English Creative Writing 2011

Translation vs Transformation

30 April 2011

Our journey so far…

1. The basic story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

• Themes• Characters• Alternative situations and relationships

2. Personal writing/Diary– Voice– Thoughts– Reality from a certain perspective

3. Poetry/Lyrics– Language in specific forms– Expression, story telling, capturing the moment

4. The Short Story– Plot– Exciting moments

5. Dramatic Writing– Characters– Situations of conflicts

About a moment in the short story:

• Content:– A plot between Richards and Brently to kill Lo

uise– Louise being a schizophrenic– Louise as a repressed wife breaking free finall

y– Louise as a devoted wife relying on her husba

nd– Louise being a lesbian…– Louise just dreaming …

• Attention:– Language and tone– Character/Voice– Cultural context

Today

• Translation vs Transformation

– Suggesting translation as a way of creating

– To show that we are doing all sorts of translations everyday, and these “translation” processes actually transform the content of what we’re saying.

Task One

• Look at your pictures. Describe what you can see using the plainest language. Do not add any personal interpretations.

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4 a

No. 4b

No. 4c

No. 5

No. 6

Task Two

• Refer to the picture(s) again. Treat them as a message from the artist – what do you think he/she is trying to communicate to the viewers?

Translations!

• From one language to another

• From one medium to another

• From thought/idea/feeling to words/image/sounds

• Communication = translation

Role of translator

• Interpreter:– Reading– Understanding– Expression

Translator

• An identity– Human being– Female/male– Religious background– Cultural background– Purpose of translation

Life of a text

• The Little Red Riding Hood– Fairy tale– Different versions of the fairy tale

over the centuries– Postmodern story: Angela Carter’s

“The Company of Wolves”– Film: dir. Neil Jordan’s The Company

of Wolves (1984)– Film: Red Riding Hood (2011)

• What is the story about?– Characters?– Development of the story?– Meaning (lesson) of the story?

After looking at various versions of the “same story”, do you feel that it is still the SAME story?

Screening:

• Scene 1: opening– What has the director done to the original

story?– How does it affect you, the audience?

• Scene 2: the wedding party– What is the story of the wedding party about?– How is it relate to the Little Red Riding Hood

story?

• Scene 3: closure– Do you feel that the film has ended properly?– Why? Why not?– What feeling does it create in you, the

audience?

Assignment for today:

• Choose one fairy tale to “translate” into modern language. You may update the content of the story to make it relevant, or you may edit the original one to make it appeal to contemporary readers.

• Submit a hard copy of the “translation” (300 words) to me next time (7 May 2011).

Next week -

• Putting things together!• Get into groups of 5 or 6 people, and

agree on a basic structure of what your presentation is to be like.