Room by Emma Donoghue: Comparison of The Movie and The Book

Room is a novel written by Emma Donoghue. The whole novel is in perspective of Jack who is looked after by his nurturing and affectionate mother. He was born in room and essentially that's all he knows about the environment around him. His mother was abducted by Old Nick when she was nineteen and had been held captive in his shed since then. She fights to provide the best care she could in the circumstances and restrictions they face. However sometimes her emotional and noetic state interferes with her responsibilities as a mother but nonetheless she’s still an astounding mother. She is able to come up with plan that deceives Old Nicks and guarantees them their freedom.The purpose of this novel is to entertain the greater audience. This book is not meant to persuade but rather grasp the reader's attention with a plot that although seems cruel and inhumane accommodates as a purpose to give voice to those whose tale they cannot tell. Room is inspired by the real life criminal, Joseph Frizel who raped his daughter in his home cellar for twenty-four years.

The book and movie plot differences are that the book is written from the perspective of five-year-old Jack and how he perceives the outside world, but in the movie there is minimal narration from Jack so we the readers really have to grasp how Jack would be feeling in that exact moment. Jacks narration lets the situation be viewed from a thoroughly fresh standpoint. The outcome from this does not affect the development drastically because the story is still able to transition smoothly, effortlessly, and manages to grasp the viewers attention. Another difference is that in the book we spend much more time at the clinic and in the movie the pace is picked up and it is spent at grandma’s house. The movie is constructed in a way that Dr. Clay and Noreen became unnecessary for the development of Ma and Jack, but in the book we see the importance they play for how the plot is developed. On the other hand, the similarities between the two is that Joy’s father did not want to accept Jack and said it would have been better if Jack was not born since he is the product of rape which causes a constraint in their relationship.

Additionally, the development with Ma and how the actress portrayed her was quite surreal. I could feel the emotions and rawness on her voice and the desperation she felt to escape room. On the contrary, I felt as if the actress did not tolerate the nonsense other characters showed her. And her character was quite rushed because although I see a visual image of her, something could have gotten more in depth. For example, her psychological well-being could have been addressed but instead it was only mentioned a few times. Overall, the actress did an amazing job portraying Ma. Another character is Jack, now the similarities are uncanny. The actor did an amazing job portraying Jack as he was in the book because he had the innocence that the book radiated and also the physical characteristics I imagined he would have. A difference however with the character is that I felt as the actor could have had a better development story. They seemed to have not taken into consideration the emotional trauma he had endured but rather seemed to kind of want to wrap the story up. Room is not a story about escaping and going home, it is of what they endured and how they seemed to cope with that and continue with their lives without letting their past affect their future. Despite the main character, there are a few supporting characters that are the foundation of Room. One of them being Grandma. Despite what she learns about her daughter when she is in captive, she still makes sure that she knows she still has a home even if they missed all those years together. One of the hardest things that a mother cannot cope with is realizing that your child has endured something traumatic and you can not do anything to ease the pain. Grandma did not come and save the day but she managed to bring the warmth and security the situation needed.

The version of the story that I like better is the book. Although I see the direction the director was going with the movie, the book seemed more complete and well thought out. One thing I like about the book is the way the story was developed and how each character seemed to have a development of their own. Unlike in the movie, where they focused too much on some supporting characters and did not fully develop the characters that had such a huge impact on the narrative of the story. I also feel like Ma and Jack could have built a life for themselves instead of just staying at grandma’s place, because you get a sense that they are not letting their past determine their future. But instead in the movie they show no signs of that and leave the viewer wondering what is to come in the near future for them. In the book, Ma and Jack move in to their own little apartment and she was beginning to think about her future and set goals aside for herself and her son. Those are some reasons that contributed to why I prefer the book over the movie.

I believe the movie should have been made and Hollywood did it justice. There are people who are not strong readers, so being able to visually see something they start to get a better grasp and understanding of what they have read. As a person who enjoys reading over a film, I sometimes struggled with the narrative. Again you have to remember this is the perspective of a five-year-old, so the phrases used in the book makes the reader think twice to comprehend what is being said exactly. Having seen the movie, it enhanced my understanding of the book. Because there were some things that I did not pick up and some I could not quite picture vividly. The movie did the book justice.