Harvard Extension School Expo E-25; Section 6 (7:30PM-9:30PM)

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Harvard Extension SchoolExpo E-25 Section 6
(730PM-930PM)

• Instructor Julie Anne McNary
• Please check your Elluminate Audio Wizard
• We will begin at 730PM.

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Harvard University Extension SchoolSpring
Semester 2012

• Expository Writing E25 Introduction to Academic
  Writing and Critical ReadingAnalyzing the Short
  Story

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Overview

• Final Drafts of Essay 2 due this evening at
  midnight in the dropbox
• To that end, there are 3-4 of you to whom I owed
  clarifying comments (Irina, Kelli, M.B., etc.),
  so please stay after class.
• Choices for your Final Paper Adaptation
  Assignment class discussion.
• Essay 3 Sample Papers
• Voting for how we spend 4/16-4/23.

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Book-Film Comparisons for Essay 3

• The Age of Innocence, novel by Edith Wharton and
  1993 film of the same name
• Breakfast at Tiffanys, novel by Truman Capote
  and 1961 film of the same name
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, short story
  by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 2008 film of the
  same name
• Election, novel by Tom Perrotta and the 1999 film
  of the same name
• Fight Club, novel by Chuck Palahniuk and the 1999
  film of the same name
• The Great Gatsby, novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  and the 1974 film of the same name
• Little Children, novel Tom Perrotta and the 2006
  film of the same name
• Mystic River, novel by Dennis Lehane and the 2003
  film of the same name
• Gone Baby Gone, novel by Dennis Lehane and the
  film of the same name
• Push, novel by Sapphire and the 2009 film
  Precious, based thereupon
• Room with a View, novel by E.M. Forster and the
  1985 film of the same name
• Twilight, novel by Stephanie Meyer and the 2008
  film of the same name
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins and the 2012
  film of the same name
• Suggestions from the class for 3 additional
  offerings will be considered.
• Extra Credit Options
• Heart of Darkness, novella by Joseph Conrad, and
  the 1979 film Apocalypse Now based thereupon
  (must also use Hearts of Darkness A filmmakers
  Apocalypse, as well)
• Little Women, novel by Louisa May Alcott, and
  two films of the same name (1949 and 1994)
• The Odyssey, poem by Homer, and the 2000 film O
  Brother, Were Art Thou? based thereupon.

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ESSAY 3Adaptation Paper

• An Comparative Analysis of a Short Story,
  Novella, or Novel Adapted into a Feature-Length
  Film

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Preliminary Class Choices

• Group discussion

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The Structure of Your Final Paper

• First, you should briefly summarize the novel,
  short story, or novella you chose
• Second, summarize the film, playing more specific
  attention to the differences between the two.
• Thesis paragraph
• Body paragraphs organized in one of three ways
• Topic/Theme specific addressing both book/film
• Topic/Theme specific, but alternating first
  addressing book, then film, and so on.
• Y-shaped a few t/t-specific focused on book,
  followed by a few t/t specific focused on film,
  followed by a few focused on both.
• Regardless, all of the above would need topic
  sentence, evidence and analysis.
• Conclusion

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Remember.
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What is Adaptation?

• In their book, Adaptation Studying Film and
  Literature, John Desmond and Peter Hawkes write
  that adaptation is the transfer of a printed
  text in a literary genre into film.
• Even when the adapter attempts to transfer the
  original story to film as closely as possible,
  film is another medium with its own conventions,
  artistic values, and techniques, so the original
  text is transformed into another work of art.
• Adaptation, then, is an interpretation
• Microcosmic versus Macrocosmic Analyses of
  Adapted Texts and Films

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The Problem of AdaptationFrom Story, by Robert
McKee

• Three main media for telling stories
• Prose (short stories, novels, etc.)
• Theatre (plays, musicals, opera, ballet, etc.)
• Screen (films and television)
• Novels/stories best dramatize inner conflict,
  shown through the language of thoughts, feelings,
  etc.
• Theatre best dramatizes personal conflict, show
  through pure dialogue (80 for the ear, 20 for
  the eye.)
• Films best dramatize projected extra-personal
  conflict close-ups engage subtleties in facial
  expression, emotions, etc. that theatre cannot
  express. Dialogue becomes far more nuanced, etc.
  etc. Full exploration of human beings engaged
  with their setting, societies, etc.
• As an example of the difference, think of how
  quickly prose can be translated into a series of
  images, whereas it can take a thousand words to
  express the essence of one image.

