DewaltLens2

Kyle Dewalt YA Lit Lens #2 Dr. Sherry Transmedial I believe that the young adult novel // Monster //, by Walter Dean Myers is not only one of the best books written for this age generation, but it is also one of the most unique that I have ever read in my life. I have to say that I also respect and learned from this new style of writing that was very journalistic and modern. I feel that students would actually enjoy and learn from reading // Monster //. When considered though, I believe that this would be a great novel to be turned into a movie. Not only would it be interesting for someone who did not read the book to view, but as an educator, a film created about the novel would be a great supplement to the text as long as it was faithful to what the author had wrote. I think that with how many of the focuses and insights towards how the story played out in Steve’s mind are incorporated along with the text writing, the film version on the novel would be amazing and would bring this book to a new visual sense. One thing that a movie based on the book would do that would make the story come to life more, would be to play out the action throughout the prison and would make the court case go more in depth. I felt after reading that the court case was very rushed towards the end. If I would create the movie, I would make more scenes about the ending and also make the lawyers defenses play out and have the interactions with the jurors be brought to light. This novel has a powerful ending and I felt that the author should have played it out more than what he had. Thus, I would have the movie version of // Monster // be longer due to the scenes in the courthouse being different. I believe that a film version of the novel would give in turn, more insights to the feelings and thoughts that Steve inhibited and exhibited while being in jail. There are some times when we learn about the background of what happened that are at times confusing. By having these insights portrayed through characters, I feel that the readers would be able to follow along with the text better and might understand the little clues that are key to the storyline. It would also help readers to shed more sympathy towards Steve. In the beginning of the novel I can admit that I wasn’t sure who was to blame and even with how Steve behaved, I would have still thought he was guilty and hiding behind a façade. Through a film version though, I think the truth as to who was guilty and the feelings that the characters had in the novel would come to the viewers and we would have right from the beginning been on Steve’s side during the court case. The only challenge that it might present though is that if the movie is faster paced than the novels plot, then readers may not want to read the book. They would think that watching the movie was enough and that if this was a book taught in school, they would know enough from the film instead of reading as well. The big screen however, has the advantage over the book as well because not only may it draw in young adults to be interesting in the storyline of the novel, but if they are interested enough they may go and actually read the book. To conclude, I believe that the novel // Monster // by Walter Dean Myers would be a great movie. By viewing the movie, students might wish to read the novel. This then can direct them towards a love of reading, which is what every English educator desires for their students.

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