Maintaining Literary Value: An Examination of Adapted Classic Novels for Young Readers

Abstract

In this master’s thesis, the researcher explores the process and implications of adapting classic literature for children, focusing on young learners in elementary school, in Norway. The literature chosen caters to different proficiency levels and can be used for differentiated learning. The researcher employs literary analysis to examine how classic literary works are transformed into simplified versions for young audiences. This comparative study delves into the changes, omissions, and preservations made during the adaptation process. In order to explore how adaptations serve as both windows and barriers to understanding and engagement, this was the main research question: How do these adaptations strike a balance between simplification and preservation of the original text’s literary value and complexity through comparison? The second research question to support the main was: How can the adaptation of classic literature for young EFL learners preserve the valuable aspects of Bildung while making the language more manageable for the learners?

These research questions were explored by comparing two adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the original work. This was done through analyzing characters and scenes to see if the adapted literature is depicted in a similar way as the original, are key elements included, and if the wordplay present in the original literature is transferred to the adapted works.

In this master’s thesis, the researcher explores the process and implications of adapting classic literature for children, focusing on young learners in elementary school, in Norway. The literature chosen caters to different proficiency levels and can be used for differentiated learning. The researcher employs literary analysis to examine how classic literary works are transformed into simplified versions for young audiences. This comparative study delves into the changes, omissions, and preservations made during the adaptation process. In order to explore how adaptations serve as both windows and barriers to understanding and engagement, this was the main research question: How do these adaptations strike a balance between simplification and preservation of the original text’s literary value and complexity through comparison? The second research question to support the main was: How can the adaptation of classic literature for young EFL learners preserve the valuable aspects of Bildung while making the language more manageable for the learners?

These research questions were explored by comparing two adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the original work. This was done through analyzing characters and scenes to see if the adapted literature is depicted in a similar way as the original, are key elements included, and if the wordplay present in the original literature is transferred to the adapted works.