Prompt: What do you think is the most important difference between the written and filmed version? Provide evidence with specific details.
How would you prove that one version of To Kill A Mockingbird is more affective in delivering its message that the other?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
There were many differences between the book and the film To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but I think the most important difference between the written and filmed version of To Kill a Mockingbird is that there were not as many interactions with Boo in the movie than there was in the book. Another difference was how Boo's character didn't develop in the movie as much as the book did. In my opinion I think the book had more significance and importance towards Boo much more than the movie. What I saw in the movie seemed like Boo didn't have much of an impact of the children than the book did. The film displayed him more as a minor character, while in the book he was very important. In the film it didn't show much of the different periods of times when Boo made an impact on the kids, and in the book he wasn't just a kind stranger, like they showed him in the film. The book stated, "'When I went back for my breeches...they were folded across the fence...like they were expecting me.'" This shows that Boo did this to help Jem get out of the trouble he got into. In the book Scout seemed very determined to meet Boo throughout the entire book, while in the movie very few scenes showed how Scout was curious to meet and see Boo Radley for the first time. When the children attempted to give Boo a note, the book states, "Jem was merely going to put the note on the end of a fishing pole and stick it through the shutters." This shows how the children really wanted to have an interaction with Boo. The film kind of missed the determination the kids had to get the chance to see and meet Boo in person.
In the book while Ms. Maudie's house was on fire and it was cold, Boo put a blanket over Scout's shoulders. When Scout noticed the blanket put around her shoulders and was curious to find out how it ended up on her, Atticus told Scout, "‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.’” This showed that Boo was not the mean, scissor stabbing person people said he was. The little events like this in the book start to develop the reader's vision on what they think about Boo Radley. The film made it seem as if he was really just a friendly person who was being very shy. In the film it did not show this part at all. I think this would have been good to put in the movie, to show how Boo maybe wanted to have friends and how he interacted with the kids more. In the book there were several times when different gifts were left in the knothole for the kids by Boo. The gifts were an important part of the book, because it slowly showed what kind of a person Boo really was, and how the children's view on Boo changed throughout the book. The book stated, "We were walking past our tree. In its knot-hole... we found a whole package of chewing gum...yielded a tarnished medal...a pocket watch that wouldn't work, on a chain with an aluminum knife...'' This shows how Boo was leaving many gifts in the tree rather than just one or two things. The movie briefly mentioned the gifts in the tree and the significance of them. These things have shown the readers that Boo was very misunderstood for who he really was, and it was very touching to see his real character as a friendly, brave, shy, and caring person.
The book version of To Kill A Mockingbird was a more affective way in delivering its message than the film was. The book had greater detail into the town, the Finch Family, and Boo Radley than the film did. The film seemed to be mainly focused on the Tom Robinson Trial. The book was able to explain all of Scout's thoughts, and actions. It was hard to understand what Scout was thinking and it missed out on some of her actions in the film. When Aunt Alexandra came to stay at their home, the book states, "'We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence.'" Scout was very angry about this. In the movie they didn't show Alexandra. This was important in the book, because it made it more clear to us that Scout didn't like girly things and liked to be how she was already. In the book as we read along, we can see how our feelings have changed about Boo Radley. In the beginning of the book the characters and the readers saw Boo as a mean, scary person. We made assumptions that he was a bad person by what people have said about him, these were all rumors and later in the book the readers find the rumors to not be true. The message the versions were trying to convey was to get to know someone before judging them. When Cal brought the kids to her church, Lulu stated, "'You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here-they got their church, we got our'n.'" This scene was also not added to the film. This would have shown the racism in the town, and how all people were affected by it. In my opinion this film didn't do a good job in getting the message across, especially since the message mostly pertained to Boo Radley, and he was seen more as a minor character.
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