Adaptation

“Art is derived from other art, stories are born from other stories”

The author begins the chapter by saying adaptations are everywhere, and after a quick Google search of “famous adaptations”, that might be an understatement. For instance, my favorite film, “The Shawshank Redemption”, is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. Furthermore, and pertinent to our class, several famous Shakespeare plays have been adapted to our modern times by way of cinema. “The Lion King” (1994) is an adaptation of Hamlet, and the classic “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)(R.I.P. Heath Ledger) is an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew.

The key point the author is attempting to make throughout the document is that adaptations are not just copies of other works, but “translations”, wherein the adapter interprets and creates a new narrative. Adapters use the same tools that storytellers do- they come up with concrete ideas, make analogies and critiques, and simplify and amplify different parts of the story. I believe the author puts it best by stating that adaptation is “not borrowing or stealing, but more accurately ‘sharing’”.

The passage shows that adaptation is a way to make an old story more appealing to a different audience via different mediums, be it cinema, video games, musicals, operas, and things of that ilk.  In my opinion, the two sentences that completely sum up the idea of adaptation are: “The appeal of adaptations comes from repetition with variation, the comfort of ritual combined with the piquancy of surprise” & “An adaptation is a derivation that is not derivative, a work that is second without being secondary”.  These statements show that the negative connotation associated with adaptations is not necessarily right, and that adaptations can be extremely useful in relating a “timeless” narrative. As our world changes rapidly, we need new, fresh ways to tell these stories, and adapters are the creative minds that allow society to enjoy classic works in a contemporary setting.

1) What is the criteria that makes a work an adaptation as opposed to blatant plagiarism?