book and movie essay

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55 Writing about the Novel: Film Comparison

You began the process of writing your literary comparison paper in the Introduction to the Novel chapter by choosing an essay, reading it carefully, and writing a personal response. In this chapter, we will move through the remaining steps of writing your paper.

Step 3: Choose a Film for Comparison

The key to a good comparison essay is to choose two subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison is not to state the obvious, but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities.

When writing a film comparison paper, the point is to make an argument that will make your audience think about your topic in a new and interesting way. You might explore how the novel and the film present the theme…or how the novel and the film explore the identity of a main character…or…the options are limitless. Here’s a quick video giving you a little overview of what a film vs novel comparison might look like:

To this end, your next goal is to choose a film adaptation of your novel. Some novels may only have one, but some have many that have been created over the last 100 years! Your adaptation could be a feature film, a YouTube short, or an indie film. Choose one that allows you to make an interesting point about the portrayal of the theme of the novel and the film.

Step 4: Research

Once you’ve chosen a second piece, it’s time to enter into the academic conversation to see what others are saying about the authors and the pieces you’ve chosen.

Regardless of the focus of your essay, discovering more about the author of the text you’ve chosen can add to your understanding of the text and add depth to your argument. Author pages are located in the Literature Online ProQuest database. Here, you can find information about an author and his/her work, along with a list of recent articles written about the author. This is a wonderful starting point for your research.

The next step is to attempt to locate articles about the text and the film themselves. For novels, it’s important to narrow down your database choices to the Literature category. For essays, you might have better luck searching the whole ProQuest library with the ProQuest Research Library Article Databases or databases like Flipster that include publications like newspapers and magazines.

Finally, you might look for articles pertinent to an issue discussed in the novel. For example, The Grapes of Wrath is about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, but it also contains an environmental theme. Depending on what aspect you want to highlight in your comparison, you might look for articles about the Great Depression or about farming and the environment.

Remember, it is helpful to keep a Research Journal to track your research. Your journal should include, at a minimum, the correct MLA citation of the source, a brief summary of the article, and any quotes that stick out to you. A note about how you think the article adds to your understanding of the topic or might contribute to your project is a good addition, as well.

Step 5: Thesis & Outline

Similar to other academic essays, the film comparison essay starts with a thesis that clearly introduces the two subjects that are to be compared and the reason for doing so.

This video highlights some of the key differences between novels and films:

Begin by deciding on your basis for comparison. The basis of comparison could include items like a similar theme, differences in the focus of the piece, or the way both pieces represent an important issue.

This article gives some helpful advice on choosing a topic.

Once you’ve decided on the basis of comparison, you should focus on the points of comparison between the two pieces. For example, if you are focusing on how the literary elements and the cinematic elements used impact the message, you might make a table of each of these elements. Then, you’d find examples of each element from each piece. Remember, a comparison includes both similarities and differences.

By putting together your basis of comparison and your points of comparison, you’ll have a thesis that both makes an argument and gives readers a map of your essay.

A good thesis should be:

Statement of Fact: “The novel and the film of Pride and Prejudice are similar in many ways.”
Arguable: “The film version of Pride and Prejudice changes key moments in the text that alter the portrayal of the theme.”
Personal Opinion: “‘The novel is definitely better than the movie.”
Provable by the Texts: “Both the novel and the film focus on the importance of identity.”
Obvious: “The movie provides a modern take on the novel.”
Surprising: “Though the movie stays true to the original themes of the novel, the modern version may lead viewers to believe that the characters in the book held different values than are portrayed in the novel.”
General: “Both the novel and the film highlight the plight of women.”
Specific: “The novel and the film highlight the plight of women by focusing on specific experiences of the protagonist. “

The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience. You may organize compare-and-contrast essays in one of the following two ways:

Block: Organize topics according to the subjects themselves, discussing the novel and then the film.
Woven: Organize according to individual points, discussing both the novel and the film point by point.

Exercises: Create a Thesis and Outline

You’ll want to start by identifying the theme of both pieces and deciding how you want to tie them together. Then, you’ll want to think through the points of similarity and difference in the two pieces.

In two columns, write down the points that are similar and those that are different. Make sure to jot down quotes from the two pieces that illustrate these ideas.

Following the tips in this section, create a thesis and outline for your novel/film comparison paper.

Here’s a sample thesis and outline:

Step 6: Drafting Tips

Once you have a solid thesis and outline, it’s time to start drafting your essay. As in any academic essay, you’ll begin with an introduction. The introduction should include a hook that connects your readers to your topic. Then, you should introduce the topic. In this case, you will want to include the authors and title of the novel and the director and title of the film. Finally, your introduction should include your thesis. Remember, your thesis should be the last sentence of your introduction.

In a film comparison essay, you may want to follow your introduction with background on both pieces. Assume that your readers have at least heard of either the novel or the film, but that they might not have read the novel or watched the film–or both–…or maybe it’s been awhile. For example, if you were writing about Pride and Prejudice , you might include a brief introduction to Austen and her novel and an introduction to the version of the film you’ve chosen. The background section should be no more than two short paragraphs.

In the body of the paper, you’ll want to focus on supporting your argument. Regardless of the organizational scheme you choose, you’ll want to begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. This should be followed by the use of quotes from your two texts in support of your point. Remember to use the quote formula–always introduce and explain each quote and the relationship to your point! It’s very important that you address both literary pieces equally, balancing your argument. Finally, each paragraph should end with a wrap up sentence that tells readers the significance of the paragraph.

Here are some transition words that are helpful in tying points together:

Transition Words for a Comparison Essay
Comparison	Contrast
One Similarity	One Difference
Another Similarity	Another Difference
Both	Conversely
Like	In Contrast
Likewise	Unlike
Similarly	While
In a Similar Fashion	Whereas

Finally, your paper will end with a conclusion that brings home your argument and helps readers to understand the importance/significance of your essay.

In this video, an instructor explains step by step how to write an essay comparing two films. Though you will be writing about a novel and a film, rather than two films, the same information applies.

Here’s another instructor explaining how to write a comparison essay about two poems. Note the similarities between the two videos.

Here’s a sample paper:

Attributions:

Content created by Dr. Karen Palmer. Licensed under CC BY NC SA .
Content adapted from “Comparison and Contrast” from the book Successful Writing licensed CC BY NC SA .

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Books vs. movies: the age-old debate.

The Mountain Between Us , It , Murder on the Orient Express , Wonder , My Cousin Rachel . These films released in 2017 have one thing in common, and you may have guessed it already: They were all books that were later adapted into movies.

Similar to its affinity for sequels and remakes , it seems to me like Hollywood is increasingly looking to books for inspiration for the next blockbuster hits. From a business standpoint, it makes total sense because producers can draw on the popularity of a certain book and use that to their advantage when it comes to marketing the film’s release.

As an avid reader, I am always excited at the news that a book is being adapted as a feature film. My mind is occupied by thoughts of who the actors/actresses are going to be (and if I approve), if the film will stay true to the book, and most importantly, if the movie will be just as good as the book. The thought of finally being able to visualize what has only previously been limited to my imagination is always an exciting prospect.

However, I am usually underwhelmed after watching a certain film based on a book, and if you asked me a year ago which one I would prefer: the movie or the book, I would have immediately chosen the book.

Hands down. No doubt. However, within the past year, I have come to appreciate movie adaptations of books more because I have realized that comparing books to their counterpart movies isn’t fair; at the end of the day, the two mediums of storytelling have different advantages and different qualifications for what makes them good. Like Stephen King once said, comparing one to the other is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both great sources of entertainment, but they aren’t comparable. For those still reluctant to accept this theory, I’ll be delving more into this age-old question: “What’s better: books or movies?” I’ll make a case for each argument and let you make the final call.

The popular belief is that books are often a hundred times better than their movie counterparts; if you need any further proof, just take a look at the following Washington Post visual.

Books are great because they allow the reader to be a part of the story; we are the observers that have insight into the character’s thoughts and feelings, and all the nuances that create three-dimensional characters. With books, there’s just more. More detail, more focus on character development, and more depth to the meaning of the artwork. It’s also the more time-consuming form of the two, and after finishing a novel, after a couple of hours of being immersed into a different world and mind space, it seems like you have suddenly been thrust back into reality.

On the other hand, the great thing about movies is their ability to show, and the overall experience of watching one. While reading a book, I often have a movie reel playing in my head. I can map out the setting, I can see the characters’ expressions, and I can empathize with their emotions.

However, watching the same story unfold on the big screen is a different experience. While reading spurs your imagination, a movie helps you visualize all the elements of the books that were previously confined to your imagination. It immerses you into the story in a different way than a book.

For example, instead of reading about the magical world of Harry Potter, while watching the movie, I can actually see what J.K. Rowling means by “He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.” To put it simply, movies make it easier for us to just lean back and enjoy the show.

An added benefit of movies is the music and visual designs that enhance the experience of watching a film. Imagine, for example, that you are watching an emotional scene. It’s the climax of the story, and in the background plays a gentle orchestra, that eventually swells into a big crescendo as the story reaches its resolution. In that moment, you feel exactly what the characters feel, and your heart races along with the melody of the music. So although (in some cases) the audience might not have a play by play of the characters’ thoughts and emotions, movies have another way of conveying the emotion and tone of a certain scene.

If you feel like further exploring this age-old debate personally, come down to Media Services to check out movies even the worst critic would have to admit are just as good as the books. Don’t know where to start? Try Pride and Prejudice, Psycho, Jaws, The Godfather, etc.

Until next time! RE

Robiati Endashaw is a sophomore studying public policy analysis in KSB with a minor in Economics. In her spare time, she enjoys reading non-fiction and watching crime documentaries.

Robiati Endashaw offers a balanced perspective on the age-old debate between books and their movie adaptations. As an avid reader, she acknowledges the initial skepticism toward films based on beloved books. However, she also appreciates the unique advantages of both mediums of storytelling. While books allow for deeper immersion and detailed character development, movies excel in visual storytelling and immersive experiences. Endashaw emphasizes that comparing books and movies is like comparing apples to oranges; they serve different purposes and offer distinct pleasures. Her insights encourage readers to appreciate the merits of both forms of storytelling and explore adaptations with an open mind.

Oh gee thanks so much . I also feel quite the same way too when it comes to books as in they are so much enjoyable because they allow us as the reader to explore the depths of my imagination and every thing happening Is felt dearly. 😊

