In Death of the Nile by Agatha Christie, Cornelia Robson is first seen in an apartment with her mother in New York. She is the cousin of Miss Van Schuyler. Miss Van Schuyler is very wealthy and a financially successful person. She is inviting Cornelia to travel with her to Europe or more specifically Egypt. Cornelia also seems to have a strong relationship with her mother. Her mother is very grateful that Miss Van Schuyler is taking her on this trip, and expresses sadness that she isn’t able to take her places. Though secretly Cornelia doesn’t seem very happy about going. There seems to be some tension between the cousins.
Author: Jaheim Wilson
Jaheim Wilson
Translation Essay
Course 2400 (Prof. Scanlan)
March,29,2022
The Translation Of Persepolis
Translating famous novels and books into works of media is a very flexible process. There are many different ways devoted readers show and express their favorite pieces of literature. They could copy the book exactly as written, or change slight details while still staying faithful to the book. Or they could twist the book around and express it in their own artistic way. These are known as literal, traditional, and radical translations. Every reader has their own idea and opinion of a book’s idea and message. This truly shows how the nature of film translations is an art in of itself. This idea is best shown in the novel “The Complete Persepolis” and the film Persepolis, directed by Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. This is through a literal translation.
In “The Complete Persepolis” the main characters are Marjane Satrapi and her family. Mainly focusing on her father, mother, and grandma. The setting mostly takes place within Iraq. The strong bonds between Marji and her family play a major part in her ideologies and how she functions within the story. I believe one of the strongest relationships was between her and Uncle Anoosh, and his heartbreaking end. Within the book, he was extremely important to Marji. Marji admired him and was extremely eager to listen to his ideas and past. While Anoosh viewed her as a daughter he never had. The movie absolutely nailed this relationship and his bitter end. It showed their connection and utilized the two bread swan ducks which is a key symbol for this. Just as the book did. But I believed the movie made his death much grimmer. By first utilizing fading when Marji and Uncle Anoosh embrace each other one last time. Next making the bread swan stronger by showing them swimming together and through the miserable non-diegetic music. These all combine to make the scene much bleaker and sadder.
Another really strong scene between the film and novel was the confrontation between Marji and those in the cafe verbally harassing her. This is shown through the exchange concept of redemption. Mainly thought of the idea of fighting for her heritage. Throughout her time in Austria, she often is miserable having to suppress her culture in order to fit in. And facing constant harassment for it. But in this scene, she feels proud standing against that hate, and protecting who she is. That is why she was so happy doing this. She felt she protected her heritage while heeding her grandmother’s words of staying true to herself, and never forgetting where she came from. But I believed the movie made this scene stronger by having an image of her grandma speaking to her. Really conveying how much Marji valued her advice and the joy that she was able to honor it.
Finally, the last scene that I wish to hone in on is the scene when Marji’s grandmother forgives her for sending an innocent man to jail. Marji greatly values the relationship with her grandmother. She loves and greatly values her. When Marji angers her she is greatly saddened and does whatever she can to mend their relationship. In both, the book and movie Marji speaks up to the examiner in her art school. Stating the hypocrisy when it comes to uniforms for women compared to men. But the movie missed out on one important fact. That the examiner made her re-design the school uniform for women because she spoke up. The design was a short headscarf with wide trousers. It gave women some independence even if it was subtle. This fact really impresses her grandmother and gives Marji more respect from her. While showing she has guts. And then they reconcile. This detail is key.
In conclusion, this is an example of how a powerful novel can be translated into amazing works of media. The relationship between the novel “The Complete Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi and the film Persepolis, directed by Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud is through a literal translation. This is the story of a girl figuring out her identity and where she fits in a big world.
Babylon is one of the most famous ancient cities. Its ruins are located in Iraq, and in the ancient world was one of the largest cities. The city thrived and flourished under the rule of the sixth king, King Hammurabi. He is most well known for creating the Code of Hammurabi. Which housed 282 laws and served as a reference for establishing justice in other cultures and regions. It helped establish the Hebrew Scripts which helped create common religions like Christianity. Which is the largest practiced religion in the world. The scripts also helped created Islam which within the context of the book is the main religion within Iran. Babylon is also well known for its unique architecture housing walls that were 40 feet tall. This monument used to be open to tourists but closed. As a result of the constant warfare, the once-great city has suffered widespread damage and severe contamination. Archeological sites were damaged and looted as well. Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage with the World Monuments Fund or UNESCO collaborated together to protect Babylon. It is now on the World Heritage Sites.
In “The Complete Persepolis” my favorite chapter so far is The Sheep. This chapter is just a rollercoaster of emotions. It is genuinely so heartbreaking seeing Uncle Anoosh get executed. We can clearly see from the main character’s reaction that he was very special to her. He helped her gain a better understanding of the world around her. She was very eager to hear about his past and ideologies. When he is gone, Marji feels lost and alone. Like she is drifting through space hoping to find an answer. She even pushes away God. Which we know is another important figure in her life. At the beginning of the story, Marji wanted to be nothing more than a prophet to help carry out god’s will. This really shows how much Uncle Anoosh’s death impacted her. It’s even sadder knowing Marji was the last person he wanted to see before his execution. Calling her the star of his life and giving her one more bread swan who is the uncle of the other one. Before disappearing forever. I also really liked the tension the chapter creates, especially in the last frame. Now that the Islamic Regime is coming back into power. Things are becoming much more direr, and war seems to be starting.
After reading “To Build A Fire” I felt quite saddened. It is a story of a man perishing due to their ignorance and not heeding the advice of the old man. Who is much more experienced and knowledgeable on surviving the harsh weather. As the story progresses his situation just gets worse and worse by the minute. Additionally, the story says that our protagonist is a simple man and often doesn’t think deeply or imagine how things affect him. So he often downplays the intense weather. This aspect of his character leads to his downfall. If he was more sensible he would have had a companion with him. Or even better have not gone outside at all when the weather is this severe. The story beautifully connects to this through its use of imagery and how descriptive it can be. Some strong examples are how his lips freeze, how chillingly numb his hands and toes are. Or how his spit shattered like glass when it came into contact with the floor due to the immense cold. As I read these lines I felt cold as well, like I was in his shoes. This is what good imagery does to readers.
