Dorothy L. Sayers´S Murder Must Advertise Vs. the Adapted Murder Must Advertise Transformation in the Name of Adaptation
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Beteckning: Institutionen för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap Dorothy L. Sayers´s Murder Must Advertise vs. the Adapted Murder Must Advertise Transformation in the Name of Adaptation Sara Sjöberg October 2009 C-essay 15 hp English C Examinator: Marko Modiano Supervisor: Helena Wahlström 1 Abstract The essay compares Dorothy L. Sayers´s novel Murder Must Advertise to an adapted edition of Murder Must Advertise. The first aim of the essay is to investigate what has been changed in the process of adaptation. There are several changes that cannot be explained by the current guidelines for easy-to-read novels. A consequence of the unjustified changes is that the novel is more complex than it should be. The second aim is to look at how the adapted Murder Must Advertise encourages reading. It encourages reading through the simplified languge and plot, glossary lists and memorable ending. Keywords: adaptation, adapted novel, Murder Must Advertise and Dorothy L. Sayers. 2 Table of Contents Introduction: Two Versions of Murder Must Advertise 4 Three Main Aspects of Adapted Texts 7 The Attractive Appearance of the Covers 11 Motivated and Unmotivated Changes 13 Adjusted and Uncomplicated Language According the Guidelines 16 Similar but Varied Ends 18 References 23 3 Introduction: Two Versions of Murder Must Advertise and the Notion of Adaptation In 1933 Dorothy L Sayers´s 10th novel, Murder Must Advertise, was published. In the novel the protagonist, Bredon/Wimsey, works undercover as a copy-writer at the advertising agency called Pym´s Publicity. At Pym´s a copy-writer named Victor Dean has died - and Lord Peter Wimsey – or rather his alias Bredon is called in to solve the mystery. In the end of the novel the protagonist also not only solves the mystery of who killed Victor Dean, he stops a criminal syndicate. The story about Bredon/Wimsey´s work at Pym´s exists in a second edition with the same title and story because it was transformed into an easy-to- read novel in 19681. An easy-to- read novel or adapted novel, which is the term I will use in this essay, is a transformed original text, which has been changed to fit new target groups. Two target groups will stay in my focus: handicapped readers and ELLs (English Language Learners).2 According to the international Easy- to-read network, many people in these groups need simplified literature with easier content and language than standard because the original version is too advanced for them to understand (the Easy-to-read network). 3 The fact that there are two editions of the same novel inspires a comparison between them. A comparative reading shows an obvious difference in the number of pages; the original is 356 pages long while the adapted edition is only 112 pages long, which makes the adapted edition 244 pages shorter than the original. The substantial difference in length raises questions about adapted novels. First, major changes must have taken place to shorten the original by two thirds. This situation increases the risk that major parts of Sayers´s original are lost since the aim of the adaptation is to make her novel easier to understand. When content and language is less complicated in the adapted edition, what has happened with Sayers´s story and characterization? This essay will look into this question. Second, according to the manager of the Swedish Easy-to- 1Aage Salling och Erik Hvid are the editors, but they had advisers from Finland, Germany, The Nertherlands, Norway and Sweden. The adapted Murder Must Advertise is an advanced novel. 2 3 The Easy-to-read network provides information about adapted texts. 4 read foundation, Bror Tronbacke, a function of adapted novels can be to spark an interest in reading, and therefore the adapted novels must attract readers (6). 4Tronbacke´s statement is supported by Lotta Rosenström, also of the Swedish Easy-to-read foundation (1). Attractive features could be an intense introduction, logical leads and multi dimensional characters (Ephron 26). However, when the original edition has been adapted according to the current guidelines for adapted texts, and the layout, content and language of the original is transformed, one must ask how the transformed adapted edition encourages reading. This will also be discussed and analyzed in this essay. This essay will proceed to compare the original (henceforth Murder 1) and the adapted edition (henceforth Murder 2) of Murder Must Advertise and focus on the two issues above. The first step in this investigation is to read the two editions of Murder Must Advertise, Murder 1 and Murder 2. The second step is to compare three main areas of the current guidelines for adapted books: the layout of the novel, the content of the novel, and the question of simplified language 