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Heading Off for College? 10 Must-Do's
What does impertinent mean (from The American )?
I know that the verb pluck means to pull out or pull at, but what's the definition when used as a noun?
Which novels would you recommend to 15-year-olds on the theme of places and forms of power?
In The Pearl, why didn't John Steinbeck give the pearl buyers identifying names?
In the play, The Crucible , why would Arthur Miller include the Note on Historical Accuracy?
What is perfidy (from Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser)?
Is being pedantic a good or bad thing?
Is a termagant a type of seabird?
What is ichor (from The Iliad )?
In The Hunger Games, why did Cinna choose to be the designer for District 12?
Is a rivulet really a river, only smaller?
Charles Dickens has this person called the beadle" in lots of his books. Is that like a nickname for a man with buggy eyes or something?"
In Brave New World, why are family words like father and mother viewed as obscene?
What is the main tenet of stoicism?
What's the meaning of obsequious (from Theodore Dreiser's urban novel Sister Carrie )?
Where are the Antipodes (from Much Ado about Nothing )?
What is a truckle bed (from Romeo and Juliet )?
What does truculent (from Great Expectations ) mean?
If someone inculcates you, should you feel insulted?
What does the phrase Ethiop words" mean in Shakespeare's As You Like It ?"
I was chatting with a neighbor who said I was quite garrulous . Nice or mean?
What does laconic mean?
At a restaurant famous for its rude servers, a waitress told me to lump it" when I asked for another napkin. Can you tell me about that phrase?"
What does urbane (from Daisy Miller ) mean?
I thought necro had something to do with being dead. So, what's a necromancer ? Sounds creepy.
In The House of Mirth, this guy named Gus Trenor is eating a jellied plover." Is that some kind of doughnut?"
What are some well-known novels whose titles are quotations from Shakespeare?
In Orwell's 1984, what does the opening sentence suggest about the book?
Understanding the literary genre Magical Realism
What's a prig?
I asked my granddad if he liked his new apartment and he said, It's all hunky-dory, kiddo." What did he mean?"
What does mephitic (from Man and Superman ) mean?
I hate finding typos in books. Here's one I've seen several times: jalousies instead of jealousies.
On the second week of my summer job at a bookstore, my boss handed me an envelope with what she called my emoluments. Looked like a paycheck to me, though.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, what are some examples of the characters having courage?
What's cud? I was once told to stop chewing my cud and get back to work.
What can you tell me about the word patois from The Awakening ?
What are thews (from Ivanhoe )?
What does pot-shop (from The Pickwick Papers ) mean?
Are all dowagers women?
If someone is the titular head of a political party, does it mean they have all the power?
The word flummox confuses me. What does it mean?
Somebody told me I looked pasty. Does that mean I've eaten too many sweets?
I started taking private bassoon lessons. When I arrived at my teacherâ€™s house, he told me to wait in the anteroom. I wasnâ€™t sure where to go.
Is anomalous the same as anonymous ?
I know that a fathom is a unit of measure used by sailors, but how long is a fathom?
What is a joss (from Victory, by Joseph Conrad)?
What does eschew (from The Pickwick Papers ) mean?
What does excrescence (from The Call of the Wild ) mean?
What does the word covert mean?
In Shakespeare's Sonnet 125, what is an oblation ?
In Moby-Dick , what does vitiate mean?
In War and Peace , what does bane mean?
In Jane Eyre , what are chilblains ?
Does mendacious refer to something that is fixable (mendable)?
Is kickshawses one of those weird words that Shakespeare coined? What does it mean?
You say in CliffsNotes that In Cold Blood was Truman Capote's undoing. How?
What is renege , in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra ?
What is maxim ? I think it's a female name but I'm not sure.
Last Valentine's Day, this guy I barely know gave me a rose and said something about ardent love. What does ardent mean?
In Act I, Scene 1, of King Lear, what does benison mean?
What kind of literature is a picaresque novel?
What does culpable mean?
What's a cenotaph ? Every Veterans Day, I hear about the Queen of England laying a wreath at the Cenotaph in London.
What does gallimaufry mean in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ? My vocabulary is pretty good, but that one has me stumped!
What does it mean to genuflect ?
Someone told me I was looking wistful. What is wistful ?
In David Copperfield, what does superannuated mean?
Does the word syllogism have something to do with biology?
I see the word benefactor a lot in my reading assignments. Is that somebody who benefits from something?
I found a funny word in The Glass Castle. Where did skedaddle come from and what does it mean?
Does sinuous mean something like full of sin"? I saw the word in The Devil in the White City ."
In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, what is the meaning of the word propaganda ?
What are characteristics of Modernist literature, fiction in particular?
What does my brother mean when he says he's too ensconced in his studies to look for a girlfriend?
My grandpa complained about a bunch of politicians making what he called chin music . Did he mean they were in a loud band?
What is melodrama?
In Dracula, what's a missal ?
In the terms abject poverty and abject misery, what does abject mean?
In Moby-Dick, what does craven mean?
What does cicatrize mean?
What is a noisome smell" in Tolstoy's War and Peace ?"
What is an apostasy, from the George Bernard Shaw play, Man and Superman ?
In Jane Eyre, what's syncope ?
I just read Dracula. What's the forcemeat in Jonathan Harker's journal?
Can the word stern mean more than one thing?
Where is Yoknapatawpha county?
What does smouch mean?
I'm supposed to write a comparison of Hektor and Achilles from Homer's The Iliad, but I don't know where to start.
How do you pronounce quay ? And what does it mean, anyway?
What are some examples of paradox in the novel Frankenstein ?
In Ivanhoe, what does mammock mean?
What does rummage mean?
Is a mummer some type of religious person?
Some guy I don't like told his friend I was acting all demure. What does that mean?
When I complained about our cafeteria food, my biology teacher told me he wished they'd serve agarics. Was he talking about some kind of dessert?
Where did the name Of Mice and Men come from?
What genre would you consider the book, The Outsiders ?
In Fahrenheit 451, why would a society make being a pedestrian a crime?
What does the phrase, a worn-out man of fashion" mean from Jane Eyre ?"
Is sagacity a medical condition?
My teacher told me I was being obdurate. Was that a compliment?
What motives inspired Iago to plot revenge against Othello?
Who was the first king of Rome?
What does enervate mean?
What is a parvenu ? I saw the word in William Makepeace Thackeray's book Vanity Fair.
Is salubrity somehow related to being famous?
Do capers have something to do with cops?
What's the difference between a soliloquy and a monologue?
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce uses the word pandybat . What's a pandybat?
Does the word inexorable have something to do with driving demons out of a person?
Do people who prognosticate have some sort of special power?
What is a hegemony, from James Joyce's Ulysses ?
What are fallow fields ? I'm a city gal who heard the term at a 4-H fair and just read it in Anna Karenina.
What's the difference between parody and satire?
Lord of the Flies uses the word inimical. What does it mean?
What does dreadnaught mean, as itâ€™s used in Bleak House?
I saw vertiginous in Madame Bovary. What does mean the word mean?
What does overweening mean, in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes?
Can you hear a dirge anyplace but a funeral?
Does imperturbable refer to something you can't break through?
What are the seven ages of man?
What is a chimera , in Jane Eyre by Charlotte BrontÃ«?
What's dross ?
What is an injunction ?
For school I had to make a Napoleon hat, which called for a cockade. What is that?
If someone studies assiduously, does it mean they're working really hard or really slowly?
Define mood as it relates to a work of fiction. Distinguish mood from effect.
My sister calls me the Princess of Prevarication." What's prevarication ?"
What's turpitude, as in moral turpitude"?"
What's the definition of tenebrous ?
This biography I'm reading about Queen Victoria says that she refused to remove the hatchment she had for her husband Prince Albert. What does that word mean?
What does sine qua non mean?
What's lugubrious mean?
What's impugn mean, from Ivanhoe?
What does postprandial mean?
I love reading fashion magazines and occasionally come across the word atelier. What is that?
What does King Lear mean when he says that ingratitude is a marble-hearted fiend"?"
What is celerity , from Ivanhoe ?
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein , what are disquisitions ?
What's shrive ? My neighbor said she's been unshriven for years, but I think her skin looks quite shriveled.
What's a dobbin ?
What's polemic ? Over winter break, my uncle told me I was polemic and asked if I was on the debate team at school.
I came across a list of homonyms: mu, moo, moue . I know mu is Greek for the letter m , and moo is the sound cows make, but what's a moue ?
What does trow mean?
In Far from the Madding Crowd , what does cavil mean?
What does Charles Dickens mean when he says â€œtoadies and humbugsâ€ in his book, Great Expectations ?
Where can I find the word naught in The Scarlet Letter ?
I found an old diary from the 1800s where the writer describes how he almost died but was saved by a sinapism . What is that?
I know what mulch is, but what's mulct ?
When our teacher was introducing the next reading assignment, he said we'll be using the unexpurgated version. What did he mean?
For some reason, the word dingle sticks in my head after having read Treasure Island years ago. I never did discover what it meant. How about it, Cliff?
In Dracula , what's stertorous breathing?
What does philippic mean?
I'm usually pretty good at guessing what words mean, but have no clue about exigence . What is it?
What's doughty ? How do you pronounce it?
What's sharecropping? I'm kind of embarrassed to ask, because it's one of those words everyone assumes you know what it means.
I'm working on my summer reading list with Kafka's The Trial. The very first sentence uses traduce , and I don't know what that means.
What does the cormorant (bird) symbolize in mythology?
I saw the word badinage in the book Uncle Tom's Cabin . Do you think that's a typo that really should be bandage ?
On a TV modeling contest, a judge said, Her simian walk is unbelievable." Was that a good thing?"
What is the definition of adverbiously , from Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities ?
In Oliver Twist , Dodger refers to Oliver as flash companion . Can't find a definition of this anywhere. What does it mean?
Do elocutionists kill people?
For my English homework, I have to write a love poem. I'm only 13 and I haven't had my first love yet. How would I go about writing about feelings that I haven't felt yet?
Where on the body would I find my sarcophagus ?
What's stolid ? It sounds like someone who's stupid and built solid like a wall.
What's a wonton person?
In which play did William Shakespeare state that misery loves company?
What's comfit ? Is it a different way of saying comfort?
Where did the story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley take place?
What kind of person would a shallow-pate be?
What are myrmidons of Justice" in Great Expectations ?"
Faseeshis â€¦ no clue on the spelling, but I kind of got yelled at in school today for being that. What did I do?
In The Red Badge of Courage , what's an imprecation ?
The word portmanteau shows up in a lot of the literature I read for school assignments. It sounds French. What does it mean?
I did something really stupid yesterday, and my grandfather told me I was hoist with my own petard." What does that mean? And what's a petard ?"
How do you pronounce Cymbeline, one of Shakespeare's early comedies?
What's a bourse ? I read it in my finance class.
In The House of Mirth, what are oubliettes ?
In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, what are thimble-riggers ?
In Wuthering Heights , what's a thible ?
Which Hemingway story references the running of the bulls" in Spain?"
What's a clink? My dad mentioned that his granddad was there for a long time during World War I.
If somebody is toady," does it mean they're ugly?"
Who said all's fair in love and war" and where?"
Why is there so much talk about baseball, especially Joe DiMaggio, in The Old Man and the Sea ?
In the movie Failure to Launch , there's a line that goes, Well, she certainly is yar," in reference to a yacht. What's yar ?"
What does mangle mean in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities ?
I got detention because a teacher said I was being contumacious . What's that?
What are encomiums?
What are billets in The Three Musketeers ?
In Orwell's 1984 , what is doublethink ?
What are orts ? That's a weird word that reminds me of orcs from The Lord of the Rings .
What are alliteration and assonance?
How is John the Savage's name ironic in Brave New World ?
What's quinsy?
What is a doppelgÃ¤nger?
What is New Historicism?
I found the word unwonted in a book I'm reading. Is that a typo, you think?
In Heart of Darkness , what does cipher mean?
In the play The Glass Menagerie, would you describe Tom as selfish?
What does Kantian mean, from a philosophical perspective?
What's a colonnade ? My girlfriend is freaking me out with stories of her dream wedding where she walks down a colonnade. I know this is the least of my problems, but I'm curious.
My grandma says she knows how I feel when I knit my brows. Is she crazy?
Why is Shakespeare's play titled Julius Caesar , even though he is dead by Act III and plays a relatively small role?
I know bier has something to do with dead people, but what is it exactly?
My brainy brother owns a Harley and says his girlfriend is the pillion . Is he insulting her or just showing off?
I ran across the word mien in a book. Is it a typo?
Is a younker a person or a place?
Does precipitancy have something to do with the weather?
I'm writing a grade 12 comparative essay, and I need a book that I could compare with All Quiet on the Western Front. Any suggestions?
A friend says she suffers from ineffable sadness. What's ineffable ?
What's a scow ?
Is a maelstrom some kind of dangerous weather?
What is the meaning of this saying, The cat will mew and dog will have his day"?"
What is a paradox ?
The Picture of Dorian Gray mentions a panegyric on youth. What does that mean?
In Madame Bovary , what's a mairie?
In The Kite Runner, what's palliative mean?
So what's oligarchy ? In government class, my teacher mentioned that word when we were talking about the Blagojevich scandal in Illinois.
Is intrepidity a good thing or a bad thing?
My grandmother told me that she thinks grandpa should see an alienist. Does she think he's from another planet or what?
Do you have to have licentiousness to get your driver's license?
I ran across the word hardihood in something I read the other day. Is it some kind of clothing?
I saw mention of haversack in my history book. What does that word mean?
I'm guessing the word quadroon is four of something. But what's a roon?
I'm trying to understand Shakespeare's play, King Lear . Can you explain these quotes from Act 1, Scene 1?
In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment , what's a samovar ?
I came across a music channel that featured tejano," and then I saw the same word when I was reading Bless Me, Ultima. What does it mean?"
In The Awakening , there's a term prunella gaiter." I'm guessing that gaiters are a type of covering for your legs, like the gaiters I use on my ski boots to keep snow out. But what the heck is prunella? Is it a purplish color like prunes?"
What's sedulous mean?
In Chapter 2 of Jane Eyre , what are divers parchments ?
A friend of mine said she hopes to get a counterpane for Christmas. What's that?
In Wuthering Heights, what does munificent mean?
The other day, my dad called my friends a motley crew. Is that his way of saying I should hang out with a different crowd?
Why is there an authorship problem with Shakespeare?
What is it called when something is out of place in time, like a jet stream in a movie about ancient Rome?
In 1984 , does Winston die from a bullet at the end of the book or is he in a dream-state?
I saw some old guy in a soldier's uniform selling fake red flowers. He said it was for Veterans Day. What's the connection?
I was kind of flirting with this really cute boy when my teacher told me to stop palavering. Did she want me to stop flirting or stop talking?
My grandmother says when she was a kid in China, she became Catholic because of the Mary Knows nuns. I tried to look that up on the Internet but couldn't find anything. Can you help?
In The Count of Monte Cristo , does cupidity mean love? I'm guessing that because of, you know, Cupid . . . Valentine's Day.
My theater teacher called me a name the other day. I don't think it was supposed to be a compliment. What's a somnambulist, anyway?
Why was Tartuffe such a jerk?
To Kill a Mockingbird has this word fey in it, but I don't know what it means. Does it mean short lived or fleeting?
In Pride and Prejudice , what's probity" &mdash
I never met my grandma, who my mom says lives in a hovel and wants her to move in with us. Then I saw that word in Frankenstein . What's a hovel? I thought it was like a place that had room service.
I have a friend who said something about phantasmagoric. That's not real, is it?
Which of the following literary devices is used in these poetic lines by John Milton?
In Faulkner's A Rose for Emily," what does noblesse oblige mean?"
What is love?
What is suggested by the coin image in Book II of A Tale of Two Cities ?
Why does Satan rebel against God?
I'm reading Candide, by Voltaire, and one of the dudes is an Anabaptist. What's that?
What does the poem Summer Sun" by Robert Louis Stevenson really mean?"
What did Shakespeare want to say about his beloved in Sonnet 18?
In Romeo and Juliet , who was the last person to see Juliet alive?
What is the Catechism?
What is the overall meaning of the poem Before The Sun," by Charles Mungoshi?"
What does ague mean?
Is there a reference to venereal disease in Romeo and Juliet ?
What is fantasy fiction?
What is the exposition in Othello ?
Who is the character Susan in Romeo and Juliet ?
What is a found poem?
What did Alice Walker mean in the essay Beauty"?"
Why did Dr. Frankenstein create his monster?
What is the name of the surgeon and the English ship he's on in Moby-Dick ?
What are the differences between an epic hero and a Romantic hero?
In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, does Gail Wynand commit suicide or only close The Banner at the end of the novel? I'm in a literary dispute over this!
What did W.E.B. Du Bois mean when he wrote of second-sight?
What is nihilism, and what should I read to get a better understanding of it?
What is the difference between an atheist and an agnostic?
What are intelligent design and creationism and how are they related?
