Me Before You

***Spoilers ahead***

Recently "Me before you"  has been turned into a film, so in this post I will be commenting on the book to film journey and whether the film follows the book or if it's all gone completely wrong and our favourite (sort of) couple have been ruined. I'll be deciding how similar the two are whilst discussing major plot points and themes in the book. Also I will be talking about the actors/characters themselves, seeing if the actors truly brought such wonderful characters to life exactly as they are written or even added their own essence to the character.  Additionally I am also going to discuss the criticism the film has been given and commenting on it, stating whether I agree or disagree. Finally coming to a conclusion as to whether the book and film are truly the same or if the film is even better than the book or vice versa.

Me before you is a tragic love story set in a small village in England, it follows the life of Louisa Clark a quirky fashionista during a difficult time in her life. The book starts with her jobless but quickly she is offered a job as a carer for a sarcastic quadriplegic, Will Trainer. He plays a huge part in turning Louisa's life around, making her realise her dreams and giving her the chance to be brave. Whilst Will has a major impact on Louisa she manages to influence him too, she brings out a much lighter, happier version of him. These two slowly become closer and closer, sharing their life's and eventually falling in love. However all good love stories end with a tragedy and this book certainly doesn't disappoint. 

The film doesn't stray too far from the book and the main characters and plot are completely unchanged. Firstly I personally felt that the film literally jumped out of the book pages it was so similar and unlike other films in which some major details are left out. The film seemed to stay true to the book, however there were a few scenes/characters from the book that were left out and I definitely found needed to be included.

 My first criticism is that Louisa's attack was left out of the film, I felt it was a real insight to her character. It seemed to create a bond between Will and Louisa in the book, both having dark events in their lives. Also I found that it helped to emphasis Louisa's character and let is know where her happy, bright exterior came from. Additionally it could have been a real chance to educate young women about not being afraid to speak up and not to blame yourself. Next I thought that the relationship between Patrick and Louisa was neglected in the film, whilst they weren't my favourite chapters in the book they managed to emphasis how trapped Louisa actually was in her small village with a boyfriend she had been with most of her life. So I do feel like there could of been more scenes with Patrick and Louisa put into the film, especially the scenes in which she moved in because it would of really brought more personality to Patrick as well. 

Thirdly I was very disappointed in not seeing Will's sister Georgina play a part in this film, she only had a small part in the book but an important one in being Will's sister and showing a more honest side of living with a quadriplegic. Finally I don't feel like Louisa's family, especially her grandad got enough screen time and this meant they lacked the enthusiastic personality that is so present in the book. This excludes Katrina who was still central in the plot. I just truly feel that Louisa's home life was washed over to make room for more Will scenes. I'm happy to have so many scenes with the two together, however the lack of home life really lets Louisa's personality down because we don't know too much about her as we do in the book because her home life is major in the story. 

Now I must talk about a very important part in this film ... the actors. What do I think about them? THEY WERE AMAZING. I honestly don't feel like they could of had a better cast, Sam Claflin was a wonderful Will and surprised me in the way he played the very demanding roll. The roll being so challenging because he couldn't move his body and show any body language to imply his emotions, he did a brilliant job at using his facial expressions and voice. They are what made him so wonderful! His tone was always fitting and the exaggerated but sometimes subtle facial expressions or eye movements really caught me. I could still sense how he was feeling without the body language. Another central character was Louisa Clark, played by the talented, fantastic Emilia Clarke. She did an outstanding job as Louisa and brought so much personality and flare to the roll. Also I weirdly feel like her eyebrows brought something to the film too, the exaggerated use of them in her facial expressions really showed me how similar she was to book Louisa. She was perfect for the roll. I can't imagine anyone else playing her. The use of her clothes and awkwardness really established who she was, and made her stand out just like Louisa from the book. She played the roll so well and I definitely don't think anyone was disappointed with her acting.  

Furthermore there has been a lot of criticism surrounding the film. The major one being that an actual quadriplegic doesn't play the role of Will. Also many are angry at how disabled people are pictured in the film. As sad, rude, sarcastic people who want to end their life's because they aren't normal no more. Many feel that he positive side of disability isn't shown in film, which I agree with. However I feel they every story is different and this one just wasn't a positive one, I'm sure there are books with a more positive view of the disabled community exists out there but without the death of Will the story wouldn't have been the same. Moreover the idea that a quadriplegic actor should of played Will is something I definitely agree with as its important for all voice to be heard and roles to be given to people who fit the actual criteria. Although I think this I do love Sam Claflins acting, his chemistry with Emilia and his take on Will's character. I don't feel that anyone else could have brought as much passion or energy to the film. Also I worry about eh practicality of an actual quadriplegic playing the role, whilst I believe they may be fully able to do so. There condition may be hard to deal with on set and perhaps even dangerous and I don't believe anyones safety should be put at risk for the sake of fitting the criteria of a role. 

