Once Upon A Time

Plot
       To lengthen the story so that it could fit a full movie time, I would add more of the author's day. Rather than starting with her in bed, I would run through her day, including her reading about the man down the street who had been killed. Also, when she begins her story, I would have it start with a quick run-through of how the father and mother met. It would still be very fairytale-esque. It would be a similar style to the beginning of the animated Disney movie "Up". I would also add a scene at the end which shows the mother and father watching as workmen take down the barbedwire and uninstall the alarm systems.

Setting
       The author would live in a fairly new suburban area. All of the houses would seem clean and neat, but they would be covered with "No Trespassing" signs. It might feature a scene which shows the author, in a nice car, driving into a gated community with beggars at the entrance. For the story part of the movie, the setting would be the same as what the text describes. The houses would all be large, and it would show various brands of alarm systems throughout the neighborhood. It might show an empty park or basketball court because the children are not allowed to play out in the neighborhood. The house they live in would be very locked up, with locks on cabinets and closet doors that requires a key. It would also be mid-spring, with blooms everywhere, but no one paying much attention to them.

Point of View
       The point of view would need to stay the same because the whole point of the short story is that the author is telling herself a story. Her sarcastic tone and the fairytale phrases are important to keep. The point of view shows us that the author is scared in her own home. However, by showing how overprotectiveness can be just as bad, she brings herself comfort. All people tell themselves comforting things when they get scared, so it makes the whole idea of it more relatable. The point of view could not be changed to that of the father, mother, or child because they are flat characters in the story and should remain that way. By giving one of them narration, it would give them a connection with the reader, which would be harmful to the feeling of the story. In keeping them flat, the reader can see the tragic accident at the end as more of a lesson than the emotional scene it would otherwise be.

Characterization
       The author would have her characterization reveals mostly through her reactions and interactions with other people. We would also be able to hear her inner thoughts, which would reveal that she is a very sympathetic person. We would hear that she feels bad for the beggars at the end of her community, but she is scared to offer them help. As for the characters in the fram story, they would have as little as possible revealed about them. They would live the cookie-cutter lifestyle, but not be perfect. The parents would not really pay much attention to the boy. The boy would not have a sense of the poor lifestyle that some people in his community live in.

Theme
       The theme of this story is overprotectiveness. I think this is important, especially in the high-crime world of today. It is only right to keep the theme intact. People long for the olden days, when you knew all of your neighbors' names and let the summer breeze in through the windows at night. Instead, we try everything to be the oppostie. We lock our windows up tight and avert our eyes when we cross people on the street. The theme of the story should be the same in the movie because it has a clear purpose. It seeks to warn us about the direction our society is going in if we don't change our ways.