*The Lottery* Film

Plot

I like how there is a surprise and shocking ending in the short story. A lottery usually has a positive connotation, but it is negative in this case. The irony in the short story really throws the reader off and keeps them guessing. If I were to make a film adaptation, I would also keep the surprise ending. However, I would continue following the crowd after Mrs. Hutchinson was chosen. I would continue on after the story trails off, because I would be curious to see how the people reacted once Mrs. Hutchinson was dead. I would want to know what her family does. Do they just move on like nothing happened? Are they upset? Do they grieve, or just accept things as they are? By continuing the movie for a short time after Mrs. Hutchinson is chosen for the lottery, I would hope to answer these questions that I have for myself and for other viewers that may feel the same way. I would also possibly tie in some of the history of the ritual and the significance or purpose of it. This would show how quickly the characters turn on each other and how they blindly accept tradition.


Point of View

The point of view during the short story is third person omniscient. This is done on purpose by the author because of the impact it has on the story. The detached narrator intensifies the cruelty of the story. It also shows acceptance and blind faith regarding the tradition of the lottery. The narrator is only factual and gives no sympathy for the characters going through the lottery. However, I would change the point of view to focus either on Mr. Summers who runs the lottery or one of the Hutchinson children. I think that either one of these changes would be interesting. If emphasis were placed on Mr. Summers, I think more tradition and more history of the lottery could be revealed. Also, if the focus was on one of the Hutchinson children, the viewers could see the ritual of the lottery from the perspective of a young child. Another possibility would be to change point of view as the plot develops, jumping from the minds of person to person.

Characterization

Characterization in the short story is done through thoughts of various characters or interactions and reactions of characters. In addition, some characterization is done through dialogue between characters. I would convey the personalities of the characters through conversation with others around them for the most part. If I took the approach of jumping back and forth from the minds of characters, their personal thoughts, feelings, and reactions would also convey what the character is like to viewers. I think by characterizing through thoughts, the theme of questionable trust between characters is emphasized. This would also show that the people of the village value tradition and habitual routine over real friendship and civilization.


Setting

The setting for the village in the short story is not very descriptive or lengthy. Not many details are given in regard to location. If I were to create a film adaptation for this short story, I would maybe add more detail to the setting. I would allow viewers to know where the plot is taking place. In the short story, I don't think any names of cities or towns are given. I also didn't see any clues that were given that would give the reader an idea of where the village was. I don't think that the setting is extrememly important to the plot and overall meaning. But if I had to decide where I would put the town, I would place the village on an island somewhere. I think the island location would emphasize their separation and differences from the rest of the modern world around them.

Theme

There were multiple themes that could be applied to the short story of The Lottery. Some of these themes include the random chance of persecution and blindly following traditions and rituals. Another theme that I would emphasize is the fleeting trust between the people in the village or the betrayal of friendships. By adding more to the plot, these two themes would be tied into the ending of the film. Including the death of Mrs. Hutchinson and life for the villagers after would show how disloyal the people were to each other when it comes to the lottery. Showing the family and close friends of Mrs. Hutchinson attacking her would show how quickly and easily people turn on each other. I wouldn't change much regarding the overall meaning or themes of the story, I would just add more to that section in the film adaptation.

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story! :)

Plot

The plot of the short story is a little different than the plot of the movie. Many of the same things happen in the movie that happen in the short story, but the movie adds more childhood experiences in the weeks leading up to Christmas. For example, the movie shows when the family car breaks down and Ralphie attempts to help his father fix it. Also, the movie includes Ralphie's family eating out at a chinese restaurant on Christmas. The short story ends after Ralphie's mother believes that an icicle falls and hits him in the eye. In addition to more details and experiences in the movie, the short story and movie have shared events in a different order. For example, the order in which people tell Ralphie "you'll shoot your eye out" is different in both works. In the movie, Ralphie hears this daunting statement from his mother first, his teacher second, and from Santa at the toystore last. In the short story Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid, Ralphie hears the same statement from his mother first, Santa second, and his teacher last. His teacher also gives him a B on the theme in the short story and a C+ in the movie.

Point of View

There are no differences in the point of view in the film and the short story. In both works, Ralphie is telling the story. The first person point of view remains constant. In addition to first person point of view, both works incorporate the literary device of a flashback. Ralphie looks back on his experiences leading up to one particular Christmas during his childhood that was very special to him. The short story and the movie resemble each other in point of view. In fact, many exact quotes and lines from the short story are taken and incorporated in the narration of the movie. The only difference is what actually leads his mind to travel back to the specific Christmas season when he was younger. In the short story, a sign that states "DISARM THE TOY INDUSTRY" causes Ralph to conjure up distant memories of the Christmas he received a Red Ryder BB gun, which relates back to the sign. In the movie, there is no real inspiration for the adult Ralph to look back on Christmas as a child. Nothing influences this and no action causes this.

