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The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man
ID # : 4280
Instructor : Lance Tilman
Course : Novels to Films
Date: 4 February 2011
Novel to Film
Worksheet 1: “The Quiet Man”
Novel:
Author- Maurice Walsh – reproduced as it appeared to in the Sturday Evening Post February 11, 1933
Author Bio
Maurice Walsh was born on April 21, 1879 in Ballydonoghue, near Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland.
He was the third child of ten and the first son born to John Walsh, a local farmer, and his wife
Elizabeth Buckley who lived in a three-roomed thatched farmhouse.
Maurice went to school in Lisselton, a mile or so up the road from Ballydonoghue, and later went to St
Michael’s College in Listowel to prepare for the Civil Service examination.
Maurice had always been interested in writing and, during his early years in Scotland, this interest
started to bear fruit. He sent off some stories and had two published in the Irish Emerald in 1908. That
year also saw his marriage, on August 8, 1908, in Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland, to Caroline Begg .
Maurice retired from government service in 1933 but his success as a writer continued. Indeed it was in
that year that he first sold a story to the Saturday Evening Post, then a well-known weekly magazine
published in the United States. That story (later to be incorporated in the collection of stories published
under the title Green Rushes) was The Quiet Man.
Maurice became President of the Irish branch of PEN in 1938 and visited the United States for an
international meeting that year as the Irish delegate. His wife Caroline was able to accompany him
although she had been in failing health for some years. She died in January 1941. Maurice himself died
on February 18, 1964 in Blackrock (a suburb of Dublin) and is buried in the Esker cemetery at Lucan,
County Dublin.1
Main Characters-
1. Shawn Kelivn
2. Ellen O’Gray
3. Liam O’Gray
Themes
The conflict
-Between Shawn and Liam O’Gray over personality crash and regarding dowry,
-Shawn’ modern way of thinking living in American and there are Irish tradition and culture which
exist in Kerry.
-Shawn himself had a conflict in him - the part that he wants to be quiet but it is hard in a reality to
be and get challenged
True love and the power of ‘quietly’ is showing through soft appearances, gentle embraces
Scarifies for the one you love – Shwan’s respect and love toward Ellen through trying to place her
value and thoughts more than his.
Examine how the following literary elements affect plot progression, assist in character
development, and convey meaning: motif -- symbol -- foreshadowing -- echoing -- flashback --
metaphor -- irony & choice of language—etc.-
“The Quiet Man” is the story about Shawn Kelvin who is an Irish- American coming back from
Pittsburgh to settle into a family’s farm. He faces various conflicts such as person versus person. It is
between Shawn between O’Gray. Through out the conflicts Shaw gets challenged and many of them
are coming from O’Gray. Many occasions, OGray humiliated Shaw about his wife, Ellen’s dowry.
Shawn also gets pressure from Ellen about him collecting the dowry. For Shawn dowry that was 200
pounds dose not mean anything but for Ellen it is a respect and tradition and a symbol for marriage.
O’Gray never takes Shaw’s request seriously . On the other hand, Shawn was trying to stay away from
facing O’Gray but one day he could sense it might lead to a fight. Shawn did not believe in violence
and did not think it would solve the problems. At the end for Elle’s sake and his lover toward her
Shawn fought with O’Gray.
Film:
Title: The Quiet Man
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3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quiet_Man
Scene including buildings, trains, bars and houses present Irish styles
Timing - In “hook” the timing was perfect when the carriage, which Shawn was riding and the train,
was passing through.
Light – I do not have a lot of knowledge about the concept of lighting effect. I cannot say much.
Color – color of the clothes are carefully selected by the situation and events. Church, Racing,
Wedding and so on.
The theme was “Conflict”. It was clearly shown in the beginning of the film. At the train station Shawn
first arrived local people are talking and more like arguing over little things. When Shawn was riding
on the carriage going the field the carriage was coming from far, yet there was a big tree standing
decades never changing to the place.
Zoomed cross gravestone was showing on the right from to the left for a while as if it represents as his
family gravestone and his return to his home as a symbol.