Professor Donelle Dreese
ENG 302
30 November 2017
Successful Novel Adaptations; The Wild Is No Exception We are embellished with moments that define us. The memoir Wild written by Cheryl Strayed is a 311 page journey featuring this concept. In her New York Times Best selling memoir she overcomes fears, conquers overwhelming endurance, survives a quest for forgiveness, and develops courage to maintain hope. Strayed’s memoir was such an exciting recount of the events she endured while traveling the Pacific Crest Trail that her novel soon was depicted into a movie featuring Reese Witherspoon, the winner of an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and People’s choice Award starring as the leading role of Cheryl Strayed. The memoir is a …show more content…
In view of this fact, and given that there has been a long-running discourse on the nature of the connections between film and literature, it is surprising how little systematic, sustained attention has been given to the processes of adaptation.” He is stating that novels/memoirs are of extreme importance to the film industry so the connections between film and novel are to be noted however most do not acknowledge these similarities. The success of the novel adaptation into a film is successful because the filmmaker noted the importance of the literature itself. Making Reese Witherspoon the starring role is an example of this. In fact today, you can google Reese Witherspoon and Cheryl Strayed and find that there appearances are quite similar. In Literature through Film, Robert Stam discusses the 1963 film adaptation of Tom Jones. In his analysis, Stam mentions how “generally, the narrator in the film is subordinated to the story/diegesis; he does not expatiate on philosophy or literature, for example. Thus we are deprived, to a certain extent, of the double plot of the novel…” (112) I believe that Stam is saying that if the leading role does not …show more content…
Besides her journey on the PCT, the film also inspired the audience with her struggles and influenced them to overcome their fears and do something extraordinary. Thus, were all elements that Strayed exemplified in her original text.
Brown, Megan C. “Learning to Live Again: Contemporary US Memoir as Biopolitical Self-Care Guide.” Biography, University of Hawai'i Press, 7 Nov. 2013, muse.jhu.edu/article/524883/summary.
Jr, Mike Fleming. “1,100-Mile Hike In Cheryl Strayed’s Boots Puts ‘Wild’ Star Reese Witherspoon On Fulfilling New Path.” Deadline, 24 Sept. 2015, deadline.com/2014/12/reese-witherspoon-wild-interview-cheryl-strayed-1201319106/.
MARCINIAK, MAŁGORZATA. “Adaptation as interpretation.” THE APPEAL OF LITERATURE-TO-FILM ADAPTATIONS, pp.