Characterization

Like the point of view, the characterization in the short story and the film are relatively similar. Many of the characters are characterized in the movie and story through Ralphie's thoughts and narration as an adult as well as his interactions with them. Because most of the story and movie involve a flashback, the plot doesn't start at one definitive point in time. Because we are introduced to characters in the middle of things, characterization is different. I think that the short story characterizes the characters with great detail, but I think that the movie gives a viewer a better perspective on Ralphie, his family, and his experiences. Instead of just being described with words, the appearances and body language that the movie offers fully convey the personalities of the characters. All movies tend to emphasize action and drama, and I think the movie A Christmas Story does the same thing. Details and events from the short story are exaggerated in the film, creating a dramatic feeling which leads to humor for the viewers. For example, Ralphie's grade on his theme and the "you'll shoot your eye out" comment from his teacher are embellished in the movie much more than in the short story. (video above)

Setting

I think that the film adaption did a good job with sticking to the same settings that are in the short story. The only difference is that there are more settings in the movie than there are in the short story. Because Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid is fairly short, the movie adds more action to the plot to make it longer and to also create humor. COFEE SHOP For example, the chinese restaurant trip on the day of Christmas occurs just in the film adaptation. Also, the confrontations between Ralpie, his friends, and the two bullies on the way to and from school take place only in the movie. In the story and the film, most of the plot takes place at three main locations. The most important spots for the setting in both works are Ralphie's home, Ralphie's school, or the toystore in Ralphie's town. There may be multiple important settings in the story and the movie, but the setting never expands beyond Ralphie's hometown of Hammond, Indiana.

Theme

Both the story and the movie share the same theme. Even if the story and the film adaption have some small discrepancies and differences, the overall meaning of the story does not change. Like I stated in the previous blog regarding the short story, I think there are two key themes that are conveyed through these works. The two themes are unforgettable childhood memories and the joyous season of Christmas. Both of these create a happy and cheerful story for the reader or viewer to enjoy. They take me back to childhood memories from my own past and special Christmas celebrations spent with my family and my friends. Reading the short story as well as watching the movie make me count down the days until Christmas! I love the holidays, and these works revolving around the Christmas season make the season so much better :)

You're Ugly, Too

The plot of this short story is really slow and seems to drag out. The thing that really helps move the story along is the characters, the protagonist in particular. Zoe has many eccentricities that I don't like about her. For me, they make her less sympathetic as a character. However, her quirky sense of humor with her jokes, her situation as a single and middle aged woman, and her positive attitude through her struggles move the story along. The only action that ever takes place in the story is when Zoe is invited to go visit her sister's home in New York to go to a Halloween party. Even though Zoe's jokes carry the plot of the story, they are taken too far in the final scene of the story. When Earl, the recently divorced man that Zoe meets, makes a stab at her by saying "he shouldn't try to go out with career women" and that he would "do better with women who have part-time jobs", Zoe reacts in a rash and exaggerated manner. She shoves Earl from behind as he looks out over the balcony, and he backs away from her after being horrified. Zoe says that she is "just kidding", but I think this choice takes Zoe back to square one where she began. I feel bad for Zoe because she is alone and single, but I think that she does it to herself because of her eccentricities and strange behavior.

The Drunkard

Like Popular Mechanics, the plot of The Drunkard can be connected and tied to the experiences of the author. Growing up in Ireland, Frank O'Connor went through a similar experience during his childhood. Also, there is situational irony when the dad throws a fit when the son is drunk and making a scene. A shift and a role reversal takes place. The child acts like the adult in the situation, while the father acts like the child. There is also irony in the mother's reaction to her son's decisions made on the day of the funeral. She is happy and proud of her son for being his father's "guardian angel", even though her son is drunk and feels terrible. The mother saw his actions as taking the bullet for his father, because he knew his father's condition as an alcohol and his tendency to relapse. The father's explanation for why he drinks contains irony as well. He says that he feels embarrassed and ashamed after he has a drink, so he takes another to make himself forget. Why would he keep repeating himself and doing the same thing if it only makes him feel worse? Like the other two stories, irony is a key part that influences the overall effect and meaning of the work.

The Lottery

Similar to the story Popular Mechanics, The Lottery also has some irony incorporated through the plot and characters. When people usually hear the word "lottery", it has a positive connotation. However, in this situation, the lottery is the furthest thing from positive. Instead of longing to win and be chosen for the lottery, the lottery is avoided at all costs by the people in this situation. There is also irony in a certain character's opinions and beliefs regarding the lottery. Old Man Warner states that "there's always been a lottery" and that the village that is considering giving it up is a "pack of crazy fools". He thinks that not having a lottery would basically be uncivilized, but their tradition of stoning someone through the lottery is really uncivilized and barbaric. In addition to Old Man Warner, Mrs. Dunbar's behavior at the lottery shows irony. At first, Mrs. Dunbar is talking with Mrs. Hutchinson in a friendly manner. But as soon as Mrs. Hutchinson's name is picked for the lottery, Mrs. Dunbar quickly forgets their friendship and takes part in the ritual without even thinking twice about Mrs. Hutchinson. This shift in opinion and personality shows how the people turn on each other so quickly and easily.

Popular Mechanics

So does the child get ripped in half and die or what? I didn't like how the ending of the story just trailed off and left the reader guessing what happens. I think this short story is very ironic. The two spouses are fighting and are going through some serious turmoil, but I think that they are too focused on defeated and outscoring the other one. It's ironic that they stoop so low to fighting over their child. By doing this, they are showing their concern for themselves and self-absorption rather than concern for the well-being and happiness of the child. The parents both think that they deserve the child, but are careless while trying to get the child. I think the symbolism in the argument over the child shows the child as an object of victory and possession, rather than a human being. The circumstances of bad family life and relationships in this story can also be tied back to their author, who experienced the terror of divorce first hand during his life.