Individual Research Project (1 Viewer)

[JTJosh]

Hi!

For your IRP, do the texts have to be specifically related, one being a complete modern adaptation of another? Or can it be two texts that both provide commentaries/critiques on their contexts/notions.

For instance, I was thinking of doing The Picture of Dorian Gray and Heartstopper and the evolution of homosexuality as a concept for my IRP, but I am not sure now but my teacher hasn't said anything about it. I am also scared that Heartstopper is too superficial but I cannot find any other shows/films/literature that are not completely just re-imagined versions of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I am in desperate need of guidance. Thanks!

 

[cyniczny]

it's usually easier if you can play your text off as being a modern adaptation of the other, just because it's a more straightforward argument and your focus question is also simpler (usually something along the lines of 'how does adaptation change the text's meaning', 'why do we adapt texts' etc.)

however, if you don't mind complicating the task a bit more, i'd say it's fine to do dorian and heartstopper - as long as your focus question is more related to heartstopper being a modern representation of a theme over time. you could perhaps dig into why and how modern representations of homosexuality are different to the way dorian gray did it. concepts surrounding context are always good to explore!

as an example, for my irp i did oedipus rex and the korean noir film oldboy. oldboy isn't a direct adaptation of oedipus at all, but it contains similar themes and story beats that i was able to tie into theory (eg. levi-strauss' structural theory of myth) and argue that an adaptation doesn't need to be direct, and that that doesn't change the inherent meaning of the original story.

hope that helps

 

[JTJosh]

it's usually easier if you can play your text off as being a modern adaptation of the other, just because it's a more straightforward argument and your focus question is also simpler (usually something along the lines of 'how does adaptation change the text's meaning', 'why do we adapt texts' etc.)

however, if you don't mind complicating the task a bit more, i'd say it's fine to do dorian and heartstopper - as long as your focus question is more related to heartstopper being a modern representation of a theme over time. you could perhaps dig into why and how modern representations of homosexuality are different to the way dorian gray did it. concepts surrounding context are always good to explore!

as an example, for my irp i did oedipus rex and the korean noir film oldboy. oldboy isn't a direct adaptation of oedipus at all, but it contains similar themes and story beats that i was able to tie into theory (eg. levi-strauss' structural theory of myth) and argue that an adaptation doesn't need to be direct, and that that doesn't change the inherent meaning of the original story.

hope that helps

Hi!!

So if I wanted to try to use heartstopper I should/can try to argue that it is an adaptation/provides commentary on how homosexuality is represented in the modern era in an explicit manner while during the time of dorian gray, oscar wilde was forced to hide implicit references within his story? so its more of comparing two adaptations of the general concept of homosexuality.

Sorry to bother you!

 

[cyniczny]

yep, i think you could definitely go with that line of reasoning! just make sure that somewhere you're talking about the necessity of adaptation as well, since that's a big part of the module. you could say for example that adaptations such as heartstopper which represent homosexuality in a more explicit manner are necessary in a literary sense as they reflect modern societal values more effectively. hope that makes sense!

 

[JTJosh]

yep, i think you could definitely go with that line of reasoning! just make sure that somewhere you're talking about the necessity of adaptation as well, since that's a big part of the module. you could say for example that adaptations such as heartstopper which represent homosexuality in a more explicit manner are necessary in a literary sense as they reflect modern societal values more effectively. hope that makes sense!

im just worried heartstopper is too superficial, like there's not enough depth to it

 

[qwertywerido]

im just worried heartstopper is too superficial, like there's not enough depth to it

u could probably do a reader-response analysis and talk about it being a really 'superfical' cutesy story written by a straight white girl, because i know people who are really uncomfortable with it as gay males because they whole who wrote it.
and then compare it to the white male privilege of the author of the picture of Dorian grey (i think that was the context of the author??)

 

[JTJosh]

u could probably do a reader-response analysis and talk about it being a really 'superfical' cutesy story written by a straight white girl, because i know people who are really uncomfortable with it as gay males because they whole who wrote it.
and then compare it to the white male privilege of the author of the picture of Dorian grey (i think that was the context of the author??)

couldn't do that because it's due at 11:59 tonight but here's the script if you want to read it. for your enjoyment, not for any feedback, but it is welcome!

docs.google.com/document/d/13zJzm4uhdfjb3jFFRAA2p1_GNZr_m7j-UvlkqGx5v3c/edit?usp=sharing

 

[JTJosh]

u could probably do a reader-response analysis and talk about it being a really 'superfical' cutesy story written by a straight white girl, because i know people who are really uncomfortable with it as gay males because they whole who wrote it.
and then compare it to the white male privilege of the author of the picture of Dorian grey (i think that was the context of the author??)

hi i saw you were reading, so i just gave edit access just in case