In conclusion I definitely believe that the film and book are basically one, the script is extremely accurate, matching lines from the book perfectly. The plot and characters are the same and no massively major parts are changed or cut out. My only criticism is the lack of Louisa's past/home life. I recommended you read this book and watch the film as its worth it, they are so similar and you won't be disappointed with either of them. Although I do think the film is fantastic I do have to say though the book is a lot better because their is so much more detail and context. 

Somewhere in a forest a girl awakens...

Painful shouting wakes me from my sleep, the noice bursting into the air. It's almost deafening. My eyes shoot open. Although my vision is cloudy I see the outline of my mother standing above me. My sweet, kind, loving mother. 

Like a child looking for comfort I reach for her, my hand floating it's way towards her, as I touch her skin there is a burst of fluorescent light and my arm is thrown back down into the damp grass. I give her a look of confusion; but she is not looking at me her eyes are staring straight ahead. What's wrong with her?  I try to pull myself up but I can't move, my whole body is numb. I look to my mum for help, screaming at the top of my lungs but nothing comes out of my mouth. 

My eyes focus on my mum as I start to see her head tilt downwards so slowly it's sinister. Her head continues to fall slowly. Unnaturally slow. It's like someone else is controlling her, she is a puppet being used. My lips are pulled shut by the image, I focus on her eyes. Watching as her humanity drains from them. Watching as black pools of poison fill them instead. We are staring at one another now but neither of us move. I feel the fear building around me like a wall and I'm sure she feels it too. 

I blink. She lurches forward. Throwing her head at mine, twisting her hand around my throat whilst the other stabs into my arm pinning me to the grass. Her head makes contact with my face sending a wave of dizziness through my brain. Whilst also managing to draw a trickle of blood from my nose. The air starts to become thin but I can still see clearly. It's like all of my senses have been heightened as my life slips away from me. The shouting that woke me fills my ears again,  I squirm trying to turn my head and see who or what it is. I jut my head out just enough to catch a glimpse of a boy with burning, red hair violently shouting in emotional agony. He's trapped but I can't see what's holding him. I try to turn again but my mums grip around my throat is too tight. Too painful. I don't think I can keep my eyes open for much longer, so instead I listen. 

The shouts seem unclear, unorganised, as if he isn't shouting in English at all. Slowly the words start to make sense, and I can finally piece together what he is screaming. 

"Fight Jo ! Fight her! You can do it Jo, don't give in" 

A rush of adrenaline swarms my veins and I start to breathe better. Why has this man stirred such a reaction within me?  My mums grip loosens. I look back at her eyes still dripping with evil, I pull my arm from her grip and latch my fingers onto her hands like a cat. Scratching. Clawing. Fighting for breathe. I suddenly become aware of my legs just laying their motionless, I put them to use kicking in every direction. Squirming and wriggling away from her. With one final kick I manage to push her away and scramble backwards my hands digging into the slimy mud. My breathe staggered. 

She makes a run for me but I'm standing before she reaches me. She pauses unsure of me and what I'm doing, she doesn't know what to do next and I can see her thought process churning in her brain. The screaming has stopped. I look back to the boy from before but he seems more like a man now. A strong, handsome man, trapped in a tangle of thick weeds. I stare at him but he is looking in front of me, curiously I follow his gaze. I see her just in time as she lunges for me. My hands just catch her face smearing wet mud and torn grass onto her cheeks. I squeeze my eyes shut waiting for the impact of her fists... 

But I never feel them. I cautiously open my eyes to find my mother frozen in front of me like an ice sculpture. Her skin even feels like one. I move my stained hand from her face carefully, scared to break her fragile state. Questions race through my mind. Where am I? What's happening? What's wrong with my mum? Is that even my mum? Who is that strange shouting man? Hoping for answers I look to the red haired man and find him already staring at me.  His brown eyes grasping for emotion or a reaction from me. Almost like we know eachother. Do we know eachother? Our eyes make contact my green pools of uncertainty searching his brown eyes for answers to all my questions. The look we share is one of fear or confusion but the connection is quickly broken by an enraged Echo traveling from somewhere deep in the trees surrounding the grassy patch we are stranded on. I rapidly scan the trees around me, hoping that the voice is coming from somewhere far. That it's not looking for us but I know it is. I feel it deep inside me. My feelings are confirmed when I hear the raspy voice of the trapped man grunt the word "RUN!" 

A comparison of two poems.

Compare the ways in which the poets present ideas about relationships in "Climbing my grandfather" by Andrew Waterhouse and "Letters from Yorkshire" by Maura Dooley. 

In both poems, relationships are presented as strong across both distance and time. 

In this essay I will be comparing the poems "climbing my grandfather" by Andrew Waterhouse and "Letters from Yorkshire" by Maura Dooley. Both poems explore the different ideas in relationships and I will be pulling them apart to find the main but shared message between them both. There are many connotations within the poem so there will be a mix of views in this essay so I can further explore any hidden ideas. The poems both centre around a non romantic relationship, which shows that romance is not always a key factor to a relationship and perhaps relationships with out romance (such as friendships, sibling relationships, relationships with parents)  are much harder to deal with and be apart of. 

