FICTION AND FILM FINAL PROJECT As usual, include a separate title page and try to come up with an engaging title for your essay. Provide specific examples (including short quotations from the novel and references to the film) to support your generalizations. Maintain a focus throughout the essay and keep in mind all aspects of strong writing: clarity, organization, development, unity, coherence, and mechanics (punctuation, spelling, etc.).

This essay should be 8-10 double-spaced typed pages (200-250 lines).

The focus of the essay is to compare and contrast a film adaptation with the novel on which it is based. Consider such questions as the following:

What changes were made in the film: additions; deletions; and expanded/diminished scenes, characters, themes, moods, etc.? (Dont just list the changes. Consider the following two questions regarding the nature of the changes.) What are the likely reasons for the major changes in the film? (For example, is the change dictated by a difference in the nature of the film/written medium? Is it a conscious aesthetic choice to highlight certain elements of the original? Is it due to commercial pressures or time restraints?). What is the effect of the changes on the film viewer (aesthetic, emotional, etc.)? What challenges are involved in adapting the novel to the screen, and how successful do you feel the director has been?

Does the director search for visual and aural parallels to elements in the novel?

To what extent do you think the film captures the spirit or essence of the novel? Do you consider one more powerful than the other and, if so, in what ways? (You may also consider how well the film functions as a work of art in its own right.) Your essay should consist of three parts:(1) A brief plot summary of the novel for your general reader not familiar with the literary work (a 1-2 paragraph overview and not a recounting of every event in the novel). I would recommend having a separate introduction in which you deal with some aspect of the film adaptation process before summarizing the plot.(2) A critique of the film adaptation. Consider the questions above. (This part should comprise one-half to two-thirds of the essay.)(3) An analysis of a certain aspect of the film adaptation. For example, you might focus on the nature of the plot, setting, point of view, character, dialogue, theme, imagery, symbolism, tone, style, etc. You may also focus on an aspect of the film such as the directing, acting, screenwriting, cinematography, or film score. In this part of the essay, be as specific as possible, backing up generalizations with references to the film adaptation and the literary work. (This part should be one-third to one-half of the essay.)