Paper Example on Adaptations: A Comprehensive Anthology of Short Stories and Films

Introduction

The editor of the book, “Adaptations,” has succeeded in creating a comprehensive anthology of short stories as a mechanism of integrating eclectic nature walk through short stories within their variety. One major fascinating aspect of it is how these short stories became films as well as the events along those paths. “The Lady with Dog” is one of the short stories that facilitated the development of the film, “The Lady with a Pet Dog.” It is undeniable that there are numerous aspects of the story that have still been shown in the film. These include characterization, language use, plot, theme, and stylistic devices. This essay provides an analysis of the theme of human psychology as one of the aspects that contribute to most of the thematic issues portrayed in both the film. It looks at how the author and the film directors have employed various story and movie elements to accomplish their objectives.

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Analysis of the Short Story and Corresponding Film

In the story “The Lady with Dog,” Chekhov offers a masterly portrayal of human psychology as one of the major aspects of the story. Ideally, this aspect forms an important element throughout the story and consequently contributes to the development of one of the major themes in the story.

In the story, Chekhov uses this aspect to demonstrate how the unpredictable reality can overturn one’s expectations of life. Chekhov can explain this aspect at the beginning of the story in a way that the audience can understand and relate the events to the happening as exacerbated by the characters. For instance, this aspect is initially attached to Gurov, who is shown to be cynical and egocentric opportunist because of his feelings towards women (Alkan 34).

He is coldly analytical about what he feels towards his numerous relationships. For example, he has categorized his women into three main groups. These include the intellectual, carefree, as well as the predatory. While he is the one who can do all these, he discovers something new in his relationship with Anna Sergeevna, which, according to him, is tremendously unexpected. More fascinating is even the fact that love develops into an emotional experience that is extremely deep, sincere, and admirable (Harrison 55).

In the same way, Chekhov has also not depicted the woman who did all these to him, but rather as someone who created this effect on him. As a result, Gurov realizes how strange it becomes that the small woman is the one who forms the center of his life. Thus, Chekhov has successfully used this aspect throughout the story to suggest that even the most ordinary people within the society can be transformed to become something unique and extraordinary.

In the film, the director Chekhov’s fundamental innovation originates from the realization that the psychological potential of the character-driven story merges plot protagonist. As the narrative develops in the film, the director permits the major characters to change more credibly. In the case of this film, it is evident that Gurov undergoes a unique and completing course of emotional and moral growth that would be expected by viewers.

Their affairs with Anna is also anticipated, less so are the infinitesimal breaks within the time during shot changes that occurred whenever they met for the first time. In the same way that the woefully maintained mono soundtrack now sounds deliberately wonky, it is evident that these strange breaks provide a huge impression of aching space coming between events that turn minutes into hours and so forth.

The author is further able to use the aspect of human psychology to explain and make the audience understand the relationship that exists between Both Dimitri and Anna. These two characters subjected to a great state of confusion by the conflicting impulses. A closer look at this vivid description in the story would reveal that all the many affairs that Dimitri has pursued are all unsatisfying and have prompted him to consider the women figures as inferior. However, he needs to be close to them, and this needs tremendously consumes him to the extent of controlling his personality.

Dmitri is a highly experienced seducer and uses his psychology and expertise to lure women. In the story, the author writes, “He felt free” (Chekhov, 2016, p.2) in the presence of women such as Anna. Dmitri is pretty sure that Anna must fall in love with him. This is even evident whereby during the vacation, he sits, observes, and searches for the mechanism of getting Anna’s attention. Fascinatingly, Dmitri does all these for all the women he pursues as he believes that he has the power to subdue them seductively and make them fall in love with him. He asserts, “If she’s here with no husband or friends, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make her acquaintance.” The authors’ extensive use of the power of psychology is reflected in this section.

The effective use of human psychology is observed in the film, in the scene whereby the characters engage in the activities they engage in because of what they are. Broadly, the characters feeling towards particular motives greatly determine their actions. For instance, Dimitri is extremely aware that he is unhappy. He thus decides to heat. Coupled with this, his efforts succeed because Anna is inexperienced. However, from the perspective of the audience, this is not true. The choice for this description is further based on thinking power of his audience so that they acne be able to think about the relationship that exists between the events that happen (Smith 67).

Dmitri is a skilled seducer who manages to use his human psychology and thoughts to attract women, perhaps because of some peculiar traits about him (Fulford 335-337). An analysis of the story developments will reveal that he is notoriously skilled in the art of seduction. In the book, the author mentions, “In his appearance, in his character, in his whole nature, there was something attractive and elusive which allured women and disposed of them in his favor.” He has a tremendous amount of experience to betray the trust of the individuals who surround him.

