Humanities 118: Film, Fiction & Criticism / Prof. R. Miller © Study Guide

Humanities 118: Film, Fiction and Criticism / Prof. Miller Class: Please use these study questions to prepare for class discussions about reading assignments and film screenings. Note that additional questions may be provided (depending on what is and what is not addressed by the Reading Roundtable questions and class discussion). By developing responses to these and other assigned questions, you are preparing for the exams. Refer to the class schedule and class blog for reminders as to when reading assignments are due. Study questions for Adaptation: Studying Film & Literature “Introduction,” John M. Desmond and Peter Hawkes, 2005 (handout) 1. What are some of the reasons to study film? 2. What exactly is a film “adaptation”? 3. What are some of the types of adaptation? 4. What are some of the circumstances that can affect the adaptation of a literary work to film (other than a film maker’s decisions)? 5. What do the author’s mean by their reference to “apples and oranges”? 6. What are some primary differences between the way literature conveys a story versus the way film does the same? 7. What’s the distinction between a work’s story and its discourse? 8. What do we mean by conventions in a work of film or fiction? 9. What is a common criticism of film based on literature? 10. What issue do the authors take with this criticism? 11. In film studies what is meant by the auteur and auteur theory? 12. How is identifying the auteur different in literature and film? 13. Why is auteur theory problematic ? 14. What is meant by intertextuality? Note: Be prepared to apply this reading to our readings of fiction and screenings of film. Note: what has been kept, dropped or added in film adaptations Note: close, loose or intermediate Note: do meanings change, is the effect different? Record observations, and be prepared to write about these comparisons, exchange, discuss. Study questions for Ways In: Approaches to Reading and Writing about Literature and Film, Gilbert H. Muller and John A. Williams, 2003 “Reading and responding to Literature and Film,” pp. 3 - 19 from Ways In: Approaches to Reading and Writing about Literature and Film 1. According to the author, what is central to good writing? 2. What things should we consider when writing about literature / art *? 3. What are some of the major approaches to writing about literature? 4. Describe how one should not respond to literature / the arts? In other words, what responses are not analytical or thoughtfully interpretive?

5. What are some of the features that create integrity in a work of literature / the arts and thus should be the basis of your written evaluation? * Note: while this first section focuses on literature, most of these considerations apply to both literature, film and the arts generally. “Drama,” pp. 60 - 73 from Ways In: Approaches to Reading and Writing about Literature and Film 1. What is “drama”? What are the features of this art form? 2. What are the main categories of drama? What do they have in common? 3. What does Aristotle address in his work Poetics? 4. According to Aristotle’s description, what are the fundamental elements of tragedy (what we refer to as Greek tragedy)? 5. What kind of actions / conflict are involved in true Greek tragedy? 6. How do many contemporary tragedies differ from true Greek tragedy? 7. How do contemporary Western audiences differ? 8. What do the authors mean by the “democratization” of tragedy? 9. How do melodrama and tragedy differ? 10. What is considered the most crucial of elements in drama? 11. Why is it considered much more crucial to drama than other elements? 12. How can conflict be portrayed? 13. What did Aristotle say about character? 14. What role did he describe them as playing in tragedy? 15. What makes for interesting characters? 16. What elements must be considered in staging? 17. What all can be revealed through dialogue? * 18. What is a theme? 19. What clues does a work provide to indicate a theme? 20. Why might it be harder to identify a theme in a play as opposed to literature? “Introducing Film: History and Form,” pp. 77 – 105 from Ways In: Approaches to Reading and Writing about Literature and Film 1. Based on what you have read, what greatly distinguishes the art form of film from literature? 2. What are the most significant features in so-called classic films? 3. What are some of the formal elements of film we can identify? 4. What are some of the effects created by these film techniques? 5. What film elements can also be identified in literature (refer back to pp. 3-19)? 6. What elements in film are different from those in literature, and how might that impact the way we respond to film differently? 7. What are some of the different modes of acting noted in the reading? 8. What are some of the ways in which sound is used in film? 9. What does editing in film refer to (note that this can refer to the same notion of editing in writing, but in film it is also defined differently)?

