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.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Independent Reading Film Blog
Plot-
The plot of the movie was almost identical to the short story, from the quotes to the experiences the characters have. Some critical things did change though, such as Chris rescuing Teddy from the train rather than Gordie. Because of this switch, the reader is not able to know what feelings it evoked between Chris and Teddy because we are limited to what Gordie's thoughts are. A scene that was not in the short story at all was Gordie's Yankees' cap, a cap he loves because it was given to him by his dead brother, being stolen by Ace Merrill before they even leave town. This added scene goes against the almost apathetic feelings that Gordie had for his brother in the short story. It said that he didn't even cry at his funeral, while Gordie seems pretty torn up about the loss in the film. This switch can change the audience's attitude toward Gordie. While the movie adds the last scene, it takes away an important one in the book. When Gordie goes to get food in the movie, he does not get in a skirmish with the store owner over his brother. This scene was important to revealing Gordie's character and yearning to break away from under his brother's shadow, but the movie does not allow the viewer this knowledge.
Point Of View-
Like the short story, the movie is told from an adult Gordie's point of view. It was important to keep it this way in the movie because it reveals the other characters very well. Gordie knows his friends very well, and this allows the readers to know them, too. At the beginning of the movie, it shows Gordie reading about Chris' death. Because the movie is in his point of view, we know that he cared very much for Chris. It gives it a emotional element that the reader or viewer can relate to. This point of view is important to the work as a whole because it reveals the character's inner turmoils, rather than simply telling about their journey to find a dead body. It would still be good if that were the case, but it would not grasp the audience as it does.
Characterization-
The characterization is revealed mostly through the interactions of the characters rather than Gordie's inner thoughts, like in the short story. This mode worked better for the movie because if everything was revealed through the narrator's voice in the background, it would have made for a boring movie. It is a good idea for writing, but not for something that people want to view. While the mode of characterizing was changed, the actual characters themselves did not change. Teddy was still the son of a crazy veteran who did stupid stunts, Chris was still the tough guy with a big heart and Gordie's best friend, and Vern was still the odd fat kid who was always scared to try stuff. If one element of the character's had changed, it would have been a negative effect because the author of the short story, Stephen King, created them as they were meant to be.
Setting-
The setting is the same. The town is still Castle Rock, Oregon, and they are still going to the Back Harlow Road. The take the same train tracks, go to the same dump, and the movie keeps all of the elements of setting. This helps to stay with the theme of young boys, in a time before people worried about kidnappers on every corner, setting out to find their own rite of passage. It was important to stay with this setting, because it went from their safe little homes and tree house to an uninhabited forest with wild plants and animals. They were breaking away from safety, and venturing out to find something new, a lesson which the reader appreciates.
Theme-
The theme also stayed the same. The boys find what they are looking for, and come to the realization that they are no longer innocent. They have seen something mature, and they feel very strongly about it. The theme is rite of passage, a fairly common one, but it is taken to a new level through the short story, and the movie continues this idea. Had the theme changed in any way, the story would not be as powerful as it was. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was such a powerful story to people who had already gone through a similar rite of passage. The characters do not realize what they are in for, but the reader does. Seeing a dead body for the first time must be one of the most humbling experiences. And the fact that the movie kept this aspect of the short story the same is a very good thing.
The plot of the movie was almost identical to the short story, from the quotes to the experiences the characters have. Some critical things did change though, such as Chris rescuing Teddy from the train rather than Gordie. Because of this switch, the reader is not able to know what feelings it evoked between Chris and Teddy because we are limited to what Gordie's thoughts are. A scene that was not in the short story at all was Gordie's Yankees' cap, a cap he loves because it was given to him by his dead brother, being stolen by Ace Merrill before they even leave town. This added scene goes against the almost apathetic feelings that Gordie had for his brother in the short story. It said that he didn't even cry at his funeral, while Gordie seems pretty torn up about the loss in the film. This switch can change the audience's attitude toward Gordie. While the movie adds the last scene, it takes away an important one in the book. When Gordie goes to get food in the movie, he does not get in a skirmish with the store owner over his brother. This scene was important to revealing Gordie's character and yearning to break away from under his brother's shadow, but the movie does not allow the viewer this knowledge.
