Post 4- Adapting "The Help"

There would be many challenges that filmmakers would face when adapting The Help, although, it has been done. One specific challenge is that there are quite a few characters in the story, so it could be hard to find enough people.  It could also be hard to find that many people that fit the real characters from the story, which is very important. So, to make the movie work, some characters would need to be taken out.  Another major challenge that a filmmaker would face is how The Help switches point of view.  Every few chapters, the point of view switches from Aibileen to Minny and then to Skeeter, and back again.  I think this would be really hard to portray in a movie.  I haven't actually seen the movie, so I would like to know what they actually did to fix that.

One scene that is essential to keep in order for the adaptation to work is the scene where Skeeter asks Aibileen if she ever wanted to change anything, meaning change anything about her work and life.  This scene is so important because it almost foreshadows what is going to later happen.  It sets the foundation for the story.  Skeeter gets cut off and Miss Leefolt comes in before Aibileen can answer, so she ponders it for awhile, wondering why Skeeter, a white woman, would ask her that. This is necessary for the movie.  Another scene that needs to be kept is when Minny gets her job working for Celia. This scene is important because it also sets up a whole different story line, which was Minny working for Miss Celia, but she had to stay hidden from Celia's husband, Johnny.  It's also important because it changes Minny's life in a way because she was out of work and looking for a job.  The last scene that would be important to keep is kind of two in one, because they are both very important.  Throughout the story, Minny wonders why Celia always goes upstairs to the abandoned bedrooms where no one sleeps, and doesn't come down for a while.  The important scene comes when Minny gives Miss Celia a package that came for her, but Minny doesn't know what it is. She later decides to sneak up on Celia and see what she was doing upstairs, and she sees her drinking alcohol, which was what was in the package.  Then, the other scene that goes with it is when Minny can't find Miss Celia, but she eventually goes and finds her in the bathroom.  There is blood all over the bathroom, coming from Celia.  Minny sees something covered in blood in the toilet, and realizes that it was a baby.  Miss Celia had given birth to a dead baby, and Minny learns it wasn't the first time it had happened.   This is so important because it really changes the story, and it takes you by surprise.  At the same time, you are able to understand a lot of what was going on with Celia.

One specific part that you would have to get rid of is when the little African-American boy gets attacked by the white men and becomes blind.  While it shows the cruel and unfair treatment of African Americans, it just isn't that important to have, and it would be adding unneeded characters.  Another scene that wouldn't need to be added is when Aibileen goes to the community concerns meetings at her church.  Here, they talk about current issues and how they can help gain respect for African Americans. This part isn't really needed, and the movie wouldn't be losing anything if it wasn't added.

I think it would be hard to make The Help into a movie!  There are a lot of really important parts, so it would be hard to include all of them, but I hope to see the movie soon!

Book 1 Project

 

An idea to market Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is to recreate the house where the children and Miss Peregrine lived.  This would be a great way to attract the current fans of the book, and even people who haven’t read it.  What fan wouldn’t want to visit the intriguing house that the story is based on?  The house would be a replica of the one described in the story, including even the wackiest artifacts and objects that are described.  People will love this!

            The idea of recreating the home comes from the actual house that is described in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which is such a large part of the story.  The house represents just how peculiar the children are.  The house is described as being beautiful, yet with all of those peculiar children, the house has to be a little different.  On page 139, the beauty of the house is described, saying, “I gazed at it in wonder—not because it was awful but because it was beautiful.” (Riggs 139).  The replica home will portray this beauty, but it will  also be sure to include the strange aspect of the house that makes it special.

The replica home of the house in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children would also contain the peculiar children.  The kids are a large part of the story and they make the house unique.  The kids would be depicted as statues or wax figures that would display their peculiar trait.  Some of these traits are really neat and fans will love to see them depicted in real life.  For example, one of the kids, Olive, has the trait of hovering in the air.  On page 141, her trait is described, saying, “When she reached the boys she raised her and they looped a rope around her waist.  She slipped carefully out of her shoes and then bobbed up in the air like a balloon.  It was astonishing.” (Riggs 141).  That would be something neat to add to the attraction, and people will love seeing the different traits of the peculiar kids.  In addition to the peculiar children, the main character, Jacob, and Miss Peregrine would be in there as well.  Fans would love to see the main characters come to life!

 Another object that would be featured in the house is the calendar, which is a huge part of the plot. The peculiar children live in what’s called a loop, meaning every day, the time resets to a specific day.  This particular loop resets to September 3, 1940.  The calendar in the home shows this day and its importance.  At one point in the story, the calendar is not marked to September 3, and everything gets out of whack.  The importance of the calendar is stated on page 130.  It says, “It could all be explained by the calendar on the wall.  September 3, 1940.” (Riggs 130).  In general, the home would just feature other objects that are unique to the story like the lake with the boat that belonged to Emma, an important character, or the sitting room where Jacob meets Miss Peregrine.  Also, fans can be sure to expect the old photographs featured in the story hanging up around the house on display.