10. What are some of the different types of editing methods used in film, and how can they be used to create different effects? 11. Describe some of the ways we can interpret and evaluate film. Study Questions for Lady Susan, Jane Austen (published 1871, written earlier) 1. What can be determined from the beginning of this work? Specifically, what is established in letter 1? (Character? Situations? Setting?, etc.) 2. What characters have thus far been developed, and how? 3. How would you describe the writing style? 4. What does the style suggest about the culture and / or character(s)? 5. What appears to be the reputation of Lady Susan with some of the characters introduced? What has she received attention for (whether bad or good)? 6. Based on what you learn of the Lady Susan character, what is her view of other people and of good or bad qualities? How do you think she perceives honesty or dishonesty? Explain. 7. Consider the role that letters play in the way that characters are revealed and a story unfolds. What do the letters contribute to our understanding of the story, the characters, etc.? 8. Do any of the letters reveal thoughts that seem more private than public? In other words, do any of the letters share information that the character probably would not share with a larger audience than the intended letter recipient? Explain. 9. Compare and contrast Lady Susan and Alicia Johnson. What are their similarities? Differences? 10. What appears to be the relationship between Lady Susan and Mrs. Johnson? 11. What appears to be the relationship between Mrs. Vernon (Catherine Vernon) and Lady Susan? What appears to be Mrs. Vernon’s attitude about Lady Susan and why? 12. Choose two letters written by the same author on the basis of how they reveal different aspects of the character’s personality. What different traits are revealed about this character buy these two letters to different people? 13. Of the characters thus far introduced or described, which ones seem the most interesting and why? Which ones seem the most bland or uninteresting and why? 14. Thus far do you think the characters thus far introduced represent notions of “good” / “bad” behavior or role models? Explain. 15. How would you describe the lead character of Lady Susan? What appear to be her motives? Consider her in relation to the roles of women in the late 1700s. Would you consider her a “progressive” or traditional female character? Explain. 16. Consider how the novella concludes. How does the conclusion impact your response to the story as a whole? How does the novella’s conclusion compare with the film’s conclusion? 17. What is your “take away” from the story? What thematic ideas are most prominent? 18. How does the story shed light on women’s roles (for this class / race) in this time and place? 19. It will be noted in class that Austen’s work can be read as both conservative in some regards and progressive in other regards. Identify ways in which this novella is conservative and / or progressive and explain why or how. Study questions for film Love & Friendship (Dir. Whit Stillman, 2016) 1. How does the film open? How does the film’s opening compare to that of the book? 2. How does the film’s opening establish a mood or tone?

3. In the film, how do you learn who is who, and how does this compare to the book? 4. Is the pace similar to the novel (fast-paced, slow-paced, varied, consistent, etc.)? How does this compare to that of the novella, and how is pace established in both the film or in the book? 5. Listen for lines of dialogue that are taken directly from the text. Note at least one example. 6. Describe Lady Susan’s interactions with other characters at Churchill. How does she manage to make people feel inadequate or flattered? When is Lady Susan criticized or exposed? How does she respond when facing the possibility of censure or exposure? 7. What did you make of the letter reading scene (Catherine’s father reading her letter to her mother)? Is there a way that scene can be related to our broader endeavor of interpreting adaptations? Is there irony in this scene? 8. How did Sir James come across as a character in the book? Is he portrayed similarly or differently in the film? Explain whether his role or impact is different in the book versus the film. 9. How would you describe the visual style of film? Identify specific film techniques citing at least two specific examples of camera techniques and editing in addition to description of set, costumes, scene composition, etc. 10. How does the film reference America? Does this come up in the novella? Explain how America comes up and / or is commented upon. 11. How does the film reference the Bible or Christianity? America? Does this come up in the novella? Explain how this functions in either work. 12. Both Lady Susan and Reginald make statements about what they desire or detest in a romantic partner. What do they say, and what does this suggest about their characters? 13. In the novella, Lady Susan significantly changes what she is saying depending on the intended recipient of her letter. Identify two examples in the film where her sentiment varies drastically depending on her audience. 14. The film is made in a different cultural context than the novella. Can you identify any ways that the film reflects our contemporary context in ways that the novella does not? 15. What role do letters play in the film? 16. Are there any characters in the film not featured in the book or vice versa? Which characters are more developed in the film or in the novella? 17. Do the men have active or passive roles within the story? What characters drive the action? 18. Do any of the characters come across as more or less virtuous in the book or the film? 19. Do you think the work portrays its characters in a negative light or does it portray the society that produced them in a negative light? Which is more emphasized? Explain. 20. Do the film and novella differ in terms of outcome / meaning? Explain. What thematic ideas / messages does the film suggest? Study questions for The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle, 1902, pp. 1-37 Note: the following questions are only for the first several chapters of the book. Some of the questions regarding the remaining chapters of this story will be developed by members of the class as part of the Reading Roundtable assignment. 1. What is the story’s point of view? Why do you think the author has written it this way? How does the point of view affect the way we experience the story? 2. What characters have been introduced?