Point Of View-
Like the short story, the movie is told from an adult Gordie's point of view. It was important to keep it this way in the movie because it reveals the other characters very well. Gordie knows his friends very well, and this allows the readers to know them, too. At the beginning of the movie, it shows Gordie reading about Chris' death. Because the movie is in his point of view, we know that he cared very much for Chris. It gives it a emotional element that the reader or viewer can relate to. This point of view is important to the work as a whole because it reveals the character's inner turmoils, rather than simply telling about their journey to find a dead body. It would still be good if that were the case, but it would not grasp the audience as it does.
Characterization-
The characterization is revealed mostly through the interactions of the characters rather than Gordie's inner thoughts, like in the short story. This mode worked better for the movie because if everything was revealed through the narrator's voice in the background, it would have made for a boring movie. It is a good idea for writing, but not for something that people want to view. While the mode of characterizing was changed, the actual characters themselves did not change. Teddy was still the son of a crazy veteran who did stupid stunts, Chris was still the tough guy with a big heart and Gordie's best friend, and Vern was still the odd fat kid who was always scared to try stuff. If one element of the character's had changed, it would have been a negative effect because the author of the short story, Stephen King, created them as they were meant to be.
Setting-
The setting is the same. The town is still Castle Rock, Oregon, and they are still going to the Back Harlow Road. The take the same train tracks, go to the same dump, and the movie keeps all of the elements of setting. This helps to stay with the theme of young boys, in a time before people worried about kidnappers on every corner, setting out to find their own rite of passage. It was important to stay with this setting, because it went from their safe little homes and tree house to an uninhabited forest with wild plants and animals. They were breaking away from safety, and venturing out to find something new, a lesson which the reader appreciates.
Theme-
The theme also stayed the same. The boys find what they are looking for, and come to the realization that they are no longer innocent. They have seen something mature, and they feel very strongly about it. The theme is rite of passage, a fairly common one, but it is taken to a new level through the short story, and the movie continues this idea. Had the theme changed in any way, the story would not be as powerful as it was. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was such a powerful story to people who had already gone through a similar rite of passage. The characters do not realize what they are in for, but the reader does. Seeing a dead body for the first time must be one of the most humbling experiences. And the fact that the movie kept this aspect of the short story the same is a very good thing.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
"The Body" by Stephen King
1. Plot
This story is about four young boys who go on the hunt for a dead body. It is told at a quick, action-packed pace with interruptions for the narrator's reminiscences. These interruptions take a look at the boys' adventure through a older, much more mature eye. These analyses of the narrator's younger days help the reader to realize that this is a rite of passage story. "There's a high ritual to all fundamental events, the rites of passage, the magic corridor where the change happens", and the narrator only realizes this after the events have long been past. As the young boy Gordie, he only sees it as a trip that he and his buddies are going to make during the last stretch of their summer. This plot of finding a dead body seems to symbolize the boy's finding themselves, and at the same time finding the "dead innocence" within themselves. Over the course of two days, they engross themselves in deep conversation and childlike rough-housing all at the same time. The plot is an element of this story which is hardest to explain, because it is complex, just as the feelings that Gordie was experiencing were.
2. Point of View
"The Body" is told in first person point of view. This is important to the emotion of the story. If someone who had not experienced all that Gordie had, they would not be able to display it with such conviction as to make the reader feel it themselves. Also, Gordie is older, and tells the story of his younger days, which are twenty years past. This gives him a new perspective on what happened during the two days he went on a trip to find a dead body. This point of view reveals less about the inner workings of Chris, Vern, and Teddy as would an omnicient point of view, but it also gives it the feel of being told a story by someone real. Obviously, Stephen King is not Gordie, but the story feels like something that really could have happened. It is impossible to look back on memories, as the narrator does, and not see how you've changed. And so the reader is discovering all of these long lost memories and new angles on them at the same time as the author.
3. Characterization
Most of the characters are revealed through Gordie's understanding of them. Gordie himself seems like a pretty typical boy, although the reader knows that he has a very interesting mind by the way he is able to make up intricate stories. Gordie describes Chris as the tough guy of the group, but his true character is also revealed through his interactions with other characters. He is the first to comfort Teddy, he tried to return the lunch money he had stolen, and he doesn't want to hold Gordie down with their friendship. These elements of his character show him to be sensitive. Teddy reacts poorly to Milo Pressman when he calls his father crazy, he defends his father and is proud of his service on the beaches at Normandy, and he always dreams of joining the armed forces. This shows that he is not spiteful of his father, even though he burned him badly, and feels that others should be as appreciative as he is. Vern is an odd character, and there doesn't seem to be a deepness about him as there is with Chris and Teddy. He is an odd kid, always digging for pennies, and he is a scaredy-cat, always running from danger when they are faced with it. All of the characterization is done through either Gordie's opinions of his friends, or his viewing of how they react to others and how others reacts to them.
