Differences Between To Kill A Mockingbird Book And Movie

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay “To Kill a Mockingbird” is an incredible story, no matter if you read it or watch it. The story is captivating and sometimes tear–jerking, but all-in-all it’s amazing. How Harper Lee could pack all the action and thrills into one woman’s telling of her childhood is remarkable. The book is a classic and nothing can ever change that. As in all movies made from books, there are many differences. While books capture the imagination, movies try to convey the story and bring the imagination to life. The book and the movie are the same in many areas, yet differ in many others. Overall, they have the same characters, themes and settings throughout the book and movie. They differ in the scenes and in certain parts of the dialog however. An example of one such difference is when Bob Ewell talks to Atticus after Tom Robinson’s first court date. The book never included this scene. There are also small details that were not taken to note in the movie. For instance, the night the three children went to the jail to find Atticus, Dill had spent the night with Jem and Scout, even though in the book Scout and Jem went to pick him up at his house. Another example is when they are at the jail- Atticus is
supposed to have a newspaper that he folds with certain slowness, but in the movie it is just a book that he simply closes. This loses its dramatic effect. Obviously, the book and the movie differ in many ways. In my opinion, the book is better.
I believe that holding a real book and utilizing one’s imagination is always better. The reason I like “To Kill A Mockingbird” better in book form is that you can get creative and imagine what’s happening in your head. For example, when Scout rolls into the Radley’s yard you can “see” the expression on Scout’s face and hear the laugh from Boo. I also think that the book gives more details that make it more vivid. With a movie is is just… there. Of course the movie is great if you are a visual learner and want to watch every single detail. The problem is that the book that was written first has more details and more information. The book allows the reader to use all of his or her senses to bring the book to
life. As you can see, the book and movie really do differ from each other; however, although they differ, this does not mean that one is less valuable. One allows personal reflection and imagination, while the other is more for entertainment value. The movie cuts out things that are important to the reader, yet the movie is entertaining and a good story. While both convey the same basic story, theme, message, and moral the book in comparison is far better.