On page (2), the author recognizes that Dmitri was attractive for the majority of women, mainly because of whom he was. Their love for him was not for himself but because of his imagination and ability to seduction prowess. There is a huge possibility that the majority of women who had a relationship with him were unhappy in their past affairs. In this case, therefore, Dmitri was, consequently, a primary avenue through which they could quench their thirst and seal their broken souls (Palmer 252).

In the film, the events that happens in the film enables us to understand more about the character Anna. In fact, the audience does not really know her until the time she is seduced by Dmitri. She is portrayed more like a little of gesture, remarks and generally the reactions that are understated.

Eventually, Dmitri succeeds to lure and seduce Anna because she has already fallen in love with him. However, the aspect of human psychology plays an integral role in this case because it determines all the activities that happen. He does not love Anna but loves the thrill and the idea that he can play around with his wife. About this, the author succeeds in using this aspect of the story to portray Dmitri as a character whose seduction provides him with superiority. His psychology prompts him to think that there is something pathetic about Anna during their first meeting. On page (6), Chekhov reiterates that he was “bored” as he listened to her and became annoyed for her naivety and tone. “The aspects of human psychology plays a good role in facilitating the understanding of the audience about the issues that unmask.

More remarkably, the author paints the image of hypocrisy in Dmitri’s life. Or instance, he asserts that “Everything that constituted his lie, work, arguments, and financial information were all observable” (Chekhov, 2016, p.16). However, it is critical to note that while this happens, Anna demonstrated a willingness to accommodate his hypocrisy and seduction. This was seen in the sense that she lied to her husband purposely to travel and see Dmitri in Moscow.

She did this after every two or three months, while at the same time pointing the allegations that she was going to consult her professional doctor. While it is evident that she professes her guilt, Dmitri continues the attempt to accomplish based on the obsession that exists between them. They lead a completely distinct separate life as one of them is observed to know everything piece of thing that transpires (Fulford 334).

While it is evident that the author has succeeded in portraying the seductive relationship that exists throughout the story as full of instinct, he offers other a suggestion about the affairs. This is shown in the film. In his view, their relationships are built on the foundation that their previous relationships did not work and that Dmitri is the most appropriate avenue to settle her soul. They are all victims of love. Dmitri’s character trait is further supported by the fact that he is also an egotistical yet highly sympathetic male character. The misery he faces throughout his life propels him towards seducing women of lower social class and race.

In this sense, therefore, the concept of disloyalty is portrayed throughout the paper as a result. It is, however, noticeable that the author wants the readers to come to their conclusions regarding whether or not the protagonists in the story should be condemned or rebuke for their supposed infidelities, disloyalty, and corruption. A short insight into Both Dmitri’s and Anna’s marriages instills some difficulty for the audience to impose their judgments about the strengths of such marriages and whether their spouses may have been unfaithful to them.

From the perspective of the audience, Dmitri may be the one who is prone to cheating because of the insecurities that exist. Such uncertainties are founded on his narcissism and the certainty that he is confident about his powers and ability to seduce women (Fomenko 45). On the other hand, Anna also cheats because of isolation. It is at this point that the author, through the narrator, employs symbolism to demonstrate that Anna was subjected to imprisonment by the fence outside her home in the same way her marriage barred her.

Conclusion

It is undeniable that there are numerous aspects of the story that have still been shown in the film. These include characterization, language use, plot, theme, and stylistic devices. The author Chekhov has successfully portrayed the theme of dishonesty as one of the major aspects and themes in the short story. He uses the protagonists to represent this aspect throughout the story. Coupled with other minor themes such as human psychology Chekhov provides insights regarding how both Anna and Dmitri are engaged in the extra-marital affairs with other people other than their lawfully married couples.

Chekhov portrays Dmitri as a skilled seducer who manages to use his human psychology and thoughts to attract women, perhaps because of some peculiar traits about him. There is a huge possibility that Dmitri was attractive to the majority of women, mainly because of who he was. Anna herself even accepted to demonstrate a willingness to accommodate Dmitri’s hypocrisy and seduction and decides to cheat her husband purposely to travel and see Dmitri in Moscow.

About this, the author succeeds in using this aspect of the story to portray Dmitri as a character whose seduction provides him with superiority. The aspect of his psychology prompts him to think that there is something pathetic about Anna during their first meeting. Fascinatingly, Dmitri does all these for all the women he pursues as he believes that he has the power to subdue them seductively and make them fall...