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Novel Adaptation

by Jordan :: Sunday May 8, 2005

Less conventional methods of teaching have always appealed to me, so my recent English classes have been especially fun. We’ve been reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It is chock-full of dense language, yet the novel successfully managed to hold my attention. Even late at night after feeling swamped from all of my other academic endeavors, the mystique and intrigue of the characters interposed throughout the story kept me intrigued. To my pleasant surprise, after finishing the book, our English teacher showed us clips from Apocalypse Now, a film with its roots in Conrad’s work. I had been told that the movie was based off of the book; however, I had no idea that watching this adaptation would provide a more clear explanation of certain scenes that made up the beginning of the novel. Our teacher’s ability to present the intertwined ideals was extremely helpful to my understanding the novel. Simultaneously, we were able to accomplish the wish of most students: to watch a movie in class!

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