This is the sixth part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V before continuing.
2215
“What are you watching, Chris?” Andy passed his roommate, sitting on his bed with his tablet, as he made for their mini-fridge, where he grabbed a soda.
“Shadow.”
“Aren’t you reading that for your 21st Century American Literature class?”
“I’m supposed to, but I figured I’d just watch the movie.”
Andy shook his head, but he couldn’t help smiling as he sat down at his desk. “You know they always make changes when they adapt a book for film, right? What if Mr. Lively asks you about something that’s not in the movie?”
“Then I’ll get that question wrong. I’ll still probably get at least a C. You know White wrote the screenplay herself, right?”
“So? That doesn’t mean she didn’t have to change some things or leave some things out. Besides, are you really happy with a C? If you put just a little more effort into your schoolwork, you could get a B or even an A.”
“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have as much time to do the things I want. It’s not like a C is a failing grade. It’s average.”
“You’re OK with just being average? Think of all the things you could accomplish if you only tried. Did Chandra White ever settle for just being average?”
“I think she did actually. There were plenty of people in her time who didn’t think she was all that great. It’s not like she won any awards or anything. She just wrote some books that a lot of people at the time liked to read, so now we’re being forced to suffer through it two hundred years later.”
“You really think that’s the only reason Mr. Lively assigned her book to your class? When I had to read one of her books, we spent a lot of time discussing why her books were so popular. They were a great commentary on the kind of society she was living in. Reading one of her books is like looking into the world as she saw it two hundred years ago.”
“So is watching this movie she wrote. Except this way is better because I can actually see what she wanted me to see, rather than having to figure it out from her wordy descriptions. I don’t think I’m being lazy by watching the movie instead of reading the book. Why work harder when you can work smarter?”
“Like I said, she would have had to cut a lot out in order to adapt her book for the screen. What you’re seeing is not the full story she wanted to tell. It was just a way for her to capitalize on the success of her book.”
“And I’m sure there were plenty of people back then who saw the movie and never bothered to read her book. So if you think about it, I’m living just like her contemporaries lived.”
Seeing the futility of this conversation, Andy gave up and turned his attention to his own homework.
To be continued…