World Literatur: Adaptation

Roza Puspita/186332026

World Literature is most of the times defined as the circulation of works out

into languages and cultures beyond their original homeland which is not all literature

in the world but only those which crosses a border. In fact, it is also believed that the

circulation of the literary work need to have the way to be circulated to other

countries. There are two ways in spreading the literary work in order to be the world

literature which are through adaptation and translation.

Therefore adaptation needs to be defined because it is different from

translation. Adaptation is a double process: receptive and creative of a work in the

same or another medium. So through adaptation we can make another version of

written text. It can be from novel to comics if the target in another country more into

Manga, or it can also from Novel to Movie or vice versa. There are a lot of novel

which is adapted into movie and circulate easier all over the world. The example of

adaptation is African Literature. African literature has also inspired several

adaptations. Achebe’s first novel, published in 1958, is the only Nigerian novel to

have, over the years, inspired several cinematic and stage adaptations.

Okonkwo is Achebe’s first novel that was adapted into a dramatic radio

program made by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in April 1961, with Wole

Soyinka in a supporting role. No Longer at Ease (1960), Achebe’s second novel was

then adapted into film which produced in the U.S. in 1971. This adaptation can

respect the spirit of Achebe’s narrative, give a fresh look at some of the events and

read them in a unique way, for instance, one could even say that Igbo tradition can

be felt closer from the film than from the novel. The film’s treatment of the

relationship between the colonial authorities and missionaries and its impact on the
storyline is interesting as well. The film can portray a scene of colonial violence, its

total misunderstanding of local customs, and disregard of the culture. Yet the film

version have more audience than the novel and can give clear picture of the history

of colonization in African history. African novel which can be travel abroad and

become the World Literature put into evidence the intersection of academia and the

market in that they disseminate a variety of short texts becoming a commodity for

sale not only at home but also abroad.

Reference:

Marta, Ludmila. Circulation, Translation, and Adaption of African Literary Works and

Their Possible Positions in World Literature Anthologies. Indonesian Journal

of English Language Studies (2017)