3. How are characters developed? Through description? Actions? Story? Plot? What does each character contribute to the story? 4. How would you describe the relationship between Dr. Watson and Holmes? How does their relationship develop or advance the story? 5. Why is Dr. Mortimer's cane an important object in the story? Why do you think it is one of the first things we are introduced to in the story? 6. What is the “context” of the story – time, place? How do you learn this? 7. What “signs of the times” can you identify from the story? What details suggest the circumstances, technologies, lifestyles the time period? Note any details or references that suggest the time period of the story. 8. How does the story's time period affect the narrative? 9. What kind of descriptions create mood or atmosphere in regards to the story’s various settings? 10. Have there been any hints that something other than a supernatural occurrence can explain the legend of the hound? 11. What questions have been raised so far? 12. What mysteries have not yet been solved? 13. What questions have been answered, and how? 14. What is most suspenseful so far? 15. Thus far, how is factual knowledge presented? 16. How is superstition or unexplained phenomena presented? 17. In class we will discuss aspects of the art movements of Romanticism and Realism. Identify elements of Romanticism and / or Realism in this novel through specific examples. 18. If you were to translate to film what we have read so far in The Hound of the Baskervilles, what would be the greatest challenges would you face? Study questions for The Hound of the Baskervilles film (Director: Signey Lanfield, 1939) 1. How does the film begin? Compare the way the film begins with the way the literary work opens. What elements are similar and what is translated into film differently? Consider the different effects of each. 2. Other than the way the film and literary work begin, what other elements of the story have been shaped differently in the film from the book? What is portrayed similarly? Provide at least one example of each. 3. How is character developed in the film? Provide at least two examples of how we learn things about a character (can be two things about the same character or two different characters). 4. Are any characters portrayed in ways that rouse suspicion? Are any characters portrayed in ways that make them seem unlikely to be involved in the crime under investigation? Explain your response. 5. Identify at least two specific film techniques and describe the effect they create or what the technique contributes to the scene (you may need to review the film terms in Ways In, chapter 6). 6. How is sound or the lack of sound used? Are there any instances where you hear something but don’t see it? What effect does this create? 7. How is suspense developed? Identify at least one specific example of suspense and how it is created.

Double Indemnity, James M. McCain, 1943, Chapters 1 – 3 Study Questions (pp. 217-247) 1. How would you describe the writing style? Select some specific passages to illustrate your description or that stand out to you in terms of literary techniques. Are there any examples of slang or terms that appear to be unique to the cultural context? 2. How is tone or mood established in the work? Provide a specific example to support your description. 3. Identify at least one example of contrast created in these chapters. This can be a visual contrast or a mood contrast. In writing contrast can be created through description of dissimilar things (different types of imagery that are juxtaposed) or shifts in writing style or circumstances. 4.What is the story’s point of view, and what affect does that have on your relationship to the work? Point of view can be considered in terms of whether a work is told in first person or third person, and you can also consider more broadly how a work is written to shape our perspective, attitude or understanding of what is happening or what is described. Try to identify multiple examples. 5. What is the setting or settings of the story, and how is that revealed? What does that contribute to your experience of the story? 6. How would you describe the narrative structure? (Linear, non-linear?) 7. Can you identify any details that might be examples of foreshadowing? Explain. 8. How does the subject of insurance first come up in the novella? Whose idea is it, or is it clear? When does accident insurance specifically come up? 9. Identify at least two examples of how the novella piques interest / curiosity or creates suspense. (Base this on these first chapters, but continue to look for this in the chapters that follow). 10. Describe the main characters and how their characters are developed in these first few chapters. What have you learned about them, and how have you learned what you know of them? Note how they speak, how they are described, who comes across positively or negatively and why. 11. What details can you identify that suggest social / economic class or cultural attitudes (keep in mind this work was written in 1943)? 12. How does the subject of insurance first come up (in either the film or the novella)? Whose idea is it, or is it clear? Double Indemnity film (Dir. Billy Wilder, 1944) 1. Note similarities and differences between the film and the novella. In cases where there are differences, is that made up for in any way? For example, is one detail substituted for the one missing? Explain. Consider not only the plot and character types but also the writing style and imagery in each. 2. Identify one example of how the dialogue or writing style in the film captures the same spirit or attitude as that of the novella. Be prepared to explain your comparison. 3. How is point of view established in the film? Is this similar or different from the novella? 4. Identify specific film techniques in the film, and interpret the effect they create. Consider the following:

