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ENGL 108C |
Accelerated First-Year Composition |
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Assignments - The Play - Novel & Movie - The Research Paper Online Writing Lab (OWL) |
Compare and Contrast Essay We have read Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and watched Milos Forman’s 1975 film adaptation of it with Jack Nicholson as McMurphy and Louise Fletcher as the Big Nurse. Every film adaptation is, first and foremost, an interpretation of the literary text by the director and it involves certain choices that are significant in the reception of the new text (the film). The reason for most people’s frustration in film adaptations of literary classics is an instinctive search for a one-to-one correspondence between the literary text and the film adaptation. However, it should not be forgotten that film uses a totally different medium (the audio-visual media) than the written text and it requires certain changes. Directors sometimes choose, for practical purposes, to delete a scene that might be very important in the novel, or they might decide to shift the focus of the narrative from one character to another. Or, in other cases, they might totally change the historical and geographical setting while preserving the plot. The purpose of this essay assignment is, while considering the novel and the movie as two related but independent texts, to look at similarities and differences between the two and to expand upon how these differences affect our appreciation and interpretation of these texts. You will need to especially look at narrative point of view, presentation of important characters, setting, important elements of plot and themes. Then you will need to discuss how similarities/differences in these aspects influence your reception of the texts in relation to each other. Part of your essay might also address how successfully the film converts the components of the novel from one medium to another while preserving the essential core of the story. However, your purpose is not just to evaluate the second text (film) on the basis of the first one(novel); you will need to consider them as texts created by different people, for different purposes. Grading Criteria First of all, since this is an essay assignment, your paper should have a well thought-out organization with an introduction that includes your thesis statement, a development in which you expand upon different points you decide to discuss in relation to the novel and its film adaptation, and a conclusion which wraps up your discussion. Secondly, your paper should reflect an intelligent and sophisticated analysis of both the novel and the film, which goes beyond plot summary and description of characters. You should discuss differences (and similarities) between the two texts only if they influence your interpretation of these two as independent literary texts composed in different media. Thirdly, if you decide to use direct quotations, you should use a proper citation style when you are quoting from the novel or the movie. Lastly, of course, your revised essay should be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Format Your essay should be between 1000-1250 words long, typed, double spaced, page numbered and stapled together. You should put your name on the top left corner of the first page. Due Dates You will need to bring an electronic copy of your draft to class on Monday, November 6th. You will need to e-mail your draft to me after peer-review. Your revised essay is due on Monday, November 13th. * Please feel free to contact the writing lab if you need extra help at any stage of your writing.*
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