원작과 영화의 비교를 통한 영미문학교육 - 『위대한 개츠비』의 경우

Teaching Literature Through the Comparison of the Original Text with Film Adaptations: In Case of The Great Gatsby

&nbsp;&nbsp;This article aims to explore how film could be useful in teaching British/American literature to students. Especially my essay tries to show how the comparison of text with film can develop students&quot; understanding the problem of representation and thereby enhance their critical thinking, which is called the ultimate objective of humanities. In order to demonstrate this, I present my experience of having taught The Great Gatsby in the course of "British/American Literature and Film."<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;In comparing literary text with its film adaptations, at the beginning, I made students read closely the original text and discuss the crucial paragraphs I chose for them. After that, I made them compare it with the film adaptations--Jack Clayton&quot;s film adaptation in 1974 and that of Robert Markowitz&quot;s in 2001. In comparison of the text with film, I focus on the problems of American Dream and the Jazz Age.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;In discussing American Dream, I especially concentrate on the representation of Gatsby, the symbol of the green light, and the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. Concerning the Jazz Age, I discuss the symbols of the valley of ashes, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and the characterization of Myrtle and Tom.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;My experiences illustrate that this teaching method is useful in developing student&quot;s understanding of the issue of representation, British/American literature and culture. Furthermore, in the course of the semester, students became more and more interested in class activities and discussions. I can also confirm that their critical thinking ability became considerably enhanced at the end of semester. Thus, it could be my conclusion that film complements and fortifies teaching British and American literature in undergraduate classroom.