a. Identify at least two examples of editing techniques. Note when they are used and what effect they create (why might this technique have been used for this particular scene

transition?) b. Identify at least two specific examples of how lighting or light and shade is used in the film. Interpret the effect. c. Identify at least two examples of camera angles. Note when and how they are used and interpret the effect in that moment of the film. d. Pay attention to the use of / portrayal of space and scene composition. Note two examples where you can describe and interpret the effect of space (this can be outdoors or interior) or something notable about the way the scene is composed (is it open and airy, is it cramped and confined, etc.) e. Note the way sound is used throughout the film, and identify two specific but different examples of the effective use of sound. Describe the effect created.

5. How does the subject of insurance first come up (in either the film or the novella)? Whose idea is it, or is it clear? 6. Identify at least three examples of how the novella and / or the film pique interest curiosity or create suspense including the manner in which plot twists or unexpected outcomes are revealed. 7. Consider the characters of Phyllis and Lola in relation to female gender “norms” (keeping in mind this is a 1940s film). What do these characters represent? What do they suggest about women’s roles or perceptions of women at the time? How might you compare them to female characters in film today? 8. Is Phyllis’ husband portrayed as a sympathetic figure? How does he come across? How does his portrayal affect your reaction to his murder? 9. Identify whether the primary characters are static or dynamic and explain your response. 10. How is social class / economic status alluded to in the film? Provide specific examples and explain why these details might have been included in either the novella or film. 11. Consider the circumstances of Phyllis’ and Walter’s lives. Why might they not be satisfied with their lives? What do either appear to lack or desire? 12. Film noir is well known for its flawed characters. Who appears to be the most flawed in this story? Explain. 13. Of all the characters in the film, do any appear to have genuine affection for one another? Explain. 14. Hollywood production codes in this time asked that films not encourage audiences to sympathize with crime or “evil”. Nonetheless films such as Double Indemnity push the boundary in this regard. How might the time period, what was going on in the world (post-World War I, post-Great Depression, and final stages of World War II) have encouraged a more complicated portrayal of “good” and “bad”? 15. Who, if anyone, is the moral compass of the story? Explain. 16. Compare the appeal of the characters in The Hound of the Baskervilles to the appeal of the characters in Double Indemnity. 17. What are the dominant themes / messages of the film? How does the novella and the film encourage us to think about these ideas? Provide examples. 18. Compare the appeal of the story outcome in The Hound of the Baskervilles to the appeal story outcome of Double Indemnity. 3:10 to Yuma (Director: James Mangold; 2007) 1. How does film open? Compare the way the film opens to the way the short story opens.

