NOTE: If your essay displays obvious evidence of being written by AI, you will
receive a poor or failing grade. Do Your Own Writing.
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to help you to understand more completely
the unique characteristics of film as an art form by writing an essay comparing a motion
picture to its literary source. (comparison and contrast) Your comparison must go beyond
the basic mechanics of changes to the adaptation from book to film. Consider the mise-
en-scene, character representation, soundtrack, etc. in how the literary work is adapted for
the screen. How are elements of the book’s narrative adapted into visual form?
(Use ONLY a live-action films, no animation, No Graphic Novels or Comics)
Length: The length of this essay is to be at least seven (full) typed/word-processed
pages, double spaced, no larger than 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman.
(APA or MLA formatted)
Sources: In addition to the film itself and the novel upon which it is based, please consult
at least four other sources from film oriented publications, (not the class textbook). You
must give full credit for all sources used by including references in the body of the
paper, either by footnote or endnote, and by listing a full bibliography at the end of
the paper.
Other resources you may wish to consult: Film and Literature by Morris Beja,
Novels into Film by George Bluestone, Film and Literature: An Introduction by
Timothy Corrigan
Most of you paper should be devoted to a specific comparison of the novel and the film.
In your essay you will want to consider and address the following if they apply:
1. The addition or elimination of characters
2. Changes made to the narrative
3. Changes in settings
4. Changes in emphasis or focus
Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation. It is expected that your paper will be free of
spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. I will mark all that I find and reduce your
final grade accordingly.
Voice and Tone: Your essay is to be written the third person analyzing the content and
making comparisons and contrasts with the two texts and citing research sources when
applicable. This paper is not about you or your feelings about doing the assignment,
it is about what you can understand and communicate about the adaptation process.
Other instructions: Go to the website “Based on the Book.”
(www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies) and select a film that has been adapted from a
novel or short story. Read the novel or story, then see the film. Write an essay that
compares and contrasts the film version to the original text. Describe the principal
differences between the original and the film and explain why these differences exist.
Evaluate how effectively the style, tone, and content of the original work has been
captured on film. Feel free to judge which version is better and then defend your opinion
using what you have learned from the class, readings, etc. (No Graphic Novels or
Comics) While graphic novels are an amazing literary form, they share much in common
with the visual art form of cinema and such comparisons would stray from the primary
focus of this assignment.
Plagiarism: It is extremely important that you do all of your own work.
If you quote from another source or use the ideas of someone else, you must give full
credit in an endnote citation. If you do not give full credit for all sources used, you might
be guilty of plagiarism. If any portion of your paper is plagiarized, you will receive a
zero for the entire assignment and I will submit your name to the university for
disciplinary action. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, please see me right away.
Furthermore, if there is obvious evidence of the use of AI in the writing of the essay,
you will risk a low grade or failing of the assignment.