4. Setting
The setting of this story is Labor Day weekend of 1960. It is summer time, and the weather is on an incredibly long hot streak. The story is set in small town Maine, where not everything is developed and stretches of raw nature can still be found. All of these elements are important to the story. The fact that it is Labor Day means that the school year is coming soon. These characters do not have much time left to make adventures such as this one, and so they want to get it done while they can. 1960 was also a much calmer time. Neigborhoods were less scary and parents where more likely to not worry when they didn't see their children for two days, as long as they "knew" where they were. The hot weather makes the journey that much more difficult, showing the boys yearning to see the dead body of Ray Brower. And the fact that they are venturing into barely explored territory means that they will be completely on their own. All of these elements mean that these boys are leaving behind all comfort, all certainty that they will be safe, in an attempt to mature themselves and enjoy some time together to grow up.
5. Theme
The theme of this short story is that death is always something in the future, and so you must live while you can. The boys go to discover this body, thinking that it will be a cool adventure and something that they will be able to say they've experienced. But when they actually see the body of Ray Brower, they are silent and reverant. Seeing someone your own age who is dead is a rude awakening. It made the characters, especially Gordie, realize that they are not immortal and it could have just as easily been them. Gordie sums it up best when he says that "the kid was can't, don't, won't, never, shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't." All of those things which we as human beings plan on experiencing but put off for another time might not come to be. Gordie realized the sorry truth about death- that it means not getting to live. It sounds like a simple and obvious thing, but by live I mean experience all of the things there are to experience in life. Make a way for yourself, fall in love, get in trouble, all of those things. And so the theme of this novel is important to it's overall meaning because it gives the reader the idea to hold on to while they read about the adventure.
This story is about four young boys who go on the hunt for a dead body. It is told at a quick, action-packed pace with interruptions for the narrator's reminiscences. These interruptions take a look at the boys' adventure through a older, much more mature eye. These analyses of the narrator's younger days help the reader to realize that this is a rite of passage story. "There's a high ritual to all fundamental events, the rites of passage, the magic corridor where the change happens", and the narrator only realizes this after the events have long been past. As the young boy Gordie, he only sees it as a trip that he and his buddies are going to make during the last stretch of their summer. This plot of finding a dead body seems to symbolize the boy's finding themselves, and at the same time finding the "dead innocence" within themselves. Over the course of two days, they engross themselves in deep conversation and childlike rough-housing all at the same time. The plot is an element of this story which is hardest to explain, because it is complex, just as the feelings that Gordie was experiencing were.
2. Point of View
"The Body" is told in first person point of view. This is important to the emotion of the story. If someone who had not experienced all that Gordie had, they would not be able to display it with such conviction as to make the reader feel it themselves. Also, Gordie is older, and tells the story of his younger days, which are twenty years past. This gives him a new perspective on what happened during the two days he went on a trip to find a dead body. This point of view reveals less about the inner workings of Chris, Vern, and Teddy as would an omnicient point of view, but it also gives it the feel of being told a story by someone real. Obviously, Stephen King is not Gordie, but the story feels like something that really could have happened. It is impossible to look back on memories, as the narrator does, and not see how you've changed. And so the reader is discovering all of these long lost memories and new angles on them at the same time as the author.
3. Characterization
Most of the characters are revealed through Gordie's understanding of them. Gordie himself seems like a pretty typical boy, although the reader knows that he has a very interesting mind by the way he is able to make up intricate stories. Gordie describes Chris as the tough guy of the group, but his true character is also revealed through his interactions with other characters. He is the first to comfort Teddy, he tried to return the lunch money he had stolen, and he doesn't want to hold Gordie down with their friendship. These elements of his character show him to be sensitive. Teddy reacts poorly to Milo Pressman when he calls his father crazy, he defends his father and is proud of his service on the beaches at Normandy, and he always dreams of joining the armed forces. This shows that he is not spiteful of his father, even though he burned him badly, and feels that others should be as appreciative as he is. Vern is an odd character, and there doesn't seem to be a deepness about him as there is with Chris and Teddy. He is an odd kid, always digging for pennies, and he is a scaredy-cat, always running from danger when they are faced with it. All of the characterization is done through either Gordie's opinions of his friends, or his viewing of how they react to others and how others reacts to them.
