I have been looking over my bookshelves and trying to find a piece of colonial fiction that would be appropriate for re-writing.
Initially
The Tempest struck me as being a classic with colonial theme, but I saw
that is has been rewritten many times and I wanted to do something more
original.
I got out Joesph Conrad's Nostromo but it is
a very complicated and has proven to be a difficult read so I don't
think I could pull it off given my busy timetable this semester.
Out
of Africa is one of my favorite books and I am thinking of looking over
it again and choosing a chapter/scene to rewrite. I may also watch the
film and attempt a script rewrite, a monologue, or something more
visual.
Another book I have been looking into is The
Outsider by Albert Camus, as Camus has been accused of being a
colonialist writer and sided more with the French than the Algerians. I
know very little about the history of Algeria and would be interested in
doing a re-write of his books with a more openly political character.
I
was also thinking about On the Road by Jack Kerouac. A book I enjoyed but think
objectives women. I remember reading about a Mexican girl Terry, that
Sal meets on the bus to LA. She has run away from her husband. They
spend “the next fifteen days…together for better or for worse". The Sal
picks up and leaves. I feel that she is silenced in the book and could
be given a voice.
Another idea I have is to re-write the diaries of Columbus or Francis Drake as a satire.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThe Tempest is a great choice, and has been 'rewritten' many times, but that shouldn't stop you adding your own story to the 'genre'! I'm not sure if it would help or hinder you if you looked at other rewrite attempts, but I'm sure they would be easy enough to locate.
Out of Africa is an excellent choice, as we have already discussed. lot of feminist issues to explore there also.
I'm not familiar with your other options, but with what you say they sound appropriate.
An excellent start!
Esther :)
Hi Rachel
ReplyDeleteYou've got a lot of interesting options for what you have in mind for your re-write.
Out of all the texts, the one that I recognize, identify with and be familiar with is 'Out of Africa'. While I have not read the book, I have seen the film because it is based on a True Story and it seems a perfect option to try out
Nostromo sounds rather unique. It seems to fascinate me in a complex way because it is hard to tell if it follows the character of Charles Gould or Nostromo himself and also seems to involve the theme of 'power'
I found out that 'The Oustider' is also known as 'The Stranger' and it does seem a rather intense and complex tale as it involves a lot of themes relating to relationships
I am not sure if I heard of 'On the Road' who is the author
of the book?
Anyway, whatever you take, I am sure it will be an excellent option to chose from and that your rewrite will be another form of 'new justice' to the existing work
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYou've got heaps of great options here. In regard to the Tempest, Shakespeare's plays have all been broken down, analyzed and rewritten millions of times. So although they may present endless possibilities, I understand your desire to focus on something more original.
I'll confess I've never heard of The Outsider or On the Road, but they certainly sound interesting, as well as providing multiple relevant themes and characters for the rewrite. I look forward to seeing the final outcome!