This idea will work because it’s bringing to life what readers have to imagine.  It's also one of a kind.  This is a new, fresh idea, so it will be sure to attract people who haven’t even read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. You don’t have to read the book to come here—people who haven’t read Harry Potter go to Harry Potter World.  The same thing applies here.  Actual copies of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will be on sale, so those who haven’t read it can enjoy this enthralling story.  The people that are already fans of this story will no longer have to imagine what the home looks like or what the kids look like—they can see it come to life and enjoy their time.  For the current fans of the book to stay connected with the author, Ransom Riggs, updates of what is happening in all things Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will be provided at the house for all to see.  Fans will be able to stay up to date on a possible sequel and even a possible movie from information provided by Ransom Riggs.  This home will have it all.  Whether you are a fan of the story, or a newcomer, you will be sure to love this replica of the famous home that creates the basis of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

The Vision

The home is going to resemble the structure and layout of this one, but there will be some differences, of course.

The lake near the house will look something like this.

This is Olive, the girl that can float.  A wax figure or statue will be created to look like the girl in the picture. In addition, because this picture appears in the actual novel, it will be one of the photos that is displayed.

Post 2- What is a Book?

A book is a surprise.  When you open that book, you don’t know what is going to happen.  It’s truly a surprise. You may love it, you may hate it.  But isn’t that the case with any surprise?  A book is like a present—you don’t know what you are going to get until you open it.  That’s why books are so important.  We need that little element of surprise in our lives. 

                As far as the big debate about regular books and e-books goes, I don’t care how you read the book, whether it’s on paper or on a tablet.  I don’t care!  I think today’s technology is cool and interesting, but I can’t say if it’s exactly my preference, because I’ve really never tried one out.  I think there is some aspect to plain old books that we still need in our society, but like most everything else, a new, more technological version will be made.  50 years ago there weren’t 60-inch TVs, and you couldn’t record TV shows with the touch of a button, but advancements have been made.  The technology of almost everything has been improved, and whether or not people like it, books are changing too.

                I think author Joe Meno best explains how I feel about books.  He said that a book is a book, no matter what form it’s in.  I absolutely agree.  Like I said before, it doesn’t matter how you read the book, it matters that you read it.  I have to disagree with Victor LaValle’s opinion.  I think books are way more important than toasters!  But of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. (No matter how crazy it is).

                I think there is something magical about reading a book.  Nowadays, we are sooooooo connected to our technology that we need some time to unwind and “get away”, and that’s what reading an actual book does.  I also think that if you are reading a book on a Kindle or iPad, you can get the same value from the actual text as you would from reading a paper book.  But, you don’t get the same experience, which is why paper books are so much more special and valuable. 

                Just like Victor Piazza did, I’m going to try and interview myself.

Q: Why are regular, paper books important to you.

CW:  Paper books provide us with an experience.  Reading off of a Kindle is no different than playing on your smart phone, or even playing games on your Kindle, because they do make those now.  Reading a paper book takes you away, and that’s important and kind of special.  People are so dependent on technology, but I think we need a break.  Curling up with a good, paper book is the break we need.

                If you want to go out and buy a Kindle, that’s fine!  Everyone has their own opinions and preferences, and that’s okay.  To me, it’s important to still be able to read paper books, but I don’t know how much longer they will be around.  We need to respect and appreciate the paper books we have today, because it sure seems like the Kindle and the iPad are taking over!

Post 1- Why I Read

Why do I read? There are many answers to that question.  I read because I want to, because it can be fun.  I read because I can go somewhere new and exciting, because somewhere new and exciting sounds fun.  I read because I'm forced to, because school reading isn't an option, unfortunately. I read because it takes my mind off of my hectic life, because that is much needed. Reading to me is special because I don't have much time for it.  Yes, I make time for reading those English books that I have to read, but to me that is homework, and nothing else.  Reading a good book is a lot of fun.  I have always liked to read, but I know a lot of people who aren't interested.  A good book is all you need to change your mind.  I have a younger sister who's 13, and she isn't much of a reader at all.  One day when we were shopping, she made our mom by her some cheesy romance novel.  It's not like my sister to read books.  When we got home, we didn't see her the rest of the day.  She came down later and told us she had finished the book. She said she really liked it, and she went on to read the rest of the books in that series.  That shows you what a good book can do for you.  That's why I have to read a good book because if I read a book that isn't the greatest or just doesn't really interest me, it does nothing.  I just put it down and it becomes nothing.  If I read a good book, it makes me want to read more and more. I read for a lot of reasons, to enjoy a good book, to get my mind off of stuff, but mainly, I read because reading takes me away from boring Mason, Ohio, and let's be honest—a vacation sounds pretty nice.