compare and contrast

Now that I've seen the movie Water for Elephants again and actually remember every part of it not only fragments, I can clearly see the differences between the it and the novel. The movie was put into a completely different order compared to the novel, certain scenes where put before others and some were simply excluded. Not only is the whole plot of story changed, many little details that make the novel what it is and what gives it its special meaning have also changed. The most important information that was exclude from the movie that I felt like was completely necessary to be present was the fact that August was paranoid schizophrenic, because the first time I ever watched the movie I never knew why it was he acted the way he did, I probably thought he just had anger issues. When I finally read the novel, I realized that he was ill from his mind which for me completely explained many things. Some people could have maybe caught on to his problem in the movie but not all. Also many of the differences and discrimination that was involved in the circus and shown in the novel was not quite as vibrant. Those type of actions lead or provided background for many scenes that occurred, for instance the part where Jacob being Polish and August being Jewish could have affected their relationship. Or simply Marlena's story in how she met August, married him, and then was disowned because he was Jewish and she was Christian, little details like those is what changes the affect, impact, and story behind the movie. If I had never read the novel I wouldn't have discovered the new information that completed the story for me and in fact changed it. I would have kept thinking it was such a good movie which it is but in my mind the novel changed some those opinions for me, and once you've read the novel it is sometimes difficult to admire the movie as for the novel can always be more vivid and bring things to life better than a movie.

Past to Present

Many things change as time goes by yet some seem to stay. In a circus people are living in their own world with their own rules and their own society. Unfortunately most of these rules and the social status with in can be a bit unfair; working men were miss treated, red lighted, unpaid, and given poor living situations while performers and bosses have expensive wine, clothes, rooms, and pay. Employees unable to complain or change situations made living sometimes difficult for certain people, working men were not even able to speak to performers. As time passed by many of their rules and way of living changed. Working men and performers began to receive more of the same treatment not exactly the same but close by. When it comes to today now there is women working the circus too not only men and they are also able to speak to performers and live together. It has come to the point where the working employees are allowed to make fun of the acts of the performers yet they can't not take it to the point were the performers feel offended. So as I mentioned before rules of the society change but only to a certain level while it still keeps a bit of its old ways.

Water for Elephants

As I first started to read this book I was able to notice the difference to the movie right away. They are both based on the same story and plot but some how are completely different in the way they are presented. I feel as if seeing the movie helps as I read the book in noticing how little details can drastically change a story or events that occur in the story. There are certain characters that don't exist in the movie or scene that are shown. Personally I think books at times are better than movies because they have way more detail and certain things are better explained but it's also a great experience to see what you have imagined in your mind while reading it on actual film. Being able to compared a novel and it's movie is quite interesting when it comes to analyzing them because at the end based on how they were constructed one ends up having a different meaning or moral to it. I always wanted to read this book way before the movie came out and I'm glad how events turned out because I know I would have noticed the differences between the two but I probably wouldn't have furthered analyzed it in detail and discovered the new meanings to the whole plot. Hopefully as I continue reading the book I can further understand what it's representing and how it points out many different themes compared to the movie.