Plot


The story I would chose to adapt would be You're Ugly Too. I enjoyed this story well enough but found myself wishing that, at the end when she almost pushed Earl off the roof, she had actually done it. It may sound macabre, but it seems so much more fitting for a character like Zoe (a bit of a whackjob) to fall in love with the guy after she pushes him off the ledge. I could just see her thinking to herself, "Wow, that could have been something special. I really did like him." Of course, this would make the story a bit more like a Rose for Emily than one is comfortable to think about, but it would certainly make for a more interesting storyline.

Point of View

I would have loved to have read this story in first-person with Zoe telling the story. We only really get a small glimpse into the distorted and sarcastic mind of the woman. A deeper look into her view on life might be a bit scarring but would also serve to give the stroy a different kind of edge. Also, this would add a more personal touch to the narrative. Maybe a look into Zoe's world would help the reader identify with Zoe. The third-person narrative does nothing to explain Zoe's eccentricities.

Characterization

While the character of Zoe is certainly interesting in the short story, adding the ending I proposed at the beginning of this blog post would quadruple her interest. To fall in love with a dead man would put Zoe on a whole other level of weird, but her quirkiness is what I found endearing. Emily from A Rose for Emily definitely had a sympathy factor because her odd nature came from a lack of proper parenting. Again, the characterization of Zoe would change dramatically in that she would become a more sympathetic character. She is not really a sympthetic character in You're Ugly, Too other than when she makes up a fake boyfriend. It would also open up the possibility to feed off of that plot twist and delve deeper into her mind as she goes through the process of falling in love with Earl after he dies.

Setting

I cannot really see the setting changing very much. Of course, as the movie expanded, she would likely stay in the city as that is where Earl lived. This would lead to her being forced to give up her job and find one in the city. She might also move in with her sister to be nearer to Earl, which would bring up an entirely different set of issues. The city life would likely influence Zoe in a number of ways. She would likely become more bitter, as I have heard the city has a tendency to do to people. She may also become less crazy because the hustle and bustle of the city has little patience for eccentricities like those of Zoe.

Theme

The theme of the work would change drastically with the addition I proposed earlier. It would become more about unrequited love and sympathy as opposed to the embracing of one's oddities. The theme of unrequited love is quite popular in literature, but it is rarely unrequited due to the death of one half of the equation. There would naturally be an underlying theme of staying true to oneself due to the simple fact that she is in love with a dead man. This is rarely accepted in modern times, but it certainly makes for an enticing story. Maybe, later on in the story, she could even find a nice live man to settle down with. Or she could do something totally crazy in an attempt to join him in death. I'm not insane, I promise.