Although Nathanael West’s novel The Day of the Locust did not receive much attention when published in 1939, it is today considered one of the best and most revealing novels about Hollywood. Its reviews are outstanding and it has therefore become one of the landmarks in American writing. The Day of the Locust demonstrates the fragility of the American Dream and presents it from various perspectives. It points out the cruel world of film industry using devices of irony and satire. Therefore it resembles a “nightmare vision of humanity destroyed by its obsession with film”. West took the title of the novel from the Bible. In Revelation, people turn into locusts in order to follow their aim of destroying the whole world. They do not kill immediately, though, but only sting and hurt in order to let their victims die slowly. These locusts can be compared to the film industry in Hollywood which also exploits and slowly kills its people. Besides, in the Bible Jeremiah prophesies a necessary ending of the world which ought to lead mankind to a new life and a rebirth. In the novel, this image is taken up again. This aspect will be thoroughly discussed later, though. The concept of apocalypse can be found throughout the novel and beside violence and decadence, the devaluation of love is a prominent theme, too. West illustrates the moral decay of characters on the fringe of the entertainment industry, that are Homer Simpson, Faye Greener and Tod Hackett. Each character has come to California seeking fame or health in the shining city Los Angeles, and each suffers from his or her own history of desperation and shattered dreams. Producers had already thought about turning West’s novel into a film in the early 1950’s. As they feared that most of the satirical view would get lost, however, the film was not shot until 1974, when the famous director John Schlesinger committed himself to the adaptation. [...] This survey focuses on the translation from novel to film, compares and contrasts differences, and reveals the different perspectives of the characters. Furthermore, it will both examine the use of film techniques in Schlesinger’s adaptation and the meaning of symbolism in the film. Last but not least, a few commonly invoked critical viewpoints of the film will be discussed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Story and protagonists in The Day of the Locust
3. Criticism of the film
3.1 Lack of satirical elements
3.2 Loss of Tod’s narrative point of view
3.3 Film cannot criticise film industry
3.4 The end of the film
4. Comparison of novel and film
4.1 The Battle of Waterloo
4.2 Harry Greener and the faith-healer
4.3 Homer’s hands
5. Film techniques
5.1 Sound as a device for connecting scenes
5.2 Repetition and symbolism
5.2.1 Rose
5.2.2 Water
5.2.3 Red lips
5.2.4 Mirror
5.2.5 Colours
5.3 Light and shadow
5.4 Film within a film
6. The change of order in the film
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper explores the adaptation of Nathanael West's novel The Day of the Locust into the 1974 film directed by John Schlesinger, examining how the film translates the novel's satirical critique of Hollywood and the American Dream. The primary objective is to analyze the differences in narrative structure, character development, and the use of cinematic techniques to convey themes of moral decay, disillusionment, and violence.
- Comparison of narrative structure and satirical elements between the source novel and the film adaptation.
- Analysis of cinematic devices, specifically sound, light, and shadow, used by Schlesinger.
- Examination of recurring symbols such as the rose, water, red lips, and mirrors.
- Evaluation of the film's depiction of the "American Dream" versus the reality of the Hollywood industry.
- Assessment of the film's thematic shift in its final scenes compared to the novel.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4 The end of the film
The probably most striking difference between novel and film is the end of the story. Having been discussed and criticised for a long time, the film’s end seems to change the author’s original intention at first sight. West lets the story end in chaos and disaster. Disillusioned people who had let themselves be cheated by the film industry for so long finally realise their hopeless situation. The despair of the deceived leads to a riot which results in complete destruction of Hollywood and its population. The film omits Tod’s imitation of the ambulance siren and his probable insanity. His screams, however, suggest that he is losing control of himself. In contrast to West, Schlesinger adds a last scene after the riot, and lets Faye find a rose stuck in a crack in the wall of Tod’s empty apartment. The flower can be seen as a symbol of a new beginning and a restored order as it grows out of the crack in the wall which symbolises the destroyed system of Hollywood’s film industry. By showing the rose both at the very beginning of the film when the world still has an order or at least seems to have one, and also in the end of the film, Schlesinger gives the whole story a frame. The frame structure also implies that in the end the order has been tentatively restored. In the novel, however, there is no such visible chance for a new order, but Hollywood and people who had believed in illusion have destroyed themselves.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Nathanael West's novel and John Schlesinger’s film adaptation, establishing the context of Hollywood as a site of moral decay and shattered dreams.
2. Story and protagonists in The Day of the Locust: This section details the roles of the main characters—Tod Hackett, Faye Greener, and Homer Simpson—within the artificial and destructive environment of Hollywood.
3. Criticism of the film: This chapter evaluates common criticisms regarding the translation of satire, the loss of narrative point of view, and the film's ability to effectively critique the film industry.
4. Comparison of novel and film: This part analyzes specific scene deviations, focusing on the Waterloo episode, Harry Greener’s interaction with a faith-healer, and the symbolic significance of Homer’s hands.
5. Film techniques: This chapter explores the director's use of sound, recurring symbols like roses and water, visual motifs such as red lips and mirrors, and the employment of light, shadow, and metacinema.
6. The change of order in the film: This section discusses the transition from an initial state of perceived order to the climactic chaos and riot that define the film's conclusion.
7. Conclusion: The paper concludes that while the film changes several scenes, it maintains the core critique of the novel, successfully utilizing visual symbolism to depict the destruction of those chasing the American Dream.
Keywords
Nathanael West, John Schlesinger, The Day of the Locust, Hollywood, American Dream, adaptation, satire, symbolism, Tod Hackett, cinema, film techniques, disillusionment, moral decay, riot, narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the 1974 film adaptation of Nathanael West’s 1939 novel "The Day of the Locust" by director John Schlesinger, specifically focusing on how the film translates the novel's satirical critique of Hollywood.
What are the core thematic fields analyzed in the text?
The work centers on themes of the American Dream, the fragility of identity in an artificial environment, the moral decay of characters, and the destructive nature of the film industry.
What is the author's central research question?
The research explores how the film successfully or unsuccessfully translates the satire and narrative intent of the source novel into a visual medium, particularly concerning the character perspectives and the story's ending.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative literary and cinematic analysis, examining structural differences between the book and the film, as well as an interpretive analysis of symbols and directorial techniques.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body covers character analysis, critiques of the film's narrative approach, a comparative scene analysis, and an in-depth investigation into specific film techniques like sound, color, and repetition.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The study is characterized by keywords such as Nathanael West, John Schlesinger, adaptation, Hollywood, satire, symbolism, and the American Dream.
How does the film's ending differ from the novel?
The film adds a final scene featuring a rose, which provides a frame structure suggesting a tentative restoration of order, whereas the novel offers a more bleak and conclusive sense of total destruction.
Why is the role of 'Homer’s hands' highlighted?
Homer’s hands are analyzed as a symbol of suppressed violence and unfulfilled dreams, serving as a specific detail that Schlesinger uses to satirize the lack of faith and the superficiality of Hollywood life.
- Quote paper
- Julia Deitermann (Author), 2001, Nathanael West and John Schlesinger: "The Day of the Locust" - A Survey of the Translation from Novel to Film, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/61115
