9th Honors Literature
The Interlopers: Comparing Media
ELACCL9-10RL7: Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums,
including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment
How Can Two Different Types of Media Tell The Same Story?
It can be strange to think that a book that can literally take days to read can be made into a film that lasts
only a couple of hours. One reason for this is that many things that take a lot of description from a book's
author can be shown much more quickly when visually depicted. The only problem with this is that when
you see this visual depiction of the author’s words, you are seeing their interpretation. When reading a
book, the story is within the reader’s imagination and can be interpreted in many different ways
(Bluestone, 1957). Many directors and screen-writers also shorten their film adaptations by omitting
certain parts of the story that they do not see as vital to the plot or the film’s message.
You have read the short story The Interlopers by Saki. Now you will compare the text to a film
based on the story.
Watch the short film The Interlopers by Ben Hurst at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upw0e5j2uJg
ASSIGNMENT:
After both reading and viewing The Interlopers, write a brief essay in which you compare the media
in which the story was presented: text and film. In the essay, use at least 3 current vocabulary
words and 2 past vocabulary words.
Here are some questions to consider, but do not simply answer each question in order. Use these
questions to think about your opinion, and then write a cohesive essay that explains your ideas.
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Think about the setting of the story. Did the setting in the film look like you had imagined it? If
not, how was it different?
Think about the characters. How are they different than you had imagined? How were they the
same?
What parts were in the story but were not in the film? Why do you think the people who made the
film left those parts out?
Were there any parts that were in the film that were not in the story? Why do you think the
people that made the film added those parts?
What was the most effective change in the film version? Why?
Do you think the people who made the film did a good job of portraying the story? Why or why
not?
Which did you enjoy more, the story or the film? Why?
Writing Your Comparison / Contrast Essay
1. Establish a basis for comparison beyond one is a film and one is a written story. List the
similarities and differences among the characters, setting, dialogue, etc.
2. Determine whether you want to emphasize the similarities or the differences.
3. In the introduction, begin with at Title, Author, Genre sentence. Then give a brief summary (2
sentence maximum) of the plot. Evaluate which medium is better. Then add the thesis statement.
4. Your thesis statement should indicate the emphasis of your essay and identify the subjects of
comparison.
 Example: Despite the fact that television and radio are distinctly different media, they use
similar strategies to appeal to their audiences.
 Example: Although Melville’s Moby-Dick and London’s The Sea Wolf are both about the
sea, the minor characters, major characters, and themes of Moby-Dick establish its greater
complexity.
5. Be sure to treat the same elements for each medium. If you talk about characters in the story, you
must talk about characters in the film.
6. Use one of the following strategies for structuring the body paragraphs:
 Subject-by-Subject Comparison—This is basically a separate essay about each subject,
but it discusses the same points for both subjects.
Body Paragraph 1 Topic—the short story
BP1 Point 1—characters
BP1 Point 2—setting
BP1 Point 3—dialogue
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Body Paragraph 2 Topic—the film
BP2 Point 1—characters
BP2 Point 2—setting
BP2 Point 3—dialogue
Point-by-Point Comparison—This makes a point about one subject and follow it with a
similar point about the other subject. This pattern alternates throughout the essay until all
points are made.
Body Paragraph 1 Topic—the characters
BP1 Point 1—the short story
BP1 Point 2—the film
Body Paragraph 2 Topic—the setting
BP2 Point 1—the short story
BP2 Point 2—the film
Body Paragraph 3 Topic—the dialogue
BP3 Point 1—the short story
BP3 Point 2—the film
7. The conclusion should be brief. Include the So What? factor. Why do we care to look at a story
in two mediums? How is it helpful?