What is misanthropy ?
I would like to understand the poem Blight" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Please help."
Can you explain the significance of the question, Which came first, the chicken or the egg?""
In Little Lost Robot," by Isaac Asimov, why have some robots been impressioned with only part of the First Law of Robotics?"
Can you explain Cartesian Dualism and how Descartes' philosophical endeavors led him to dualism?
When reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice , what does entailment mean?
What does ignominy mean? (From Shelley's Frankenstein )
What does pecuniary mean? (From Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities )
How do I analyze Kant's philosophy?
What is an apostrophe in Macbeth ?
Is music a language?
Why should literature be studied?
In the book The Scarlet Letter , what is a vigil ?
The first week of school isn't even over yet and I'm already in trouble â€” I forgot my textbook at school and can't do my homework! What should I do now?!
What are the renaissance features/characteristics in Hamlet ?
What is the exact quote in Hamlet about something being wrong in Denmark? Something smells? Something is amiss?
What does Utilitarianism mean, from a philosophical perspective?
What was the form of English that Shakespeare used?
At the beginning of Act V, Scene 2 of Much Ado About Nothing, does Shakespeare insinuate that anything is going on between Margaret and Benedick?
What was the "final solution" in the book Night by Elie Wiesel?
With the many novels out there, is there a database of some sort that can narrow down your choices to a specific book of interest for pleasure reading? And if not, why hasn't there been?
How do you pronounce Houyhnhnms ? (From Swift's Gulliver's Travels )
I just took the quiz on The Great Gatsby on this site. How can Jordan Baker be described as a professional golfer? To my knowledge, the LPGA did not form until the mid-1950s. Shouldn't she be referred to as an amateur golfer instead?
What are the humanities?
If Father, Son, and Holy Ghost aren't names, what is God's name?
What classic novels take place in Florida?
In which Hemingway short story is the saying, "Children's shoes for sale"?
Who is the "lady" that Robert Plant speaks of in the song "Stairway to Heaven"?
Was Odysseus the one who planned the Trojan horse, in the Trojan War?
How do I get my smart-but-hates-to-read son interested in reading?
Poetry gives me problems. How can I figure out what poems are about?
How do you analyze a novel?
What does it mean to ululate ? (From Golding's Lord of the Flies )
Is ambrosia a salad? (From Homer's The Odyssey )
What is a harbinger ? (From Shakespeare's Macbeth )
What does it mean to be refractory ? (From Dickens' Great Expectations )
What is a querulous kid? (From Wharton's Ethan Frome )
What does the word runagate mean? (From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet )
What is the word, imprimis ? (From Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew )
What does the word alchemy mean? (From Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter )
What is an estuary ? (From Conrad's Heart of Darkness )
What or who is a scullion ? (From Shakespeare's Hamlet )
What is a schism ? (From Swift's Gulliver's Travels )
What does it mean to be salubrious ? (From Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights )
What is a replication ? (From Shakespeare's Hamlet )
What is vicissitude ? (From Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables )
Can you define indolent ? (From Wharton's House of Mirth )
What does the word replete mean? (From Shakespeare's Henry V )
What are orisons ? (From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet )
What does it mean to be ephemeral ?
What does it mean to be placid ? (From Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre )
What is a paroxysm ? (From Stoker's Dracula )
My English teacher got really mad when I said I was nauseous . Why?
What does it mean to be farinaceous ? (From Tolstoy's Anna Karenina )
What does dejection mean? (From Shelley's Frankenstein )
What is animadversion ? (From Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter )
What does it mean to be timorous ? (From Shakespeare's Othello )
Someone called me erudite . Is that good?
What is a mountebank ? (From Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter )
What does incarnadine mean? (From Shakespeare's Macbeth )
What does it mean to be puissant? (From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar)
What is a purloiner? (From Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities)
What does it mean to be affable ? (From Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment )
What does it mean to be ostensible ? (From Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court )
What does compunction mean? (From Dickens's Bleak House )
What is behoveful ? (From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet )
What is a precentor ? (From Golding's Lord of the Flies )
What does it mean to be loquacious ? (From Cervantes's Don Quixote )
What does imprudence mean? (From Ibsen's A Doll's House )
What is a conflagration ? (From Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde )
What does it mean to be spurious ? (From James' Daisy Miller )
What is a retinue ? (From Swift's Gulliver's Travels )
What does the word forsworn mean? (From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet )
What does the word hauteur mean? (From Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby )
What are vituperations ? (From Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl )
What are ostents ? (From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice )
What is a sockdolager ? (From Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn )
What does insuperable mean? (From Shelley's Frankenstein )
What is calumny ? (From Shakespeare's Hamlet )
What is an augury ? (From Sophocles' Antigone )
What does squally mean? (From Dickens' Great Expectations )
What does corporal mean? (From Shakespeare's Macbeth )
What does it mean to be plausible ? (From Sinclair's The Jungle )
What is a dearth ? (From Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre )
What does it mean to vacillate ? (From Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest )
What does it mean to obtrude someone? (From Dickens's Great Expectations )
What is a heterodox ? (From Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter )
What is felicity ? (From Austen's Emma )
What does it mean to be effacing ? (From Adams's The Education of Henry Adams )
What is a repast ? (From Chan Tsao's Dream of the Red Chamber )
What does insouciance mean? (From Sinclair's The Jungle )
What is a soliloquy ? (From Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn )
I was reading The Iliad and there's this word in it: greaves . What's that?
What does the word prodigality mean? (From Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby )
Is there an easy way to understand The Canterbury Tales ?
What does the scarlet letter symbolize?
What is the significance of Grendel's cave in Beowulf ?
How did Hawthorne show that Hester Prynne was a strong woman in The Scarlet Letter ?
What purpose do the three witches serve at the beginning of Macbeth ?
What can you tell me about Grendel from Beowulf ?
What figurative language does Stephen Crane use in The Red Badge of Courage ?
Why is Roger so mean in Lord of the Flies ?
How do Gene and Finny mirror each other in A Separate Peace ?
The old man and the young wife — what's up with story plots like this?
What part does vengeance play in The Odyssey ?
What kind of a woman is Penelope in The Odyssey ?
Do fate and fortune guide the actions in Macbeth ?
How does Frankenstein relate to Paradise Lost ?
How has the way people view Othello changed over time?
How does Henry change throughout The Red Badge of Courage ?
What's so great about Gatsby?
How is To Kill a Mockingbird a coming-of-age story?
Why did Ophelia commit suicide in Hamlet ?
What is the setting of The Scarlet Letter ?
What is a slave narrative?
What's an anachronism ?
Doesn't Raskolnikov contradict himself in Crime and Punishment ?
What is the main theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ?
What does Shakespeare mean by memento mori ?
What are inductive and deductive arguments?
How does Alice Walker break the rules" of literature with The Color Purple ?"
What role does Friar Laurence play in Romeo and Juliet ?
Why did Elie Wiesel call his autobiography Night ?
How does Shakespeare play with gender roles in Macbeth ?
Where did Dickens get the idea to write A Tale of Two Cities ?
What's the purpose of the preface to The Scarlet Letter ?
What role do women play in A Tale of Two Cities ?
Who are the heroes and villains in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
What are the ides of March?
Was Kate really a shrew in The Taming of the Shrew ?
What role does innocence play in The Catcher in the Rye ?
How are Tom and Huck different from each other in Huckleberry Finn ?
What is blank verse and how does Shakespeare use it?
How do the book and film versions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest differ?
What is a satirical novel?
What is the role of censorship in Fahrenheit 451 ?
How can I keep myself on track to get through my summer reading list?
How does Jim fit into the overall theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ?
What is a major theme of The Great Gatsby ?
How does Shakespeare use light and darkness in Romeo and Juliet ?
Who is the narrator in Faulkner's A Rose for Emily"?"
In Lord of the Flies , what statement is William Golding making about evil?
How is The Catcher in the Rye different from other coming-of-age novels?
How does Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird show two sides?
Was there supposed to be a nuclear war in The Handmaid's Tale ? I couldn't tell.
What is experimental theater"?"
Does Jonas die at the end of The Giver ?
What is an inciting incident, and how do I find one in Lord of the Flies ?
How does King Arthur die?
In Julius Caesar , what does this mean: Cowards die many times before their deaths
Please explain this Kipling quote: Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.""
What is a tragic flaw?
What is a motif, and how can I find them in Macbeth ?
Why didn't Socrates write any books? After all, he was supposed to be so intelligent and wise.
Why are there blanks in place of people's names and places in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice ?
Was Othello a king? A prince? He's referred to as My Lord" but I'm not sure of his actual title."
I need to download some pictures of Juliet. Where would I find these?
Why does Odysseus decide to listen to the Sirens, in The Odyssey , by Homer?
What does prose and poetry mean? What's the difference?
In The Scarlet Letter, why is the scaffold important and how does it change over the course of the novel?
Why does the legend of King Arthur hold such a powerful grip over us?
Do you like to read books?
What are the metrical features in poetry?
What are the riddles that Gollum asked Bilbo in The Hobbit ?
Can you tell me what these two quotes from Much Ado About Nothing mean?
What is connotation, and how do you find it in a poem?
What is a dramatic monologue?
What is formal fallacy?
In the movie Dead Poets Society, what are some themes and values that are relevant to Transcendentalism. What is Transcendentalism?
Why didn't Mina Harker realize she was under Dracula's spell when she witnessed her friend fall prey to him, too? Wasn't it obvious?
In The Three Musketeers by Dumas, Cardinal Richelieu is labeled as the villain. How could he be presented as a hero instead?
In Romeo and Juliet , what are the different types of irony used? Um, what's irony?
What is the main theme in Fahrenheit 451 ?
In Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities , what fact in Book the Second: Chapters 1-6, confirms Darnay's release?
Why is Invisible Man considered a bildungsroman?
In A Doll's House , what risqué item does Nora reveal to Dr. Rank that eventually prompts him to disclose his own secret?
What is a definition of short story?
What percentage of people are considered geniuses?
How do I write and publish my own novel?
Do I use the past or present tense to answer this question: What is this poem about?" "
A Closer Look at Internships
Consider Working for a Nonprofit Organization
Create a Top-Quality Cover Letter
Deciding Whether to Go for Your MBA
Dress the Part for a Job Interview
Appropriate Attire: Defining Business Casual
Famous Americans Who Started Out in the Military
The Benefits of Joining a Professional Organization
Five Job Interview Mistakes
Getting Good References for Your Job Hunt
Lying on Your Resume
Make the Most of Days between Jobs
Military Career Opportunity: Translators and Interpreters
Network Your Way into a Job
Prepare for a Job Interview
Preparing for Job Interview Questions
Putting Your English Degree to Work
Putting Your Education Degree to Work
Take Advantage of Job and Career Fairs
Tips for a Better Resume
Understand Negotiable Elements of a Job Offer
Visit the College Career Office
Write a Resume That Will Get Noticed
Write a Thank You Note after an Interview
Writing a Follow-Up Letter after Submitting Your Resume
Your Military Career: Basics of Officer Candidate School
Your Military Career: Requirements for Officer Candidate School
Know What to Expect in Graduate School
Paying for Graduate School
Plan for Graduate Education
Tackle the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
What Does School Accreditation Mean?
Writing Essays for Your Business School Application
Apply to Graduate School
Basic Requirements for Grad School
Choose a Graduate School
Decide if Graduate School Is Right for You
English Majors: Selecting a Graduate School or Program
Getting Letters of Recommendation for Your Business School Application
Graduate School Application: Tips, Advice, and Warnings
Graduate School: Applying as a Returning Student
How to Find a Mentor for Graduate School
How to Prepare for Grad School as an Undergrad
How Work Experience Affects Your MBA Application
Master's Degree in Biology: Choosing a Grad School
In what countries does Toyota produce and market cars?
How would you use the PDSA cycle in your personal life?
I am confused about adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing negative numbers.
Who are some famous female mathematicians?
Given the set of numbers [7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42], find a subset of these numbers that sums to 100.
The speed limit on a certain part of the highway is 65 miles per hour. What is this in feet per minute?
What is the sum of the angles of an octagon?
In math, what does reciprocal mean?
How many grams in an ounce?
A number is 20 less than its square. Find all answers.
How much is 1,000 thousands?
How do I find the angles of an isosceles triangle whose two base angles are equal and whose third angle is 10 less than three times a base angle?
Explain with words and an example how any number raised to the zero power is 1?
If I had 550 coins in a machine worth $456.25, what would be the denomination of each coin?
What three consecutive numbers add up to 417?
How many 100,000,000s in 50 billion?
Of 100 students asked if they like rock and roll or country music, 7 said they like neither, 90 said they like rock and roll, and 57 said they like country music. How many students like both?
What's the formula to convert square feet into square meters?
In math, what is the definition of order of operations?
What's the difference between digital and analog?
What is the square root of 523,457?
What are all of the prime numbers?
Our teacher told us to look for clues in math word problems. What did she mean?
How do I figure out math word problems (without going crazy)?
What good is geometry going to do me after I get out of school?
I keep forgetting how to add fractions. Can you remind me?
My teacher talks about the Greatest Common Factor. What's so great about it?
Got any tips on finding percentages of a number?
What does associative property mean when youâ€™re talking about adding numbers?
How do I use domain and range in functions?
How do I change percents to decimals and fractions? How about decimals and fractions to percents?
What should I do if my teacher wants me to solve an inequality on a number line?
What is a fast and easy way to work word problems?
How do you combine numbers and symbols in an algebraic equation?
How do I go about rounding off a number?
What is the First Derivative Test for Local Extrema?
Can you describe a prism for me?
How can I double-check my answers to math equations?
How do you factor a binomial?
I get the words mean , mode , median , and range mixed up in math. What do they all mean?
How do you combine like terms in algebra?
Can you make it easier for me to understand what makes a number a prime number?
Explain probability to me (and how about some examples)?
Solving story problems is, well, a problem for me. Can you help?
What's inferential statistics all about?
Finding percentages confuses me. Do you have any tips to make it simpler?
What's a quadratic equation, and how do I solve one?
How do you figure out probability?
How do you add integers?
How do you use factoring in quadratic equations?
What are limits in calculus?
I've looked everywhere to find the meaning of this word and I can't find it. What's the definition of tesseract ?
In geometry, how do you get the perimeters of a square and a rectangle?
What is the absolute value of a negative number?
A rectangle swimming pool is 24m longer than it is wide and is surrounded by a deck 3m wide. Find the area of the pool if the area of the deck is 324m 2 . Where do I even start to solve this problem?
How do you classify numbers, as in rational numbers, integers, whole numbers, natural numbers, and irrational numbers? I am mostly stuck on classifying fractions.
How do you convert a fraction to a decimal or change a decimal to a fraction?
I am trying to find all solutions to this algebra (factoring) problem, x 3 – 3x 2 – x + 3 = 0, and I keep getting the wrong answer. Please help!
Sometimes when I'm doing my pre-calculus homework I need help on some of the problems. Do you know where I can find help on the weekends or whenever?
How do you convert metric measurements?
I'm curious about converting Celsius to Fahrenheit, or Fahrenheit to Celsius. How do I convert from one to the other?
In basic math, the fraction bar shows division. So why does this equation show multiplication instead of division? 9/9 = 1 because 1 x 9 = 9.
I'm taking geometry and I'm having problem with the angles and the degree. Is there a way you can help me out?
The perimeter of a rectangle is 66m. The width is 9m less than the length. What is the length and width of the rectangle?
How many dollars are in 5,000 pesos?
How many ounces in a pound?
I'm having a hard time remembering percent of change. All I have is P (percent) = amount of change over original amount. Is there a better way of understanding it?
How do I figure out tangrams?
What are quadrilaterals?
What is the least common multiple of 8, 6, and 12?
How do you convert decimals to fractions?
How did the planet" Pluto get its name? I know it's named after the mythical god of the underworld, but why?"
What is the difference between the earth's core and its crust?
What does gender really mean?
What does plum pudding have to do with physics?
What is the functionalist perspective in sociology?
