e-contents Radhanagari College

  Andrew Davies and his views about Adaptation:             Andrew Davies, a screenplay writer, has achieved “fame” in his capacity as adapter. According to Andrew Davies, Adaptation is, indeed the art form of democracy.  He “sums up” what audience look for in a good adaptation. He has identified ten “secrets” to becoming a successful adapter: 1. Read the book. 2. Ask yourself: Why this book, and why now? 3. Ask yourself: Whose story is this, really? 4. Don’t be afraid to change things, especially openings. 5. Don’t start without a plan. 6. Never use a line of dialogue if you can achieve the effect with a look. 7. Crystallize dialogue to its essence. 8. Write scenes that aren’t in the book. 9. Avoid voice-over, flashbacks, and characters talking directly to camera. 10. Break your own rules when it feels like the right thing to do. Davies ‘secrets’ reveal certain things: Ø   The adapter need n...

Adaptation and Linda Hutcheon: Linda Hutcheon is a Canadian theorist. She has written a detailed book A Theory of Adaptation . According to Hutcheon, a famous film theorist, to adapt a work means ‘to adjust, to alter, to make suitable’. She has given three interconnected perspectives regarding literary adaptations. She says an adaptation is an extensive “ transposition ” of a particular work or works. This process involves the change of medium or the change of context. In the process of transposition, the interpretations differ as there are varied points of views.   There can be a transposition from a real to imaginary or from a historical account to biography, etc. Secondly, she looks at adaptation as “ a process of creation ”. The act of adaptation always involves both re-interpretation and re-creation. In other words, it is called appropriation and salvaging. Salvaging refers to the act of saving an old text from being forgotten, or paying homage to a previous text. Thirdly, ...

  Q. 1) Write a short note on ‘anecdote’. An anecdote is a brief, often amusing or interesting story.   It serves to illustrate a point, make a connection, or provide insight into a particular situation, topic, or character. Anecdotes are commonly used in various forms of communication. Here are some key characteristics and uses of anecdotes Personal Touch: Anecdotes are typically drawn from personal experiences, making them relatable and humanizing. They help the audience connect with the speaker or writer on a more personal level. Engagement: Anecdotes capture the audience's attention and maintain interest. They offer a break from dry facts and statistics and can be entertaining, emotional, or thought-provoking. Illustration: Anecdotes are excellent tools for illustrating a point or argument. They provide a concrete example that helps the audience better understand abstract concepts or complex ideas. Credibility: Anecdotes can enhance the credibility of the spe...

  Elements of Short Story 1.       Plot : Plot is the soul of short story. Plot means arrangement of incidents. The success of the story depends upon the plot,. It is a series of connected happenings and their results. In order to have a result, we must have an initial event, or conflict. Short story is told in an artistic manner by selecting and arranging the events into a plot with an intention. The short story writer organizes the incidents with a definite purpose to present his ideas or pictures of life or human experiences in a particular way. The short story writer has a small span and space for the development of plot. He immediately plunges into the course of plot and rapidly reaches the end. In the middle of the plot the story points to the approaching end which is surprising, shocking and sudden. Sometimes the end of plot reveals the hidden theme of short story in a flash. The end of the story is considered to be the most important characteristi...

  Characteristics of Short Story 1. Brevity or Economy: The brevity or economy is an important parameter of the short story relating to its length. The short story is called short story because it has brevity (shorter length). Its usual norm is that it should be in about 3000 to 6000 words in length. The excellent short stories are written even in 1000 words. The brevity, to be used effectively, implies command over language and control over incidents. In a good short story every word and every incident contributes to the final effect. The short story strictly allows the parameters of economy. It implies the economy of words as stated in the above parameter regarding length. The economy implies also the economy of incidents and characters. A good short story usually has 2 or 3 characters and a few incidents numbering 4 to 5 with minimum characters passing through minimum incidents. The short story writer effectively shows one dominant personal trait of a character or a single expe...

  Origin and Development of Short Story Introduction: The short story is a form of literature which has come to us from ancient times. It has its roots in the instinct of curiosity in man. In the beginning, the stories were told primarily by the method of narration, but with the invention of the printing press, the mode of the story writing spread widely. A number of stories, belonging to both the Western and the Eastern countries, are now found in collections as Aesops Fables, The Buddhist Jatakas, Arabian Nights, The Panchatantra and The Hitopadesha. The short story, often regarded as a younger sister of the novel. The short story has remained very popular form through Television and Radio. Origin and Development of Short Story: Story - telling is an ancient art. It is as old as language itself. Oral and written stories were found in the ancient times. Everyone is born with an instinctive desire to be entertained by fiction. The primitive people might have created small sto...

 (e-content developed by Prof. (Dr) N. A. Jarandikar) “Rebati” is a short story written by Fakir Mohan Senapati, a famous writer in Odia language. This story is considered as the first modern short story in Odia and was published in 1898. It talks about important issues like women’s education and empowerment. The story’s main character is Rebati, a ten-year-old girl. Her father, Shyambandhu, works for a rich landowner and collects taxes. Even though their income is low, they manage their expenses. Rebati is a smart girl. Another important character is Basudev, a young and handsome teacher, who belongs to the same caste as Shyambandhu. Shyambandhu dreams of giving Rebati a good education and talks to Basudev about it. Basudev likes the idea, and Rebati is excited about learning. The only person against this is Rebati’s grandmother, who doesn’t want her to study. Shyambandhu ignores his mother’s objections, and Rebati begins her education. In a few years, she becomes a fluent reade...

  Paradox Paradox is actually a figure of speech used in literature since distant past. By using the technique of paradox, a poet compares two dissimilar things. In everyday life too, we make the use of paradox. For instance, “Truth is honey, which is bitter”. In this example, sweetness of honey is contrasted with the bitterness of truth. In the poem “Death, Be Not Proud” John Donne says. “And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.”   ‘Death’ is considered as end of life. But here, Donne argues that ‘Death’ itself will ‘die’. So, poets are using the technique of paradox since long. However, it is Cleanth Brooks who brought the term ‘Paradox’ into discussion. Brooks is an important 20 th century critic. He belongs to the school of New Criticism. In his book, “ The Well Wrought Urn” (1947) he made a claim that “the language of poetry is the language of paradox”. Brooks focuses on paradox while arguing that the meaning of poetry emerges through such paradoxes. B...

  RADHANAGARI MAHAVIDYALAYA, RADHANAGARI B.A. III English (Optional) Paper No. III Partition Literature Semester III Quiz October 2023 Marks: 10   1. What is the setting of the novel "Train to Pakistan"? a) Delhi, India b) Lahore, Pakistan c) Mano Majra, fictional village near the India-Pakistan border d) Amritsar, India   2. During what historical event is the novel "Train to Pakistan" primarily set? a) Indian Independence Movement b) World War I c) The Partition of India in 1947 d) British colonization of India   3. Who is the author of "Train to Pakistan"? a) Rabindranath Tagore b) Salman Rushdie c) Khushwant Singh d) Arundhati Roy   4. What role does the railway station play in the novel? a) It is the main setting for the entire story. b) It serves as a backdrop for a love story. c) It becomes a symbol of the violence and tragedy of the partition. d) It is where the main characters meet for the fi...