay (See the back for novel and film choices, and reading, prewriting, and drafting schedule.) KEY DUE DATES: Thesis due 10/31 (Share your thesis on the EH blog); First draft for peer review by 11/12; Second draft due by 11/19. When you re-see your film, ask yourself questions like these: (Consult pages 37-46 in your textbook for other questions.) General: —Why, in the deepest sense, was this film made? (What themes emerge from the movie?) —What is the subject matter, and what is the film's attitude to the subject and to life in general? —How are words used in the film? —What is the acting like? Mise en scene: —How do people, actions, and environments appear in the world of this film? —How does the setting/staging contribute to our understanding characters, conflict, or theme? —How does the lighting affect our understanding of the film? Sound: —What sounds (ambient, offscreen/onscreen, silence, etc.) are used in scenes? To what effect? — Are there moments when a sound accentuates or compliments an image? — How is music used? (Is it nondiegetic?) Cinematography: —How is the film shot and put together? — What kinds of shots do you notice? (Highangle, extreme long shot, etc.) What is the effect? —What do you notice about the composition of shots within a scene? DEVELOP A THESIS: After you have established and examined the relationship between the original source and the adaptation, evaluate and analyze some of the choices made in translating the original to the final product. Your focus must go beyond "like/dislike" and/or "good/bad" discussions of adaptations. Consider the criteria we have discussed in class to evaluate the adaptation, and present those criteria in ways your audience can understand. A strong thesis: establishes the primary opinion/argument; is arguable/can be disagreed with; provides a roadmap for your paper. ESTABLISH ASPECTS FOR COMPARISON: Then, choose two or three short sequences from anywhere in the film and novel text, and use close description and analysis of these “passages,” showing how they back up, clarify or extend what you argue in your thesis. Don't discuss everything about every shot in your sequence, but notice things relevant to your thesis. Do your best to write a finished paper, as complete and polished as possible. NUTS and BOLTS: Your essay must be 5-7 pages typed and double-spaced, with an appropriate MLA heading and descriptive title. Develop a clear, arguable thesis statement, and include concise, effective context in your introduction to set it up. Use well-developed supporting paragraphs with ample evidence and analysis to support your thesis, and use effective transitions. Include a works cited page for both the story and the film sources. NOTE: Include a minimum of four sources, so you’ll need to use at least two credible and relevant outside sources. (The film and the original source each count as a source.) Be sure to use MLA documentation to document all ideas not your own to avoid plagiarism. Literary Adaptations Embedded Honors Novel/Film Assignment As per the honors contract, you will read an additional story and view the film adapted from it. Here is the list of original fiction and film adaptations to choose from: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Philip Dick) / Blade Runner (dir. Ridley Scott) Solaris (Stanislaw Lem) / Solaris (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, or version by dir. Stephen Soderbergh) Ivan (Vladimir Bogomolov) / Ivan’s Childhood (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky) The Forged Coupon (Leo Tolstoy) / L’Argent (dir. Robert Bresson) Billy Budd (Herman Melville) / Beau Travail (Claire Denis) The Trial (Franz Kafka) /The Trial (dir. Orson Welles) Macbeth (William Shakespeare) / Throne of Blood (dir. Akira Kurosawa) Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austin) / Sense and Sensibility (dir. Ang Lee) Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)/ Abismos de Pasion (dir. Luis Bunuel) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)/ Apocalypse Now (dir. Francis Ford Coppola) A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)/ A Clockwork Orange (dir. Stanley Kubrick) Begin to peruse these works, and select a story to start reading by Thursday, September 20. Each embedded honors student will explore a different story. Schedule of Assignments and Due Dates for EH Essay Reading and Prewriting Begin reading your novel: 9/21 First reading response about an element of fiction: 10/3 Second reading response about an element of fiction: 10/10 Finish reading story and post final reading response about an element of fiction: 10/17 NOTE: Post reading responses on the blog Film Viewing and Prewriting Finish reading story: 10/17 Watch film adaptation by: 10/23 Compare/contrast prewriting: 10/26 Essay Assignment Thesis Due: 10/31 (Share the thesis on our blog.) First essay draft due: 11/12 (Share with Mr. Chapin, and with a peer on Google Docs for a peer review) Revised essay draft (second) due for teacher assessment: 11/19 NOTE: At the Embedded Honors meeting during power hour on September 20 we will discuss the reading and writing assignment.