What does pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis mean?
Why aren't viruses considered living things?
Why does your breathing rate increase when you exercise?
Everyone says you shouldn't clean your ears with cotton swabs because you could break an eardrum. But if you do break your eardrum, will it grow back?
What is a mole?
How, and why, is body fat stored?
Where on the body do you find ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium?
Since she was only married for 72 days, does Kim Kardashian have to give back her wedding gifts?
In the United States, how can you get buried at sea?
What exactly is Salvia divinorum , and is it legal?
What is the composition and volume of whole blood?
Should I refer to a widow as Mrs., Miss, or Ms.?
Is it possible to catch more than one cold at a time?
Why does the Earth have more gravitational force than the moon or some other planet?
Did humans evolve from monkeys or apes?
What is the largest organ in the human body?
How did we end up with both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales?
What is absolute zero?
What is cell theory?
How come when humans flatulate, it smells bad?
How do I convert mL into µL, and vice versa?
What is the most abundant element in the earth's crust?
Is global warming man-made?
What exactly is wind? And why does it blow?
This sounds really disgusting, but I'm curious: Can humans drink animal blood, or any other kind of blood?
Why is space exploration important?
How is photosynthesis essential to life on earth?
What is the highest mountain in New Mexico?
What's the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
Who are the unbelievers" referred to in The Koran? What is it that they do not believe?"
What is the difference between Sunnis and Shi'ites?
What happens when you die?
Why is it important to memorize where the 50 states are on a map?
What kind of endangered species are there? Can you give me some examples, please?
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open, so when you drive a car, is it against the law to sneeze?
What are tectonic plates?
I have boy trouble. I want to ask out my friend, but I am not sure he is going to say yes. Plus, he said he had a girlfriend when we talked during school. Plus, my parents don't want me to date.
Why is the sky blue?
Do you really shrink at the end of the day and then grow in the morning?
What is the difference between matter" and "mass"?"
What does "nature versus nurture" mean?
What are closed contour lines?
What is homeostasis ?
What does the periodic table look like?
Do you know anything about the law of conservation of energy? Is it really a law?
I thought I knew what work means, but my physics teacher defines it differently. What's up with that?
How do plants know when to drop their leaves?
What's the surface of the moon like?
How does the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom differentiate it from another atom?
How do big rocks wear down over time?
What does genetic recombination mean?
How has DNA matching really made big difference in finding out who committed a crime?
What's the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
What is incomplete dominance?
Can hydrocarbons be considered compounds?
Can you explain what molar mass is?
Aren't fungi really plants?
What information is contained in a chemical equation?
What are the endocrine and exocrine systems?
How do electrical charges interact?
Are there more than three kingdoms of life? I can never remember.
What are the characteristics of electrically charged objects?
How does anomie theory explain deviant behavior?
Why would anybody think there might be life on another planet?
What are chemical solutions?
Do you know of any way to simplify the overall subject of biochemical genetics?
Can a loud noise really shatter glass?
How do magnetic fields work?
Did Clarence Darrow really call an animal in to testify at the famous monkey trial?
What role does the thyroid gland play in the human body?
What did Mendel discover about heredity when he was playing around with plants?
How many laws of motion did Newton come up with, and what are they?
What in the world is constructive and destructive interference?
How do viruses do their dirty work?
What do bones do, except give us a skeletal structure?
Do all viruses look alike?
My teacher keeps talking about solubility. What does that mean, anyway?
How do positive and negative reinforcement work?
How does nondisjunction relate to birth defects?
With all the germs in the world today, how come everybody's not sick all the time?
What is thermal equilibrium?
How are sound waves created?
What do taste buds look like — up-close?
How often does an eclipse happen?
What is the chemical composition of saltwater?
I was told to write a 15-sentence answer to this question: When in life do you learn to expect the unexpected? I don't really know of an answer. Can you help me figure it out?
My school is having a blood drive and I am considering donating blood. Can you tell me more about the whole process and if it is painful?
Where can I download music for free? And if I do, is it illegal?
How do I convince my parents to give me ten bucks?
How should I deal with being a perfectionist?
How do I convince my little brother and sisters to stay out of my room?
Can you eat a rooster?
How do I work out a problem with a teacher who loses the assignments I turn in and then accuses me of not doing the homework?
Could a Tyrannosaurus rex kill King Kong?
How would you describe a rainbow to a person who has been blind their ENTIRE life and doesn't understand colors?
Will a tattoo inhibit hair growth?
When did gays come about?
I was wondering if the tilt on the earth's axis is important to animal life on earth. Could you explain?
What are the four types of tissue found in the human body?
Is there any easy" way to understand the Krebs Cycle?"
Why are prostaglandins sometimes called tissue hormones?
What is cell death? And what is the difference between apoptosis and necrosis?
How do I find the molar mass of the elements on the periodic table?
What do the symbols on the Periodic Table mean? For example, Gold-Au, Silver-Ag, Lead-Pb, Potassium-K, Tin-Sn, Iron-Fe, and Mercury-Hg, where did these symbols come from?
How is your mind connected to your dreams? Does this have anything to do with psychology?
What are the three main functions of the skeletal system?
What are the characteristics of a moneran, protist, and fungus?
Why does a placebo work? And who does it work for?
What are two properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids?
What is lymph? Is it part of the circulatory system in our bodies?
Can there be life on Mars?
How much of the ozone layer is left?
Is it possible for a marine mammal to be infected with rabies?
What exactly does the RNA do?
What is the sperm travel process?
What is a bacterial colony?
Dealing with the myth of Cinderella, written by the Grimm brothers, how could you analyze it in terms of archetypes that Carl Jung used?
What exactly is blood clotting and what are the processes involved?
What is the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission?
Does a person have to have the same blood type as his or her brothers and sisters?
My teacher said that eating poisonous mushrooms can make you sick or even kill you, but that they're not the only fungus that can. What is she talking about?
What is the chemical equation for orange juice?
What kind of structures are opposable toes?
What is an oral groove?
Dogs are spayed, but humans have hysterectomies. Isn't it all the same surgery?
What does the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) do?
What is the angle formed by a horizontal line and a line of sight to a point below?
After I take the ASVAB, what is my obligation to the military?
If I choose to take the computerized version of the GRE, will I be typing or writing my analytical and issue essays?
Are there any MBA programs that don't require the GMAT?
Can you use a calculator on the GMAT? What are you allowed to take in with you to the test?
Should I keep taking the GMAT until I get a good score?
How is the ASVAB scored?
I canceled my GMAT score right after I took the test. Now I'm wondering if I did the right thing.
What is the ASVAB AFQT?
Where can I take the ASVAB?
Is it better to guess on GMAT answers or would that count against me?
How is my GMAT score used by grad schools?
Is it true that the writing assessment sections of the GMAT are graded by a computer?
What kinds of scores are reported on the GRE, and how long will it take for me to get my scores?
What do I need to bring with me to the GRE testing center?
How are GRE scores used?
How do I learn stuff for in-class exams?
How do I get ready for a math test?
Can I take a calculator to my ACT exam?
Do you have any tips for doing well on the AP Chemistry test?
What can I expect in the math part of the SAT?
How can I prepare for the SAT essay?
What is the Critical Reasoning section of the SAT like?
Is there a fun way to learn SAT vocabulary?
What books should I read for the AP English Literature exam?
How can I make sure I finish the AP essay question in time?
Since I made the soccer team, I don't feel like I have enough time to study. Do you have any study tips so I can use my time better and make sure I don't get kicked off the team for my grades?
I'm a huge procrastinator. How can I manage my time effectively to catch up on my assignments?
What kind or amount of note-taking is optimal? I get lost while making a notation and miss other parts of the lecture.
I study so hard for my tests that I know I know the material, but then I always panic and bomb. How can I reduce my test anxiety?
I do really bad on quizzes. I'm okay with tests and homework, but I do horribly on quizzes. What can I do to prepare for quizzes?
I've screwed up horribly this semester. I always say I'm going to change my habits, but I always end up getting lazy and doing something else. I want to succeed, but how can I get rid of my own laziness?
If you have any music or audio notes playing on tape, CD, or whatever and you fall asleep, is it true that you'll have whatever was played memorized by the time you wake up?
I have trouble understanding a book when I read. I try to read so that I can finish the book quickly but still understand what's going on. Could you give me a few tips on how to understand a book while reading at a quick pace?
What is the best study method when trying to cram three chapters all at once?
What if I have a really bad memory? When I read a page of a book, I can't go back and remember it.
Why do some teachers say light a peppermint candle? I mean, I don't think it helps you concentrate.
I really suck at taking multiple choice tests. Do you have any suggestions for not psyching myself out before a big test?
Is there a WRONG way to study?
Are the math questions on the GMAT extremely difficult and complex?
Does it matter whether I take the SAT or ACT in my junior year or my senior year of high school?
What does AP mean?
How can I explain to my friend what I mean when I call him tedious ?
Does the word privations has something to do with the government?
What's the difference between goulash and galoshes?
What exactly is a parallel structure?
I have a bet on this: Learnt is a real word, right?
Is a boor somebody who boos or somebody who bores?
Somebody in my drama club used the word ostentation the other day. What does that mean, anyway?
Define paraphrasing.
What's another word that means the same thing as malevolence ?
I find the same typo in a lot of books I read. Shouldn't connexion be connection ?
What do you call a word that only ever appears as a plural?
What s the difference between like and such as
Can you show an easy way to remember when to use I" or "me" in a sentence? (And please skip the technical grammar rules.)"
Should I say, â€œCan I have a banana?â€ or â€œMay I have a banana?â€
Is the proper capitalization Atlantic ocean or Atlantic Ocean ?
What does the word supercilious mean?
Is grippe something that makes you sick?
Does the word elucidation have something to do with drugs?
How would you use fervid and fervent in a sentence?
How can someone become a good writer?
How do you cite CliffsNotes in APA, MLA, and CMS styles?
What period in history does histrionics cover?
People used to die from consumption. Does that mean they ate too much?
Is it ever okay to start a sentence with the word but?
What is the longest word in the English language?
I'm learning English now, so I gave myself an English name â€” Vivi." However, an American told me that "Vivi" is not suitable for a name. There are some local reasons. So I want to know if "Vivi" really can't be used as a name."
When writing a paper, what do I do to the title of a book? Do I underline it or italicize it?
Please look at this sentence: Both Peter and John like soccer. Should it be: Both Peter and John likes soccer.
What are the four genders of noun?
What is it called when a word is the same both forward and backward?
Do swans really sing when they die
What does indignation mean?
What is a pundit ?
What is a cleft sentence
What is the difference between narration and first person?
Is it grammatically correct to say take some shots"?"
My teacher thinks I plagiarized an essay; what should I tell him?
Why do some authors use the word an before all words that start with an H? Is this form of writing correct?
My school newspaper claimed that I am. is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. Isn't Go. a complete sentence?
How did people make up the lb. abbreviation for pounds?
Which is correct: "if I was" or "if I were"? And why?
How would you use the word antecede in a sentence?
Could you please explain the difference between affect and effect ?
How do I write a good thesis statement?
What do people mean when they talk about information in the public domain?
What's the big deal about plagiarism, anyway?
Is there a difference between envy and jealousy ?
Can you define the words prostate and prostrate ?
What does it mean to be threadbare ?
Is there a difference between the words ignorant and stupid ?
I used the word reoccur in a paper and my teacher said it should have been recur . Can you tell me the difference?
What does it mean to be flabbergasted ?
When should I write the word lose and when should I write loose ?
What does ad infinitum mean? (From Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre )
Do loath and loathe have different meanings?
I got marked down on a paper for using the word irregardless . Why?
What does it mean to be fastidious ? (From Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo )
Do stationary and stationery mean the same thing?
How is the word among different than the word between ?
What is a hierarchy ?
What is the difference between tortuous and torturous ?
Can you help me understand the difference between the words censor and censure ?
I get farther and further confused. Can you help?
I can t keep principal and principle clear Can you help
My teacher lowered my grade on a paper because I described a scene as grizzly . I thought that was a word.
Are the words gamut and gauntlet interchangeable?
When do I write some time instead of sometime and sometimes ?
Can you help me figure out when to use the word lay instead of lie ?
Can you tell me when to use faze instead of phase ?
What is the difference between avenge and revenge ?
What is the difference between the words precede and proceed ?
How do I fix a run-on sentence?
How useful are automatic spell-checkers?
Is it okay to begin a sentence with and ?
When is it okay to use sentence fragments?
What is future perfect tense?
Is it okay to split infinitives?
Why do people often confuse than and then in writing?
When do I use commas with clauses?
How do I decide which type of pronoun to use when I have multiple pronouns?
What types of words or phrases should I avoid in my writing?
What is parallel structure in writing?
When should I use apostrophe-S?
What is a clause?
I have to write an essay, and I'm having a hard time getting started. Do you have any tips?
How can I make the most out of my first draft?
What should I avoid when writing the conclusion of a research paper?
Are can and may interchangeable?
What is passive voice?
What does it mean to be quixotic ?
What are linking verbs?
What does it mean to use redundant adverbs?
How do I organize a comparison essay?
How do I decide between who and whom ?
How do you use possessives in front of gerunds?
Can I end a sentence with a preposition?
How do I decide on the scope of my essay?
What are participles?
What's the difference between will and shall ?
Which adjectives can't be modified with more and most ?
What are indirect objects?
Should I use his , his or her , or their ?
What's the difference between farther and further ?
What is a storyboard?
What exactly is a theme of a story, and how can I recognize it?
Why is English class called English in school? English is a language, so I don't think it should be a class. Please help me understand.
What is tone exactly and how do you find it in stories?
Where do you start when writing a character analysis?
What is a dynamic character? What is a static character? How are they different?
What's the difference between description and narration?
I don't get onomatopoeias! It's as hard to spell as it is to understand!
What is a gothic tale?
What is the author's style" of a book?"
What is a one-word sentence called?
What word class would the word Novembery fit in to?
My instructor wrote on my paper to be careful about using passive voice. What does that mean?
Is it grammatically correct to say, She went missing"? What is the rule?"
I need information on the social roles of language. How are individuals judged based on their use of language?
What is the origin of the word promotion ?
What's a preposition?
What are some examples of homographic terms?
I have to write an essay for my AP world history class and my teacher said to use direct comparison, but I'm confused on what he means by that. Please Help!
I'm reading The Scarlet Letter in my Honors AP English class and my teacher wants us to do a 5 paragraph essay. What's the best way to start the introduction?
What are some examples of transitions that I can use in my writing assignment?
What does APA stand for?
In typing a term paper, what is the proper spacing after a period? I think I've read that one space is now acceptable.
What is meant by argue your own thesis?
How do I write an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph?
What are easy ways to identify figurative language?
When writing a persuasive essay, what words can take place of being verbs," such as is, are, has, be, were, and was? My teacher crossed all of those out of my paper? What words should I use to replace those?"
I have to write a dialogue that might take place between the speakers of The World Is Not a Pleasant Place to Be" and "Where Have You Gone." What exactly is a dialogue?"
What is the literary device of writing exactly as a character speaks, even if words are misspelled and the grammar is non-standard?
What are the types of tones/attitudes in writing?
What are the first-person, second-person, and third-person points of view? Which is used for formal essays?
What is a good sentence for the word plinth ?
What are footnotes and endnotes? How do I start off a title page?
Why can't you be rude or sarcastic in your thesis statement?
How do you write a paper, when the topic is yourself? How do you research that kind of thing?
What would a raging river be like?