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Macrocosmic versus Microcosmic Analysis from Text
to Film
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Essay 3 Exercise 3.1 Plot Due in two weeks
4/9

• First read the book/story in question in detail
  and write a one-page plot summary thereof.
• Then, see the movie(s) in question and write a
  one-page plot summary thereof.
• JUST ON THE LEVEL OF PLOT, write a page or two
  about what the similarities and differences
  between the book/story and the film
• Sequence of events (are they in the same order?)
• What scenes are left out, added, enhanced,
  diminished?
• Characters left out, added, enhanced, diminished?
• Setting changed, enhanced, diminished?
• Brainstorm for a paragraph or two about why the
  filmmakers might have made these decisions about
  plot, and how in your opinion, those decisions
  strengthened, weakened, ruined, etc. the original
  story.

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Essay 3 Exercise 3.2 Character Due in Two
Weeks 4/9

• After reading the book, focus in on the
  protagonist.
• Write a one-page character analysis thereof i.e.
  a close-reading of this character alone.
• Then, after seeing the film, write a one-page
  character analysis of the protagonist therein.
• Then do the following
• Write a list of all key characters in the book
• Write a list of all key characters in the film
• Take the top three characters in each and
  compare/contrast their respective roles.
  Consider the book the primary source and the film
  the secondary. How well does the film adhere to
  the book regarding character? do the characters
  in the book change in the film? are they used
  differently?
• Brainstorm about why the film makers may have
  made the decisions above about character.

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Exercise 3.3 Due in Three Weeks, 4/16

• Write to very brief summaries of the book and
  film.
• Then choose three elements between the two that
  you would like to microanalyze (example one
  character, one element of setting, one plot
  point, one scene or any combination of the
  above).
• Make sure these three elements can be related to
  each other in some meaningful way to help you
  construct a larger macro-argument about the
  overall adaption you are studying.
• Write your Thesis
• Outline your body paragraphs (similar structure
  to E2)
• Conclusion should be a macro response to the
  above

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The Odyssey and Oh Brother, Where art thou?

• Character Odysseus versus Ulysses Everett McGill
  
• Similarities both tricksters, both leaders, both
  experience terrible luck, both cursed and pursued
  by a god-like figure (Poseidon and Sherriff
  Cooley).
• Differences Odysseus was protected and aided by
  Athena, Odysseus was a King, Odysseus was a
  warrior, Odysseus was of noble birth, etc. etc.
• Setting Ancient Greece versus Mississippi during
  the Great Depression
• Plot point Odysseus is plagued by floods and the
  sea whereas Everett is saved by a flood.
• Plot point Odysseus wins his wife back, whereas
  Everett does not fully do soor at least we are
  left unsure, because of the missing ring.

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Potential Unifying Themes

• Nobility and a Sense of Honor versus Desperation
  and Materialism
• Luck versus Accountability
• Loyalty versus the lack thereof i.e. what traits
  in Odysseus character engender such loyalty,
  versus the traits in Everetts character that do
  not
• Honor versus Materialism
• The influence of humor in both stories

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Essay 3

• Class Samples

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Class Vote on 4/16-4/23

• Option A We have class, and despite vast
  differences in projects, try to find a common
  ground.
• Option B Depending on the projects you have
  chosen, we break the class time up into half-hour
  sessions, during which we meet in small groups.
• Option C we cancel class, and work solo, but
  each of you must agree to schedule an uber
  conference with me 1 hour plus.