4. Setting
The setting of this story is Labor Day weekend of 1960. It is summer time, and the weather is on an incredibly long hot streak. The story is set in small town Maine, where not everything is developed and stretches of raw nature can still be found. All of these elements are important to the story. The fact that it is Labor Day means that the school year is coming soon. These characters do not have much time left to make adventures such as this one, and so they want to get it done while they can. 1960 was also a much calmer time. Neigborhoods were less scary and parents where more likely to not worry when they didn't see their children for two days, as long as they "knew" where they were. The hot weather makes the journey that much more difficult, showing the boys yearning to see the dead body of Ray Brower. And the fact that they are venturing into barely explored territory means that they will be completely on their own. All of these elements mean that these boys are leaving behind all comfort, all certainty that they will be safe, in an attempt to mature themselves and enjoy some time together to grow up.
5. Theme
The theme of this short story is that death is always something in the future, and so you must live while you can. The boys go to discover this body, thinking that it will be a cool adventure and something that they will be able to say they've experienced. But when they actually see the body of Ray Brower, they are silent and reverant. Seeing someone your own age who is dead is a rude awakening. It made the characters, especially Gordie, realize that they are not immortal and it could have just as easily been them. Gordie sums it up best when he says that "the kid was can't, don't, won't, never, shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't." All of those things which we as human beings plan on experiencing but put off for another time might not come to be. Gordie realized the sorry truth about death- that it means not getting to live. It sounds like a simple and obvious thing, but by live I mean experience all of the things there are to experience in life. Make a way for yourself, fall in love, get in trouble, all of those things. And so the theme of this novel is important to it's overall meaning because it gives the reader the idea to hold on to while they read about the adventure.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Miss Brill
Personal: While reading this story, I envisioned not a young woman, but maybe someone in her 40's. She describes other people as old. It is not until the end that the reader gets any sort of physical description and this is important. She is really an old lady herself, which helps to reveal the importance of her delusion. She feels like she is an actress on the stage. But the young people at the end only give a brief description of her because it is revealed only through their dialogue. The old fur that she is wearing is a symbol of herself. And at the end of the story, when she hears it crying, it is herself crying.
Once Upon a Time
Question #6: In the story's final paragraph, the boy gets tangled in the very thing installed to protect him. The paragraph reveals the overall meaning of the story- that there is such a thing as over-protection. They were attempting to keep danger out, when they really invited it in. Society is always telling us to install alarm systems and gates and barbed wires. But all of these things trap us in as much as they keep danger out. There has to be a happy medium. It is implied that black people are the robbers they are trying to keep out. In the end, the black workers are the ones who save the boy. Another theme of this story is not to be prejudice.
A Worn Path
Question #6: In regards to why the student would ask if the grandson was really dead, my answer is this. Most people read the story without looking deeper. In real life, whether or not the grandson is alive would matter. There would be repurcussions to her having a dead body. The way she was viewed by her townspeople would change. But if you look further, in a literary way, whether or not the grandson is dead does not hold much weight. The author's response to the question, "Phoenix is alive", shows this theory. Phoenix's character, her mannerisms, and the reactions of others to her presence are more important. The only way to find the true meaning of a work is to look under the surface.
Eveline
Personal: While reading this story, I went along with the girls idea of getting away from her mundane life. She describes her unhappy childhood and home life, althoughshe says they aren't so bad. She talks of the foreign country that this fellow who is well-acquainted with the world will take her to. As her excitement and pensiveness builds, so does the reader's. And yet, when the time comes to take a leap to somewhere she's never been before, she doesn't. After all of that time spent planning she can't do it. This was very disappointing, and my first reaction was to question why the author bothered to write such a boring outcome. But, this story was more like real life because of its ending and offers a life lesson. When we don't take that leap, we miss out on extraordinary things. It is easier to realize in a character than in our own lives.
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