A second way of organizing requires you to decide first which aspects of the book and movie you want to compare and contrast (setting, character development, tone, and so on) and then structure your paper around those points. For example, if you use setting, you would have one section of your paper to describe the setting in both the book and the movie and to compare them. Next you compare the character development in both versions, then the tone, then the imagery, and so on. Two advantages of this type of organization are, first, you are forced to focus on specific similarities and differences and less likely to include material that isn't important, and, second, you avoid repetition by ditching the separate compare-and-contrast section.

You can also combine these two types of organization. For example, you may want to discuss the overall plot structure of the movie and the book separately, and then move into a point-by-point comparison of the other aspects of the two versions (characters, setting, tone, and so on).

7 Reasons Why The Book Is Better Than The Movie

By: Author Laura

Posted on Published: 29th June 2020 - Last updated: 29th February 2024

Categories Books , Film

People always say the book is better than the movie. And most of the time that’s true. Here’s why.

7 Reasons Why The Book Is Always Better Than The Movie

You’ve heard it a thousand times before: The book is better than the movie. Is this just some people’s way of seeming intellectually superior? Or is there something to it?

Let’s talk about the books vs movies argument.

If you love books, you’ll likely emphatically agree that the book version of any story is superior to the film version.

But sometimes, a great director with a vision gets the film just right. I never liked a film version of Romeo and Juliet until Baz Luhrmann brought it to the big screen.

So let’s jump into the book vs movie argument and look at why some adaptations of books just aren’t successful on the big screen.

If you’re here for inspiration for your book vs movie essay, then these 7 book and movie comparison ideas might help you get started.

Word Play Doesn’t Translate

So much of what makes a book or a story come alive on the page is the use of figurative language and other word play.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – technically a play – is often lost to modern audiences because the language just doesn’t translate on screen.

We can hear the cadence of the dialogue, but we can’t fully appreciate the consistent pattern throughout each line of the play, descriptions and all.

Modern audiences also fail to grasp the full meaning of some of the outdated language, so the irony, sarcasm, and other subtle emotions are lost.

Similarly, a book like The Last Temptation of Christ is hard to translate on screen. Much of the beauty of the book is in the richness of its language.

Only plot and dialogue are conveyed on screen, not the metaphor, symbolism, alliteration, and other figurative language.

When you read, you appreciate the masterful choice of language, as well as the particulars of the story.

Some Imagery is Hard to Capture

It seems hard to believe that a visual medium like film would not be able to convey some imagery better than a book, but it’s true.

Some imagery lives more in the realm of a dreamscape. It is surrealistic and blends emotion with visuals, so what you see with your eyes may not be what is meant to be conveyed.

You can see a perfect example of this in the book Beloved , which was made into a movie starring Oprah Winfrey and Thandie Newton.

Much of the book was a blend of magical realism and metaphor, which is very difficult to translate into the visual reality of film.

You have to feel these things, and you can only feel them by actually being there or by being immersed in your own imagination, as suggested by the story.

One of my favourite book vs movie quotes is:

The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader – Paul Coelho

Action is Changed for Drama

When books are adapted, some of the action in the book is changed so that it makes for better drama or better flow in a movie.

For example, when the book The Never-Ending Story starts, we meet Atreyu in his own land. In the movie, we first meet him in the Ivory Tower, which helps start the action faster.

However, the book shows Bastian’s dad grieving the loss of his wife, not Bastian himself. The book depicts Bastian as more lonely at the start, and his journey is a more satisfying one than in the movie.

In the book The Wizard of Oz , there are additional characters, like the Queen of the Field Mice, who rescues the Cowardly Lion from the Poppy Field.

She’s cut from the movie to streamline the cast of characters and the action, but she adds a little something extra in the book.

Books Have No Limit

When reading a book, you are free to read at your own pace and enjoy the story in your own time.

Some books are only one hundred pages long but others could be up to a thousand pages. And people still read both.

However, movies are limited to a two hour slot where they can capture people’s attention.

Anywhere between one and a half hours and two and a half hours seems to be the norm for a film and if they can’t fit all the elements of the plot into that time (and they never will), then they inevitably end up cutting corners and simplifying characters and plot lines.

As such a film adaptation will never have all the details that a reader desires and many end up disappointed when entire scenes and characters end up cut from the film.

The trend of splitting movie adaptations into two halves does nothing to help matters either.

With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , two films still wasn’t enough. With The Hobbit , three films was too excessive and yet it still didn’t convey everything from the books.

Actors aren’t How You Imagined

The movies might cast actors who don’t look the way you imagined the characters would look, which can often be a very difficult thing to look past.

A common issue in Hollywood is whitewashing the cast and, more recently, forced diversity.

The problem with the former is obvious – if the book is set in a foreign country with foreign characters but is given an all white cast when it’s adapted for the screen then this is wrong, wrong, wrong .

They did this with the Netflix movie adaptation of the manga Death Note and the film received huge amounts of backlash as a result.

On the other hand, the film Crazy Rich Asians has received lots of praise for sticking to an all Asian cast for this book to film adaptation.

If that doesn’t prove to Hollywood the importance of staying as true to the book as possible when it comes to casting then I don’t know what does.

Conversely, forced diversity can negatively impact a book to film adaptation as well. J K Rowling’s works have been accused of forced diversity in Hollywood.

Casting a Black Hermione, Korean Nagini and gay Dumbledore have all been branded desperate attempts tick the “diversity” box.

Many fans of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts have criticised Rowling for trying to retrospectively claim that her works do include lots of diverse characters.

Actors aren’t up to Scratch

Further to the point above, even if an actor looks the part, they might fail to truly translate their character from page to screen.

A books show the inner thoughts of the characters, which shows their feelings and motivations, and these things can be lost in the movies when the actors aren’t up to scratch.

Take Keanu Reaves in the 1992 film adaptation of Dracula. He plays vampire hunter Jonathan Harker but everything about him is wrong for this role, most notably, his accent.

