Compare And Contrast Book And Movie Of Mildred Pierce

The literary point of view of any novel or screenplay is an important characteristic because it gives either adaptation ambience towards the characters or how the story is structured. It also describes the character’s position in relation to the story and his/her outlook in regards to the attitudes and events that revolve around them and supporting characters in the storyline. Mildred Pierce, a 1941 novel written by James M. Cain and later adapted into a film noir screenplay directed by Michael Curtiz, is a cynical narrative depicting a housewife who is thrusted into a male-centric business world. Both the film and novel accentuate the feministic views during the 1930s and one’s self-sacrifice. In James M. Cain’s novel, the reader is immersed in third person omniscient point of view; the audience follows Mildred and only knows her knowledge of what is happening around her. In the film however; …show more content…
Theme/character wise, the novel displayed a more detailed life and dimension of each character. The novel showed both two different sides of Veda such as her piano teachers making her realize she has no talent and the cynical side that she portrays towards her mother to get what she wanted. The film only showed her as one dimensional- heartless daughter who kept wanting more than what her mother can offer and even going as far as blackmailing to obtain money. Mildred in the novel was shown as a determined character who despite the stereotypical working class in the era, she proved that she as well can become successful through her perseverance and uphill battle. In the film, Mildred was seen only with wealthy people and did not show much determination to gain success. The film seemed to display how easily Mildred gained her status