Practical Pedagogy for the Use of Filmic Adaptations of Canonical Texts

Abstract

The following study is dedicated to the practical usage of filmic adaptations in the academic setting; more specifically, I explore the usage of adaptations based on The Scarlet Letter and how they can be integrated into language arts classrooms in American high schools. In doing so I explore not only the stigmas commonly attached to adaptation studies but also the current scholarship by critics such as Robert Stam, Brian MacFarlan and Thomas Leitch who strive to eliminate these stigmas. I also examine the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, as this document is the curriculum guide followed for all North Carolina public schools, and use its language as a guide for the creation of my instructional guide. In my examination, I discuss where the SCOS's language provides opportunity for the integrating adaptation into the typical English III classroom. The study of adaptation is a contested subject and has not taken a strong hold in high school classrooms, but yields interesting revelations about not only the original texts, but also the cultural setting of the newer works. A large portion of this work will also include a proposed unit plan for a sample novel and film pairing. This is included for other academics to study as a model for other pairings and will have a variety of lesson plans and assignments. I created this unit to help students master film terminology as well as the novel's content, so that teachers themselves can practice knew material while also using older, more comfortable methods of instruction. The inclusion of this unit means that a high school teacher unfamiliar with film language and study can successfully teach a unit on film adaptation.