5. The layout will mainly be examined by comparing the covers but also the layout of the pages, while changes in content will be analysed by a comparison of events taking place in the plot. The language issue is examined through close reading and the close reading will focus on how complicated the language is. In focus next are the finale and resonance. James Bell, who has written a guide book about novel writing, introduces the notion of resonance. According to Bell, each novel produces a lasting impression which he calls resonance. Resonance determines how the novel is remembered, and is primarily formed by the ending (108). James Bell divides endings into three groups: positive, ambiguous and negative. A positive ending is when the protagonist reaches the target, for example to catch a murderer. If it is uncertain if the murderer is to be caught or not the ending is ambiguous, while a murderer who escapes from the protagonist creates a negative ending. All these endings can 4The Swedish Easy-to-read foundation is a Swedish organization that provides and publishes adapted texts, for example a newspaper, novels and information. 5 The same guidelines are recommended by international and Swedish organizations. 5 be combined with a complexity; a positive ending with complexity could be when the murderer is caught, but the protagonist sacrifices his or her marriage. All together, the result of a lost marriage overshadows the protagonist´s triumph and ends the novel in darkness (102). The finale and resonance will determine whether the reader has a positive or negative feeling when he or she finishes the novel, and it is likely that a positive finale and resonance will encourage reading. So, to discover how the adapted edition encourages reading the finale and resonance are examined. So far a focus on reading and access to novels for everybody has been declared, and one reason is that the international United Nations stresses the need of literacy; in fact it views the ability to read as a human right (Unesco). Also, the ability and opportunity to read is emphasized in Sweden. For example, the Swedish government has given the Swedish Easy-to-Read foundation the mission to provide adapted texts and to function as a resource centre for adapted texts and novels. Its manager, Bror Tronbacke, states that literature increases our empathic skills because multiple perspectives develop our personalities (1). The same argument is put forth by Lotta Rosenström and Lisbeth Rosenschöld in their report. Readers who find it demanding or impossible to read an original novel, for example dyslexics or deaf from childhood, have less access to novels than other readers (Azbel 1). In general, it is often impossible for them to enjoy a novel because the literature are too complicated (Rosenschöld and Rosenström 1). Another person who has commented on adapted literature is Alex Ragan. He comments on the use of literature in schools, and argues that adapted texts contribute to a better vocabulary and spelling in English for those who have English as a second language (3). In the beginning of the studies the vocabulary is poor, but as the vocabulary improves, real books instead of textbooks offer a chance to read. A reader may want to read a classic novel like Bram Stoker´s Dracula. In the original Dracula unfamiliar words will turn up frequently, and the reading experience may be negative when the reader has to look up these unfamiliar words. A better solution is to read the adapted edition of Dracula. In Sweden, many ELLs get to read adapted novels during their 6 education. In upper secondary school the pupils are supposed to read English texts. According to the syllabus, they should “develop their ability to read different types of texts for pleasure and to obtain information and knowledge” (Skolverket). This means that the teachers have to find short and long texts to hand out to the pupils. A short text may come from textbooks while an adapted novel is suitable as a longer text. Three Main Aspects of Adapted Texts A general definition of what an adapted text is can easily be found on the websites of the international Easy-to- read network and the Swedish Easy-to-Read foundation. Both organizations focus on three main apsects: the layout, the content of the text and the use of simplified language. They agree about the aim of the adapted text; a text should be easy to understand and read. While this definition seems too shallow, Tronbacke complicates the general definition. He declares that general guidelines will help most of the readers who need adapted texts. Still, adapted texts are not that easy to hand out to a pupil or a disabled person because these readers probably have different problems with their reading. The pupil perhaps finds it easy to understand the story or setting but needs help to understand the words, while the disabled reader needs help to understand abstract ideas expressed in the novel.