Hester Prynne And Reverend Dimmesdale example essay topic
413 words
When novels are made into movies, they are often changed to accommodate the times or the directors wishes. Story lines, settings, and even mannerisms of the characters may be changed. The Scarlet Letter is no exception. In the 1995 version starring Demi Moore as Hester Prynne, the story line is changed in several parts to enhance the emotion and impact of the film. Most of the similarities between the book and the movie are found toward the middle of the movie and the majority of the discrepancies were at the beginning and end of the film. The beginning of the movie begins very differently from the book. The movie opens with a discussion between the towns magistrates and a local indian tribe. Then we see Hesters arrival from England. The book, however, begins much later with Hesters precession from prison. The movie is told through the eyes of Pearl, while the book is tells the story in third person. Unlike the novel, the movie shows how Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale meet, fall in love, and their affair. In the movie, but not in the book, Mistress Hibbins and Hester become friends.
Later in the movie we see Hesters husbands progress after being kidnapped by the indians. In the novel, we are not introduced to Chillingworth until he arrives in the town. In the middle of the film we see many similarities. Hesters punishments were the same. Reverend Dimmesdale punishes himself in both stories. The mannerisms of the characters are the same.
Chillingworth discovers who Pearls father is and attempts to destroy him. Dimmesdale and Hester meet in the woods to tell of their love for each other. The film ends with another group of differences. There is a trial in the film of Mistress Hibbins who is accused of being a witch This does not occur in the book. The movie ends with Hester and Dimmesdale run off together, while the book does not.
Despite all the differences that were present in the movie, the basic idea of the book was brought through to the audience. The main difference between the two stories is the amount of time covered. The novel begins with Hester in prison, while the novel begins long before that with Hesters arrival. The film was a good interpretation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's story.