2. At the outset of story, what is Dan’s situation / dilemma? 3. What additional dilemmas does he incur throughout story? 4. Consider how Ben Wade’s character is developed. How is he first introduced in the film? What do you learn about him and how? What does Ben Wade do for a living? 5. How would you describe the characters of Dan and Ben, and what are their motives? What do the characters value? How would you describe their code of ethics (are there certain lines they will not cross, and if so, why?) 6. Describe the relationship between Dan and Ben. 7. Who are you rooting for and why? 8. Identify at least one line in the short story that provides an insight into one of the characters or a description of a character, and identify how this comes across in the film. 9. Note the psychological drama in addition to physical drama. 10. How does film portray law and order, right and wrong? 11. How does film create visual variety even when scenes show same setting? 12. What techniques are used in action scenes to magnify sense of action? 13. Note a suspenseful scene and identify what techniques are used to heighten suspense. 14. What elements of the short story are portrayed in the film, and what elements have changed? How does this affect the content / meaning of the story? 15. Identify at least two ways in which this work can be compared to Double Indemnity. 16. What are the main thematic ideas of this work? Cite at least two ways in which these ideas are suggested (specific scenes, lines of dialogue, etc.) The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro, 1988 / Prologue July 1956 Darlington Hall 1. What are Stevens’ primary preoccupations? What does he express the most interest in and concern for? 2. How does bantering come up in the first chapter? Is there anything ironic about the way it comes up or what Stephens’ ideas about bantering are? How did his first attempt at bantering go? 3. Based on the first chapter, do you trust Stevens’ perception of things? Do you think he might be more perceptive than others around him? Or do you mistrust his perception of what is or is not happening? Are there any instances where your perception veers away from his perception? 4. How would you describe the tone of this chapter? What, if anything, seems serious, dramatic or comedic? 5. What appears to be the timeframe of this story thus far? What details suggest this? 6. Based on Stephen’s narration, what has changed in Stevens’ lifetime that is of importance to him? 7. How does this chapter conclude? 8. How does this first chapters set us up in terms of expectations? Consider what subjects are covered and how. Does it appear that the story is about signification subject matter? Or rather trivial matters? Why do you think the author has set the story up in this manner? “Salisbury, Day One Evening” 9. What delayed Steven’s departure from Darlington Hall? 10. In this chapter there are additional references to banter. How does the subject come up in this chapter, and what does it suggest about Stevens’ profession or his character?

11. What is it that Stephens likes about the English landscape? Is there a way this might represent something additional within the story? Is what he values about the landscape indicative of his values overall, or what he values in other arenas? 12. What is a great butler according to Stephens? What qualities does Stevens associate with this and how does he reveal his definition of a great butler? How can you relate this to Stevens’ values overall? 13. According to Stephens what people are incapable of being great butlers and why? What does this reveal about Stevens’ attitudes? 14. In what ways is it suggested that Stevens believes in inborn talent or cultivation and learning (similar to what’s called nature vs. nurture positions)? Looking ahead and thinking comparatively: Consider the questions below in preparation for future class discussions: 15. Compare the emphasis on manners and civility in The Remains of the Day to the ways these notions are portrayed in Lady Susan. How are characters’ words and / or actions portrayed in ways that make us think about these notions? Note any similarities or differences by citing a specific example from each 16. Compare Lady Susan and The Remains of the Day in terms of conflict portrayed in each. Provide one specific example of how conflict comes up in either narrative and address the degree to which the conflict is similar or different in these two stories. You may do this by citing various situations of conflict alluded to in the story or by identifying the dramatic narrative conflicts of either a) inner conflict, b) protagonist versus antagonist conflict or c) antagonist versus society conflict Remains of the Day film (Director: James Ivory, 1993) 1. Identify at least three different film techniques used within the first 7 minutes of the film. Explain what these techniques contribute to the scene(s), the effect they create, etc. (Note: if there is an additional fourth visual effect you want to note but you don’t know the term for the technique, simply describe the way it looks and note the meaning it suggests or the effect it creates). 2. Review the first chapter of Remains of the Day and consider it in relation to the opening of the film. How do the book and film resemble each other or differ in terms of the way they introduce the story? Provide at least two examples. 3. How does the film suggest Stevens’ state of mind or his thought process? Provide at least one specific example. Is this similar or different from the film? 4. What do you think Lewis means when he comments that Stevens and his car are “made for each other”? 5. Identify at least one scene that you think makes it hard to understand or sympathize with Stevens and at least one scene that encourages your empathy with his character. Explain your responses. 6. Describe the narrative structure of the film. Is the narrative structure of the film similar of different from the book? 7. Choose one situation that is portrayed in both the film and the book but portrayed in somewhat different ways. Explain how the situation is dealt with differently in the film than from the book and how that impacts our response.