Or Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films ; she’s just a bit flat, isn’t she? We could be here all day discussing Harry Potter book vs movie.

Money, money, money

Whilst a publisher will be on the lookout for stories to move, to thrill and to absorb the reader, the top priority in film production is money .

An easy way to make sure they get people to the cinema so that money starts rolling in is to cast people that are beautiful and famous and create bigger bangs.

Usually at the expense of accurate storytelling.

This is why some book to film adaptations take nothing but the bare bones of the book plot before being turned into a theatrical drama that barely resembles the original copy.

And that’s it for my book vs movie comparison! There are a lot of other things that movies can do to the stories from your favourite books that make them less satisfying.

There’s definitely something to it when people say that the book is better than the movie, but the reasons can vary.

But that doesn’t mean that the movie is never as good as the book.

We’ve seen some great adaptations of some great books and I will admit that I actually prefer the Lord of the Rings films to the books. Shh .

What are some of your favourite book to film adaptations?

Pin now, read again later!

If you liked this post, check out these: Ultimate List of Movie Night Essentials The Perfect Movie for Any Occasion Reasons to Always Carry a Book With You How I Read 75+ Books a Year 45 Quotes About Bookworms Paperback vs Hardback Books

Editor of What’s Hot?

This article was first published in 2017 and updated in 2020.

Jasswinder singh

Tuesday 31st of August 2021

I built my self only from the books Movie stops your visualization power Where books inbuilt your imagination power

Monday 29th of March 2021

What total poppycock! Both the author of this nonsense and the commenters above apparently fancy themselves as culturally superior to those who find movies vastly superior to book tales - in most cases. Obviously anyone who has read a novel prior to going to see the movie version has already learned the path of the story being told. Movie goers are not subject to investing hours and days on a written tome only to discover the author is indeed substandard. Even with books by accomplished authors many movies produced far outshine the written work - The Godfather I & II, Gone With the Wind, Inherit the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird are just a few movies superior to the best seller written versions.

Koyel Murmu

Friday 26th of February 2021

Thank you so much! I have an assignment on a similar topic and you just saved me <3

Friday 11th of September 2020

So true! Great breakdown of why books are almost always better! I recently started a blog where I compare books and movies, maybe you would find it interesting whythebookwins.com

Wednesday 28th of June 2017

I have yet to find a movie that beats the book for me. It's always the casting that ruins it for me though. By the time I'm done reading, I'm emotionally invested in the characters and the plot, so when the cast and plot don't match what the book reads like to me, it drives me mad haha. Great post!

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Books Vs Movies Essay | Books or Movies ? How to Figure Out Which One is Important?

October 20, 2021 by Prasanna

Books Vs Movies Essay: Books Vs Movies are important in their own aspects. So which is more important, books or movies ? How to figure out which one is more important? Let us see.

When comparing Books Vs Movies, books are always a better option than movies. Books help us to have a sharp mind and be more creative. Books can let you imagine the events happening in the story in your own way of imagination.

In movies, the characters are designed according to the director because sometimes the character described in the book cannot be brought into reality and so they are different and totally the opposite as compared to in the books. As a result movies sometimes leave out some important details.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Movies are just a source of entertainment. But to make a movie out of the book only limited things from the book could be taken. Also some extra things must be added to make the movie interesting .Also not everything gets covered in the movie. Which means the content of the story is changed to a great extent. Many things get left out while converting a book into a movie. Take for example, the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire series. This book already had a lot of action in it, but the movie missed out huge chunks of the storyline. Unnecessary action scenes are added in the movie for entertainment, which had no effect on the story and that resulted in missing out important details.

A movie could get produced from a good book, but have you seen any book written from a movie? No, that is not actually possible. Because movies have more entertainment material. Movies don’t give a lasting impression on the person’s mind. But books definitely leave a good impression on the person reading it.

Reading a book needs time and dedication. Not everyone has the patience to read a lengthy book as it takes time to complete it. While movies usually last only for 2 to 3 hours. Their main purpose is for entertainment and so it does not leave any impression on our minds.Movies are available at a particular time in the theatre, while we can read books any time during the day or night.

In a book, a person actually visualizes a scene in his mind which improves his thought process as the brain is continuously working. While a person watching a movie is seeing it live and so he doesn’t have to think about anything just enjoys the scenes.

A good reader knows the importance of reading on an everyday basis. Books are an important asset for that person. He can survive without anything but not without books.

Books are very important for all age groups of people as it is a great source of knowledge. In comparing Books vs Movies, books play a vital role in the development of human beings. All the people in reputed jobs such as CEOs, MDs, Executives Directors have a good habit of reading books.

The human brain requires exercise and a good book provides that. So it becomes important to read good books.

It is very important to read good books as it increases our english skills, vocabulary and also imagination. Regular reading of books is good for mental health and we can learn new things.

People who don’t like reading books and investing time in it would prefer watching a movie based on the book.

Furthermore, a book cannot be judged by a movie.

Short Essay on Books Vs Movies

In comparing books vs movies, books always proved to be a better option than movies.

When we read a book, we tend to visualize the characters in our own way while in movies they don’t look like the way we want them.

Movies tend to have a limited time. They last about two to three hours and hence have to rush things so that they can end it fast within the time limit. While books can take their own time and last longer. As a result many details are missed out in the movies.

Everyone does not has access to movies or can afford going to movie theatres but books are easily available and can be borrowed from the library or from a friend.

Books are portable, can be carried anywhere and can be read online at any time.

Reading books gives us more knowledge and it helps us improve our vocabulary.

It helps us to become a better human being while movies are just for entertainment purpose.

Watching a movie can’t give you the same depth of the story, which reading a book gives. Watching a movie can never get you a better job. So now It’s your choice whether to watch a movie or read a book.

Books attract the reader to continue reading and creates suspense and curiosity so that the reader will be hooked to finish the book to find out the truth. Reading books can improve the reader’s English writing and reading skills, while watching movies brings nothing else than entertainment.

But usually people like to watch the movie which tells the story in a short amount of time which is more convenient for them. Either they are too lazy or don’t have much time to read a book.

Books are not replaceable, we grow up reading and studying books even the first thing we learned the alphabets are also from books.

So when debating over books vs movies, books are nothing more than an advantage, and a library is nothing but a WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE AND IMAGINATION.

FAQ’s on Books Vs Movies Essay

Question 1. Why is reading good books good for your mental health?

Answer: Research shows that reading a good book increases your vocabulary and comprehension. Improves your thinking power and also strengthens your brain.

It is also discovered that students who read books regularly at a young age gradually develop vocabularies and language skills. And that can influence many areas of your life, from scores in different tests to college admissions and job opportunities.

Question 2. What is the difference between a book and a movie?

Answer: The main motive of both the book and the movie is to tell a story to the audience. But the major difference between books and movies to narrate a story is the amount of time each needs. A movie has a strict time limit of 2 to 3 hours whereas a book can have an unlimited number of pages. A movie needs a big budget in making whereas a book is budget friendly.

Question 3. Which is a better option: books or movies?

Answer: according to my opinion books are always the better option than movies. Books are much more detailed than movies, they improve your English skills, vocabulary and are proven to help you get better jobs. Meanwhile films are socially better, quicker to watch and made just for entertainment.

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The Giver By Lois Lowry: Comparison Between Book And Movie

His father is a nurturer of newborns and when Jonas’s little brother Gabriel is born he is a troubled child. Jonas finds out through the Giver that Gabriel will be taken away, so Jonas saves him. Jonas starts to grow apart from his family after he finds out the secrets of how things within the society work. His best friends are Asher and Fiona are introduced within the first couple chapters and Jonas tries not to share any memories with them because he is not supposed to, but because the Giver explained love to him, so he starts to fall in love with Fiona and wants to show her that feeling.

The Giver does more explaining to Jonas than giving. Jonas spends less time with the Giver, and that is much different than the book because he always went to the Giver to find out more. As I previously stated, The Giver, is a much better read than a movie. First of all, Jonas is noted to be different from everyone else in society. Jonas matures from age eleven to a twelve year old that takes on a great deal of responsibility, which the movie lacks. The development of his character brings the reader to think of the morale behind the story .

Being granted the Receiver of memories at age twelve sounds like a big duty to handle, but the book’s detail and creativity with this profession really grasps the reader’s attention. Throughout the entire book the reader stays on edge. It may be an easy read, but it has enough suspension to keep the reader engaged. The story’s viewpoint is of Jonas, so reading first hand what he is feeling, thinking, and doing is on a far more personal level. Whereas in the movie all of these characteristics are not present. They way the memories are brought into the movie really puzzled me. The Giver did more explaining than giving and that was confusing.

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“The Hobbit”: Book vs. Movie Essay

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Introduction

Events deleted or changed in the movie, changes that enhance the film, political imagery in the hobbit book and film.

In the book, The Hobbit, the author, JR Tolkien tells a story of short, contented humanlike creatures called hobbits. In this fantasy story, Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, a Gandalf, a wizard, and a group of midgets set out on an adventure to repossess stolen treasure hidden in the Lonely Mountain. A fiery dragon, Smaug, claims ownership of the treasure after acquiring it during an earlier invasion. The band of fourteen endures hostile weather conditions, constant attacks and abductions, and starvation on their way to the Lonely Mountain. After fighting many battles, they recover the dwarves’ treasure and begin their journey back to the hobbit lands. The dwarves share some of their treasure with Bilbo for his role in its recovery. Bilbo returns to his hobbit-hole a changed hobbit. It is evident that the ‘adventure’ to the Lonely Mountain transformed Bilbo into a wise and knowledgeable hobbit.

The book was adapted into a film named The Hobbit, an Unexpected Journey . However, several modifications and additions to the screenplay make the film different from the Hobbit book. The names of places, characters, and events are the same in both the book and the movie. The plot has also been conserved in the movie. Striking differences between the Hobbit book and its movie version relate to the use of imagery, dialogue, and alliteration. This essay compares and contrasts the Hobbit book and the movie based on the differences and similarities between the two.

In chapter one, the events preceding the quest (the unexpected party) have been modified in the movie. The book’s description of the Hobbits’ stature and landscape has been changed in the screenplay. The book describes them as being half the size of humans, but some scenes of the movie depict Bilbo’s as having the same height as that of dwarf. As the story begins, Gandalf enters through Bilbo’s door and requests him to join the dwarves on an adventure to the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo flatly rejects this offer. In contrast, the movie begins with “an unexpected party”, which follows the scene where Bilbo refuses Gandalf’s offer. Although Bilbo declines the offer, out of his kind-heartedness, he invites him for tea (supper) the following day, but soon rues his decision. This does not happen in the movie. Gandalf just shows up at the party without Bilbo’s invitation.

Moreover, in the book, the story is narrated from the author’s perspective. In contrast, in the movie, the story revolves around Bilbo and the dwarves. A prologue in the movie introduces the audience to the story. Tolkien reveals to the reader the history of the Middle Earth, the origin of the Hobbits, and the Dwarves’ current situation in his book. This sets out the context for the story. After declining the offer, Bilbo enters his hobbit-hole and shuts his “round green door”, which Gandalf marks to enable the dwarves to locate the hobbit.

The same events are replicated in the movie. The dwarves come to Bolbi’s home in five different groups: Dwalin Balin, Kili and Fili, Ori, Gloin, Oin, Dori, and Nori, Bifur, Bombur, Bofur, and Thorin. Each group dons brightly coloured attires and carry musical instruments. In the novel, Thorin is the last one to join the “unexpected party”. In contrast, in the film adaptation, Thorin enters the party in the company of three dwarves, Bombur, Bofur, and Bifur. In addition, the visitors carry no tools.

The events of the unexpected party have also been changed in the film adaptation. The book describes Bag-End, Bilbo’s abode, as having a cellar (room) that serves as a liquor store. During the party, Bilbo prepares and serves food to his guests. In comparison, in the movie, the dwarves serve themselves and help clean up the place after the party. A soothing music that involves different instruments, including flutes, a drum, clarinets, viols, and a harp, is played after the party. The music they played sounds good as the attendees, including Gandalf, dance to its rhythm. However, in the movie, dwarves’ music sounds like a dirge. The attendees do not dance to it. Moreover, unlike in the text, the dwarves use no musical instruments in the music.

In the book, Gandalf remarks that a goblin, named Azog, killed Thorin’s father and grandfather during the great Dwarf-Goblin War. However, in the movie, Azog, though missing an arm, appears well and alive. Moreover, in the book, the illustration of the dragon, Smaug, is red in colour. Although Bilbo later describes the dragon as golden-red, the map hanging on the wall of the Bag-End depicts him as red. In contrast, the movie depicts the dragon as simply a sketch with no colour. Moreover, a map hanging on the Bag-End walls (the Hobbiton area) is also missing in the film adaptation. After the party, Bilbo ushers his guests to different rooms to sleep before retiring to his bed for the night. Thorin is heard singing as Bilbo goes to sleep. The same events are replicated in the film adaptation.

