Film Analysis: Comparative Lit

iTALES OF HEIDE

Comparative Lit: The film altered the plot of the novel considerably, primarily by redefining the relationships of characters to one another. Heidi, instead of being the orphan of Grandfather 's late son, becomes the orphan of the Grandfather 's late daughter and her late husband; Dete becomes Heidi 's aunt as the living but estranged daughter of the Grandfather. In addition, Heidi is further recast as Herr Sessemann 's niece because of his late brother 's marriage to Grandfather 's late daughter. As Sessemann 's niece, Heidi becomes cousin rather than simply companion to Clara, who early in the film is negatively portrayed as a hateful and spoiled child. By casting Simmons as Fräulein Rottenmeier, governess for both Heidi and Clara, the film remakes Rottenmeier as an extremely

At the very end of the film, he regains his confidence, mounts the steps to the organ, and begins to play.Another difference between the book and the film occurs during Clara 's attempts at walking after Sessemann has accepted the Grandfather 's invitation for Clara to visit Heidi in his home. In the novel, Sessemann 's kindly and strong-willed mother teaches Heidi to read and to pray; she visits the girls on the Alp. Her character is cut completely from the film. In the novel, Peter becomes jealous of Heidi 's attentions to Clara and deliberately destroys Clara 's wheelchair so that the crippled girl will have to return home; the chain of events resulting from that destruction ends in Clara 's taking her first successful steps on the Alp while leaning on Peter and Heidi. In the film, Fräulein Rottenmeier and Herr Sessemann visit the girls, and Grandfather deliberately leaves Clara alone on the mountains, knowing that she actually can walk but has been afraid to try. Clara struggles to get out of her wheelchair, knocking it over and falling down in the process. As she tries to get up, she sees her father, Herr Sessemann, looking at