8. Consider the way the Lord Darlington character comes across in the book versus the film and describe the differences or similarities. Does he come across in a more favorable way in one or the other? Explain by giving specific examples of how he is portrayed critically or how he is humanized. 9. Provide a specific example from the film of how the passing of time is conveyed. Identify film techniques used in your response. 10. Choose a scene you think is particularly effective in terms of the style or film techniques used. Describe the scene in terms of what is happening and how it is visually and / or aurally conveyed -- colors, lighting, composition, camera angles and / or movement, music – and how you think the visuals enhance the meaning of the scene (note: this example should be chosen from a later part of the film, not the opening of the film which is the subject of question # 1). 11. Based on what you have thus far read in the book and screened from the film, which work reveals more details of the story sooner? Explain what kind of information is revealed earlier in the work you have identified. 12. Identify at least two characters from the film who acknowledge regret or mistakes. In each case, do the characters try to amend their mistake or make up for what they regret, and if so, how? 13. Choose one scene from the film to describe in terms of how it visually conveys atmosphere (through lighting, colors, costuming, camera work, etc.). Describe how the style or film techniques create a mood or even a sense of temperature, climate, etc. 14. Choose one scene that is portrayed very faithfully in the film from the book, and choose one scene that occurs in the film but does not appear in the book. In both instances, consider what these examples contribute in terms of meaning or effect. 15. Choose two scenes from the film where non-diegetic sound is used and describe the effect for both examples. 16. Does Stevens indicate a desire to correct any mistakes he has made in the book? Does he indicate this in the film? Both? Explain. 17. Are there any ways in which Stevens’ description of Lord Darlington could be said to resemble Stevens himself? 18. In a final scene of the film Stevens and Lewis appear in the former banquet room. What details suggest a new use for this room and how does that suggest a significant change in both home ownership and a cultural change? 19. Consider the concluding scenes and imagery of the film and their suggested meaning. 20. Do you think Stevens is portrayed in a relatively similar way in the book and film, or do you think he is more humanized in one or the other? Explain. Juicy and Delicious , Lucy Alibar, 2010, pp. 1-27 1. What role do the aurochs serve in the play’s story? What might they symbolize? 2. Consider the writing style. Besides the fact that it is written as a play, what other features contribute to its style? How does its style affect the way we experience the story, the characters or the subject matter generally? Why do you think it is written in this way? 3. Identify the prominent images / motifs of the play, and consider their importance (also note what, if any, of these images appear on the film). 4. What glimpses do we get into Hushpuppy’s imagination through the play’s text? 5. What challenges does Hushpuppy face, and how does he deal with these challenges?

6. At any point in the play, does Hushpuppy’s “voice” change, or does he appear to have the same perspective and voice throughout the story? Explain. 7. Choose a fantastical description or event from the play that you think expresses something real, even if in an abstract way. Beasts of the Southern Wild (Director: Benh Zeitlin, 2012) 1. Do the characters live where they are by choice? Or due to circumstances they can’t control? Explain. 2. How is the community of Bathtub portrayed? 3. Are any aspects of the play’s imagery reproduced in the film? Explain. 4. What elements have been changed or added from the play to the film? Explain. 5. How does the film convey aspects of Hushpuppy’s imagination? 6. Which has more elements of reality and which is more fantastical, the play or the film? 7. Choose two different thematic ideas that the film portrays, and explain how the film raises these ideas and encourages you to contemplate them. 8. Note specific examples of film techniques used (camera movement, angles, shots, editing, lighting, color, mise-en-scene, etc.) Choose two specific examples and interpret the effect created in that scene. 9. Identify specific lines of dialogue in the film that come from the play. Why do you think these lines were retained and how are they integral to the meaning of the story? 10. Are there any elements in the book that are enhanced or fleshed out in the film, or vice versa? 11. Any subjects or ideas that are more developed in one or the other, or are they just expressed in different ways? 12. How does the film capture or adapt the impressionistic or surreal aspects of the play’s text, and what is the effect or result of this? 13. Consider the film in relation to race or class-based criticisms (noted in class). Do you think the film merits criticism or praise in regards to these issues and the way it portrays its subjects?