The characters in the book also differ from those in the movie. In the movie, the elderly Bilbo tells his nephew, Frodo (played by Elijah Wood), about his epic journey to distant lands. However, Frodo is not in the Tolkien’s novel and thus, the conversation with his uncle is missing. Moreover, Tolkien’s description of the Hobbits’ appearance is not reflected in the film adaptation. Tolkien describes them as short, rotund creatures (middle-aged) with long brown fingers and deep chuckles. In Jackson’s adaptation of the book, the characters are neither short nor fat.

Another incident that is missing in the film adaptation relates to Bilbo’s attempt to escape from his hobbit hole to boycott the impending adventure. In the book, the author writes that Bilbo schemed to avoid accompanying the dwarves in their quest to recover their lost treasures. This description is missing in the film adaptation. Bilbo’s ancestry is also missing in the movie. Tolkien explains that Bilbo, in many ways, bore remarkable resemblance to his mother, Belladonna Took. Took is said to be half-fairy, which gave her magic powers. Bilbo’s maternal ancestry, though unconfirmed, gave him a knack for mystic adventures. This explains why the dwarves want him to accompany them in the current quest.

Furthermore, some events have been introduced in the movie. Radagast the Brown, a wizard, plays a major role in the movie. The film depicts him as a gentle and queer person who loves animals. On one occasion, he distracts a group of goblins in pursuit of Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarfs allowing them to escape. In contrast, Radagast does not feature much in the book. Another scene that is portrayed differently in both the film and the book involves Bilbo’s interaction with a group of Trolls. In the book, Bilbo follows the Trolls into the woods and steals items from them while in the film the object of his pursuit is to free the dwarves’ horses, which the goblins had taken.

The pursuit takes Bilbo, the dwarves, and Gendalf into the Troll’s cave, where they discover three magic swords: the Orcrist, the Glamdring, and the Sting. In the film, Gandalf gives Bilbo the Sting (a Hobbit Sword). However, in the book, Bilbo selects the Sting by himself and thus, decides his own fate.

Another striking difference between the Hobbit book and film relates to the disappearance of the ponies. The novel states that the Trolls took away and ate the ponies that belonged to Bilbo, the dwarves, and Gandalf. However, in the film it is revealed that the ponies vanished or “bolted” away. Moreover, during their quest, the group arrives at the elves’ Rivendell abode where they are given food and shelter. In contrast, in the film, the dwarves refuse to put up with the elves and request Gandalf to seek alternative shelter. Thus, the film, unlike the novel, depicts them as an ungrateful and disgruntled lot. In addition, throughout the film, Thorin and Bilbo seem to harbour ill feelings against each other.

Thorin criticizes Bilbo’s comfortable lifestyle at his home and believes he cannot withstand the challenges associated with the quest. Their hostility is revealed through their confrontations in various scenes of the film. In contrast, the two do not seem to harbour any ill feelings against each other in the book version.

Some alterations, additions, and deletions enhance the screenplay. Since the plot remains the same in both the book and the film, these changes serve as enhancements that make the film more appealing and clearer to the audience. One such alteration relates to the appearance of the Hobbits, the wizards, and the dwarves. In the novel, the Hobbits are depicted as short, rotund creatures while the dwarves appear short, hairy, and unattractive. Moreover, the wizards appear old and frail while the Gollum is depicted as an ugly beast with large eyes.

In contrast, in the adapted film, Peter Jackson makes many changes to the appearance of the characters. Thorin, although short, has no curly beards or additional arm-like structures on the nostrils like the rest of the dwarves. Additionally, Jackson gives this character a deep voice, which is characteristic of heroes. By comparison, the novel depicts Thorin as an unattractive, greedy, selfish, and vengeful individual whose intention for taking part in the quest is to kill Smaug and obtain the gold. The alterations made in the film are consistent with the characterizations present in Hollywood blockbuster movies. In addition, any adventure should have a hero who is appealing and strong to lead the quest. Thus, Thorin’s depiction in the film makes sense.

Another scene that greatly enhances the film relates to Bilbo’s retrieval of a gold ring. The film describes Gollum attempting to kill and eat a goblin. A struggle ensues as the goblin tries to free itself. During this struggle, a gold ring falls from Gollum’s pocket onto the ground. Bilbo retrieves and keeps it. The ring would later become useful in the quest. In contrast, in the novel, the details of how the ring disappears are left out. The novel only says that Bilbo retrieves it from the cave floor. The readers cannot know how the ring got lost in the first place. Thus, the alterations in the film improve the clarity of the plot and make the story more appealing to the audience.

In the final scenes of the film, angry giant wolves, named “wargs”, corner the dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo. They climb tall trees to escape from the “wargs”, which continue to snap at them. To send them away, Gandalf lights some pine branches and throws them at the wags. He manages to send the “wargs” away, but, inadvertently, sets the trees on fire. Gandalf beckons the Eagles to come and save them from the raging inferno.

However, before the Eagles could arrive, the Pale Orc, the goblin leader, joins the “wargs” in trying to capture the wizard, the dwarves, and Bilbo who remains perched in one tree. Their weight makes the tree to bend dangerously low as the Pale Orc and the “wargs” wait for them to fall. In this scene, Bilbo draws his sword (the Sting) and attempts to fight off the “wargs”. Before the “wargs” could snatch him, the Eagles arrive and rescue the company from them. These additional events help bring a final climax to a scene, which in the novel version, is largely uneventful.

Moreover, in the novel, as Bilbo is carried away to safety, he appears terrified and shaken. The eagles tell him that he is out of danger. In contrast, in the film adaptation, the eagles have no ability to speak; they only lead him into safety. In this regard, Jackson depicts Bilbo as a confident hero whose fearless actions saves the dwarves and the wizards. In contrast, Tolkien portrays Bilbo as a lazy individual who cannot be useful during fights or wars. Given his fight with the “wargs” portrays him as hero.

In both the Hobbit novel and film, the portrayal of the events and characters has strong political connotations. They make political statements that represent or satirize the society. The sole purpose of the quest in The Hobbit was to retrieve certain ancestral treasures that would improve the livelihoods of the dwarves, as a community. The treasures would restore the fallen kingdom and enhance the livelihoods of the subjects. Thorin, the dwarves’ de facto leader and heir to the throne, had lost the Crown to a fiery dragon living on the Lonely Mountain.

Moreover, the dwarves’ ancestral town, Dale, was destroyed during the invasion of Smaug. Thus, Thorin knows that by regaining the treasure, he will reclaim the dwarves’ lost lands and wealth. The object of the treasure hunt is much clearer in the book than in the film, as the events in the book revolve around the quest to retrieve the treasure trove with Thorin as the leader.

The Hobbit also depicts greed and corruption among the ruling political class. Smaug and Gollum are portrayed as selfish and evil beings, which lack a sense of community. Smaug leads a lonely life at the Lonely Mountain, where he hides the treasure trove. He does not make any good use of the hidden treasure, but fiercely defends it. On the other hand, Gollum does not share his magical gold ring with the Bilbo. Additionally, the Master of Lake-town, after Thorin gives him a proportion of the treasure, becomes corrupt and greedy. He does not use the treasure to reconstruct the town after the war. As a result, he is removed from power and Bard takes over. These events are well detailed in the text compared to the film.

Political imagery is also evident in the way the characters use their powers. Gandalf uses his powers throughout the book and the film. After Bilbo declines to accompany the dwarves and the wizard on a quest to the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf labels his door. This allows the dwarves to track Bilbo to his hobbit hole. Gandalf also uses magic power to disappear and reappear miraculously. Bilbo’s power, on the other hand, grows throughout the book. Initially, he is depicted as a lazy and unadventurous individual, but as the story progresses, he grows in confidence and becomes a hero in the eyes of many. He saves the dwarves from the Elvenking cave and confronts Smaug and Gollum.

He becomes an influential leader during the quest when rescues the group during confrontation with the “wargs”. He seems to be the “lucky”, diplomatic, and wise individual. Despite possessing immense powers, Bilbo leads a simple quiet life. On the other hand, the goblins and Smaug are depicted as wicked creatures that prefer war to diplomacy. They represent political leaders who go into war for personal gain. The Hobbit book details the political actions of the characters more clearly than the film because the adaptation removed key events present in the book.

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by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak speak, the book vs. speak, the movie, about the movie.

Speak the film was produced independently and released in 2004. Film production occured over a period of only 21 days in Columbus, Ohio. Anderson visited the set during filiming and appears in one scene as a lunchlady serving potatos. The film stars Kristen Stewart as Melinda, Eric Lively as Andy Evans , Allison Siko as Heather , and Hallee Hirsh as Rachel .The movie's tagline was "The Truth Will Change Everything."

Top 10 Differences Between the Book and the Movie

1) The movie takes place in the Midwest, not in Syracuse, New York.

2) The mascot only changes once in the movie, from Trojan to Hornet.

3) Melinda meets Heather on the school bus in the movie, not in the cafeteria.

4) In the movie, Melinda is raped in Andy's car, not outside of the party.

5) When Melinda is struck by mashed potatos in the movie, it is portrayed as purposeful, instead of accidental.

6) Mr. Neck and David Petrakis only argue once in the film, and David does not hire a lawyer

7) In the film Melinda cuts class only once and goes straight to the hospital.

8)Melinda does not send Rachel a warning note in the film. Instead, she only approaches her in person.

9) Andy does not attempt to rape Melinda a second time in the film. He just physically assaults her.

10) In the film, Melinda's final confession is to her mother, not to Mr. Freeman .

Laurie Halse Anderson on The Film

"The movie is very faithful to the book, but obviously, some things had to be cut. If they had filmed the whole book, it would have been a twelve-hour movie."

"I was on the set for a couple days, with my oldest daughter, Stephanie. It was a very moving, fun experience for both of us. The cast and crew were sweet, though I found that whenever Mr. Neck walked in the room, my stomach started to hurt."

"One unknown actress gave a stunning, if brief, performance in her role as The Lunch Lady Who Puts Mashed Potatoes on the Plate. Yes, folks, that was me."

"I love the movie. A lot. Jessica did a fantastic job. She had a budget of one million dollars....one camera, and three weeks to make the movie...The air conditioning in the building had to be turned off because the noise messed up the sound recording. A record-breaking thunderstorm opened up holes in the school's roof--over the room that held all the electrical boxes--and they lost power for a day. I have no idea how Jessica pulled it off, but she did."

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Speak Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Speak is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What aspect of The Scarlet Letter does Hairwoman seem obsessed with?

Hairwoman is obsessed with the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.

How is Mr. Freeman keeping track of grades in his art class?

Mr. Frreman doesn't give grades, but rather, evaluates his students' work and paints his evaluations in a list on the wall.

what problems are people having with mr.freemans assignment? what advice does he give to help them? from pages 20-26

Mr. Freeman's assignment is rather abstract. He wants students to pick an object that metaphorically speaks to the person who views it. I think Mr. Freeman tells them to listen to themselves.

Study Guide for Speak

Speak study guide contains a biography of Laurie Halse Anderson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About Speak
Speak Summary
Character List

Essays for Speak

Speak essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

The Power of Words: A Speak Analysis
From Wishbones to Wings: The Symbolism of Birds in "Speak"
The Factors That Helped Melinda Recover
Sexual Assault in Speak

Lesson Plan for Speak

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to Speak
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
Related Links
Speak Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Speak

Introduction

Cover to Cover: Comparing Books to Movies

Resources & Preparation
Instructional Plan
Related Resources

Movies can be an integral part of the language arts classroom when they are used in ways that encourage and develop students' critical thinking. In this activity, students explore matching texts—novels and the movies adapted from them—to develop their analytical strategies. They use graphic organizers to draw comparisons between the two texts and hypothesize about the effect of adaptation. They analyze the differences between the two versions by citing specific adaptations in the film version, indicating the effect of each adaptation on the story, and deciding if they felt the change had a positive effect on the overall story. Students then design new DVD covers and a related insert for the movies, reflecting their response to the movie version.

Featured Resources

Grades 6–8 Book and Film List : This text list includes books and their corresponding movies that are appropriate for the middle school classroom.
DVD Cover Creator : This online tool allows users to type and illustrate CD and DVD covers and related booklets for liner notes and other information.

From Theory to Practice

Movies have long been a part of the educational setting, but they can take on the role as simple entertainment unless teachers develop lessons that ask students to move beyond seeing the film as "just entertainment." Renee Hobbs explains that "When we use film and television in the classroom, it is important to do so in ways that promote active, critical thinking" (48). Hobbs urges teachers to design activities that "engage and motivate reluctant readers, enabling them to build comprehension strategies" (45). As students compare novels and the related film adaptations in this lesson plan, they move beyond simple entertainment to the kind of deeper critical thinking Hobbs advocates. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

Grades 6–8 Book and Film List
Book(s) and film you plan to share with students
Television and VCR or DVD player
Writer’s Notebook
Permission to View Film/Video handout
Focused Reading and Viewing Guide
Book and Movie Comparison/Contrast Guide
Thinking Critically about the Movie Adaptations: Preferences and Effects
DVD Cover Templates and Layout
Movie Adaptation DVD Cover and Notes Project
Movie Adaptation DVD Cover and Booklet Project Rubric
A Closer Look at Book and DVD Covers (optional)

Preparation

Select a book that has been made into a movie to read aloud to the class. Possible titles have been included on the Grades 6–8 Book and Film List . If you wish to make these activities cross-curricular then cross-check the title with the Website Teach with Movies .
Obtain permission for viewing the film using the Permission to View Film/Video handout, or the permission forms and any other documents required by your school or district.
Decide whether students will complete the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide as they read or after the novel is complete.
Share the novel with the class.
Make copies of all necessary handouts.
Test the DVD Cover Creator on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

identify the characters, setting, plot, and resolution in a book and in the movie based upon the book.
describe how the elements of the book and movie are alike and different.
discuss the effects of and state preferences toward these similarities and differences.
hypothesize reasons that movie makers altered characteristics from the book.
design a DVD cover and booklet reflecting their response to the movie adaptation.

Session One

After the book has been completed, ask the students to think about a time when they read a book and then saw a movie based upon that book.
Ask students to recall the kinds of things that they thought about as they watched the movie. Students will respond with ideas that suggest they were comparing the book to the movie and mentally noting similarities and differences.
Inform students that since they have just finished the book, they are going to watch a movie based upon it. During the movie they will consider how well the movie honors the ideas presented in the book.
Have students fill in the book column on the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide , working individually or in small groups.
Review items in the book column of the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide as a class, and ask students to watch for these elements during the movie.
Explain when students will complete the film section of the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide —while watching the movie or after. Students’ ability to attend to multiple tasks should be a factor in making your decision.
Begin viewing the film.

Session Two

Review the previous session’s viewing.
See if students have any questions or concerns regarding the film section of the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide .
Continue viewing the film.

Session Three

After viewing the film, go over students’ responses to the film section of the Focused Reading and Viewing Guide .
Pass out copies of the Book and Movie Comparison/Contrast Guide , which asks them to determine how different elements of the story are alike and different, and ask students to complete the guide in pairs or small groups.
Have students share their observations with the class.
As a closure activity, ask students to share why they think some of the elements are different and whether it is important for movies to remain identical to the novels on which they are based.

Session Four

Explain that students will be create a new DVD cover for the movie adaptation the class has viewed.
To prepare for the task, review the Book and Movie Comparison/Contrast Guide .
Using the handout as a guide, ask students, independently or in small groups, to discuss the changes they like most and least as well as the aspects of the film that remained true to the text that were most satisfying. If necessary, reference A Basic Glossary of Film Terms for appropriate cinematic terminology.
Pass out copies of the Thinking Critically about a Movie Adaptation: Preferences and Effects handout.
Have students determine one change or similarity that was crucial to their overall opinion of the film, and discuss it in the first row.
Ask students to choose two elements of moderate importance to discuss in the middle rows.
Have students indicate and discuss a fairly inconsequential change in the last row.
As students complete the charts, collect them for informal feedback, focusing on comments that will help students strengthen their analytical skills.
If students need additional time, this work can be completed on their own before the next session.

Session Five

Return Thinking Critically about a Movie Adaptation: Preferences and Effects handouts, and share any general comments on students’ work.
Have students or groups share their ranked responses to the film adaptation.
Encourage engagement from other students, as there should be varying views at many levels at this point: Some students will think a change was significant, but was an improvement. Other students will see the same change as trivial, but feel it was a poor choice.
Distribute the Movie Adaptation DVD Cover and Notes Project and DVD Cover Project Rubric to students and discuss the options for the project and related expectations.
If possible, preview the DVD Cover Creator interactive on a projector so students understand their choices for templates in both Cover and Booklet modes. If this is not possible, distribute copies of the DVD Cover Creator Templates and Layout .
Allow students time to plan the front cover, spine, and back cover. They should plan for a mix of images and text that will suit the needs of the project they choose.
Allow students time to plan the text for their booklet. Responses should be brief, as the DVD Cover Creator interactive can hold approximately 50 lines of text (if no images are used). Guide students to connect their overall impressions of the film adaptation with the choices they made on their covers.
If students need additional guidance in writing the review of the movie, see ReadWriteThink lesson So What Do You Think? Writing a Review . Students may also use the Internet Movie Database as needed to find information about the movie.

Session Six

Take students to the computer lab and lead them in a brief demonstration of the DVD Cover Creator interactive if not completed in the previous session.
Have students use their planning documents to transfer their ideas to the DVD Cover Creator interactive.
Emphasize that tudents cannot save their work, so they should complete all work on one component (the cover or booklet) and print their work within the confines of a session.
Gauge levels of completion and allow additional time in the computer lab if necessary.

Session Seven

Have students share their responses through presentations or by setting up a display of the various projects around the room.
Allow students to reflect on their work and the work of their classmates by quickwriting on the different perspectives offered in the DVD covers presented today.
Facilitate a “Point/Counterpoint” debate between the students who preferred the book to the movie and vice versa.
Have students create an alternate soundtrack to the film, justifying their choices in liner notes and creating a CD cover with the CD Cover Creator .
In Session 5, have students analyze book and DVD cover art using the A Closer Look at Book and DVD Covers handout. Guide students to explore elements such as placement of text and what words are featured or downplayed; color choices; choice of images; placement of images; and the like.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Collect students’ graphic organizers, and check for evidence of students’ understanding of story elements.
During discussion, look for comments that show students can think critically about why movies and books would not be identical and that communicate their preferences for the film or book.
For a formal assessment of group performances, use the DVD Cover Project Rubric .
Calendar Activities
Student Interactives

Students compare the film versions of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's novels. Students then imagine how a scene in a current novel that they are reading would be filmed.

The CD/DVD Cover Creator allows users to type and illustrate CD and DVD covers and related booklets for liner notes and other information. Students can use the tool to create covers for books, music, and films that they explored as well as to create covers for media they compose individually or as a class.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Holes Book — The Holes: Comparison Of The Book And The Movie

The Holes: Comparison of The Book and The Movie

Categories: American Literature Holes Book Literary Criticism

About this sample

Words: 790 |

Published: Aug 6, 2021

Words: 790 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited:

Braithwaite, J. (1990). Reintegrative shaming and restitution. In M. Tonry & N. Morris (Eds.), Crime and justice: An annual review of research, (Vol. 12, pp. 1-41). University of Chicago Press.
Enright, R. D. (2015). Forgiveness is a choice: A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.
Exline, J. J., Baumeister, R. F., Zell, A. L., Kraft, A. J., & Witvliet, C. V. (2008). Not so innocent: Does seeing one's own capability for wrongdoing predict forgiveness?. Journal of personality and social psychology, 94(3), 495–515.
Gandhi, M. (1958). The essence of Hinduism. Asia Publishing House.
Hofmann, W., & Gómez, R. (2014). Yes, forgiveness requires time: A longitudinal study. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(5), 548–555.
McCullough, M. E., Root, L. M., & Cohen, A. D. (2006). Writing about the benefits of an interpersonal transgression facilitates forgiveness. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 74(5), 887–897.
Paleari, F. G., Regalia, C., & Fincham, F. D. (2005). Marital quality, forgiveness, and jealousy: A cross-cultural comparison between Italy and the United States. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(4), 956–965.
Pollard, E. L., & Finkel, E. J. (2011). The effects of forgiveness and focus on revenge on emotional and physiological responses to an interpersonal insult. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(6), 1203–1208.
Strelan, P., & Covic, T. (2006). A review of forgiveness process models and a coping framework to guide future research. Journal of social and clinical psychology, 25(10), 1059–1085.
Worthington Jr, E. L., Sandage, S. J., & Berry, J. W. (2000). Group interventions to promote forgiveness: What researchers and clinicians ought to know. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 58–69.

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Book vs. Movie Discussion Questions and Activity

A book versus movie comparison provides an excellent opportunity for students to think critically about specific details, make connections between written and visual mediums, and focus on the concept of visualization. The questions listed below are designed to get students thinking about the similarities and differences between the information presented in the book versus the information presented in the movie.

Think about the setting in the book and the movie. Did the setting in the movie look like what you imagined? Click here to download a free visualization worksheet that can be used before students answer this question.

Were there any changes in the characters between the book and the movie? Did the characters look and act like you pictured?

What parts of the book did the movie leave out? Why do you think the moviemakers decided to leave out those parts?

Did you notice anything in the movie that was not in the book? Why do you think the moviemakers decided on those additions?

Which did you like more, the book or the movie? Explain why.

After discussing each of the questions listed above, students will be prepared to write about the similarities and differences between the book and movie. The lesson explained below moves students through each step of the comparison process. Click here to download the NO PREP book vs. movie materials in printable and digital formats.

Inquiry Chart

An inquiry chart like the one shown below will help students organize and identify the characters, setting, plot, and theme presented in the book and the movie.

Graphic Organizer

A compare and contrast graphic organizer will give students a chance to record two similarities and two differences between the book and the movie. This step helps students organize their thoughts before they start writing.

Paragraph Outline

Guide students through the compare and contrast writing process using a fill-in-the blank paragraph template. This step can be modified as needed for differentiation.

A clear paragraph grading rubric will ensure student understanding of the paragraph expectations and required criteria.

Click the link below to download all the teaching materials shown above. The printable and digital lesson includes everything you need for a successful book vs. movie comparison!

Book vs. Movie Compare and Contrast Writing Activity

“I really enjoyed using this resource with my class. It was easy for me to prepare and use. My students were engaged while working on it. Thank you!” -Lisa C.

Book vs. Movie Discussion Questions and Activity

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Find a focus and outline your ideas. At this point, you have a solid list of relevant points to analyze, but you still don't have a focus for your paper. To start, develop a solid thesis statement. Don't write a bland statement like, "There are many similarities, but only a few differences between the book and movie.".
Writing about the Novel: Film Comparison
Step 3: Choose a Film for Comparison. The key to a good comparison essay is to choose two subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison is not to state the obvious, but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities. When writing a film comparison paper, the point is to make an argument ...
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Books are great because they allow the reader to be a part of the story; we are the observers that have insight into the character's thoughts and feelings, and all the nuances that create three-dimensional characters. With books, there's just more. More detail, more focus on character development, and more depth to the meaning of the artwork.
The Similarities and Differences between Books and Movies: [Essay
Similarities between books and movies. A. Storyline. Despite their differences, books and movies often share the same storyline. A movie adaptation of a book usually follows the same plot as the original story. B. Themes. Books and movies both explore similar themes, such as love, loss, and self-discovery.
How do you write a paper on comparing a movie with the book?
Whenever your essay topic involves comparison, you can organize in either of two ways. First, you can write about each thing separately and then include a section in which you make comparisons and contrasts between them. With this organization, you would first write about the strengths and weakness of the book, and then about the movie.
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Action is Changed for Drama. When books are adapted, some of the action in the book is changed so that it makes for better drama or better flow in a movie. For example, when the book The Never-Ending Story starts, we meet Atreyu in his own land. In the movie, we first meet him in the Ivory Tower, which helps start the action faster.
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The focus of the book was the evolution of the game. The movie's focus was on the triumph of the human spirit and understandably so because the movie was marketed as an inspirational movie. It was created to make the audience feel good. This does not mean that the movie completely strayed far from the spirit of the author's work.
PDF Book and Movie Comparison/Contrast Guide
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Movie Comparison Essay Examples
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The Mouse and the Motorcycle. The Witches. City of Ember. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Freak the Mighty. Flora and Ulysses. The Bad Guys. Maniac Magee. Compare and Contrast A Book and Movie - ideas for making this activity meaningful for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students.
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Top 10 Differences Between the Book and the Movie. 1) The movie takes place in the Midwest, not in Syracuse, New York. 2) The mascot only changes once in the movie, from Trojan to Hornet. 3) Melinda meets Heather on the school bus in the movie, not in the cafeteria. 4) In the movie, Melinda is raped in Andy's car, not outside of the party.
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Movie VS. Book Compare and Contrast Essay Pages 8 - 17 These pages provide scaffolding to help students successfully write an essay that compares and contrasts the book and the movie. Have students use the charts on pages 6 - 7 as brainstorming. Two different options are provided for a rough draft. One is much more scaffolded than the
The Holes: Comparison of The Book and The Movie
The Holes movie by Andrew Davis and the book by Louis Sachar are based on a boy named "Stanley" that steals a pair of shoes and ends up at a juvenile detention center in a desert. This place requires the boys to dig one whole each day using their shovel as a measurement device. They must also be careful of dangerous creatures like the ...
Book vs. Movie Discussion Questions and Activity
A book versus movie comparison provides an excellent opportunity for students to think critically about specific details, make connections between written and visual mediums, and focus on the concept of visualization. The questions listed below are designed to get students thinking about the similarities and differences between the information ...