In "Climbing my grandfather" Waterhouse presents the idea of nostalgia being a negative and dangerous feeling to have, when he writes the line "Not looking down, for climbing has its dangers". The action of "climbing" exposes the connotation of memories being a struggle to find or difficult to handle after someone you love has died. Whereas the word "danger" suggests that memories could be damaging to the voice, remembering his grandfather could lead to him perhaps having an emotional breakdown and losing control of his life. Moreover in the poem "Letters from Yorkshire" Dooley presents the idea of long distance relationships leaving a feeling of wanting more or missing out on something. She does this when she writes "Still it's you who sends me a word of that other world" the phrase "other world" implies that the two people live in such different places, the voice is longing to be in this "other world". However the person she wants to be with doesn't feel quite the same about where she is, there is no mention of him wanting to go with her. This could mean that maybe he doesn't approve of what she has done with her life or where she lives. The reader may see this as a weakness in a relationship because there is such negativity in both poems, but it could be a strength. The wanting to be with another person so bad that a negative feeling is created could be a sign of how strong the love in that relationship is. Also the emotional struggle of remembering a loved one could be emphasising how strong the relationship is over time that the voice is still grieving for his grandfather. 

Waterhouse's poem is an extended metaphor. He uses the amount of time it takes to climb mountain to show that time doesn't effect a relationship negatively. The phrase "glassy ridge of a scar" highlights healing, it could even be a further metaphor for the voice healing from his grandfathers death. However the line "(soft and white at this altitude)" could be imagery for his dead body. Plus as the line is written in brackets it's shows its extra information, which gives of the idea that even thought he feels that time doesn't change his relationship with his grandfather it does because as time increases memories begin to fade (this adds on to the idea of nostalgia being a scary feeling, to remember what you thought you had lost.) Furthermore Dooley also uses metaphors to suggest that distance doesn't effect a relationship either, she shows this with the line "pouring air and light into an envelop" this indicates that although she knows this isn't rational she feels like his words release something positive, they erupt a feeling of being close to one another eventhough they are far apart. Yet this could also have a negative connotation as perhaps maybe the voice is sucking all of the "air and light" out of the relationship with her being so far away. The reader may feel that distance does effect how strong a relationship is. Although both time and distance in a relationship can be seen as negative both poets disagree and use metaphors to explain how it can bring happiness and healing to a relationship. 

Both poets use enjambment in their poems to convey storytelling and even create the idea of a fantasy relationship. Dooley writes "seeing the season ... turning" the use of enjambment depicts the changing of the seasons as if the year is continuing. The change in season could also mean the change in the two people, they are evolving different qualities. Becoming new people but still their relationship is as strong as ever even with the distance. This idea of a long distance relationship could be seen as a fantasy by the reader as from their own experience many know these kinds of relationships don't work. The use of enjambment only encourages this idea of the relationship not really being as strong as first perceived, the phrase "icy miles" add on to the idea of the voice beginning to feel cold and lonely because of the distance. Additionally Waterhouse also uses enjambment to creat the idea of the poem being a story, he uses a first person narrative to hint at his journey up the mountain when he writes " Dusty and cracked;... an easy scramble onto his trousers" the continuation of the line illustrates the continuous movement up the mountain, also the fact that he is using a great mountain to depict his grandfather tells us what sort of man he was. He may have been a man of honour a hero in the voices eyes which links to the theme of childhood in the poem instead of scaling his grandfather he has moved onto bigger things. The use of enjambment in both poems creates the sense of a story being told and because the tone in both poems is so causal/conversational the reader feels more comfortable and relaxed whilst reading. They can relate the characters in the poems to people in their lives. 

In conclusion I believe that the main message in both poems is that time and distance does not effect a relationship. Although this theme is the most present, there is also hints of the opposing side which leaves me questioning if this is the main message or if in fact the message is that the idea of time and distance not being a problem in a relationship is only a fantasy. The two will always create a struggle in a relationship but it's the strength of character and communication that really makes a relationship strong. 

A trilogy of fables

The Squirrel and the Bear

There once lived a little red Squirrel in tall, green tree. He was a very lazy Squirrel  and liked to leave tasks until the last minute. Everyday the Squirrel would watch a huge, brown Bear trudge through the forrest scavenging for food. One breezy afternoon the bear noticed the Squirrel  relaxing high up in the tree. 

"Oh little Squirrel, Why aren't you out

looking for food? The cold season is almost among us" said the Bear 

"Don't worry big Bear I have plenty of time to gather food there is a while until we must go into hibernation" replied the red Squirrel slouching back on a branch. 

"If you say so little Squirrel but don't leave it too long you won't have any food his winter" warned the big Bear. A month went by and everyday the Bear saw the little, red Squirrel relaxing in the large oak tree and everyday the little Squirrel promised he would start gathering food the next day. On the final day before the start of winter the bear spoke to the Squirrel 

"Oh little Squirrel , what have you done? Winter begins tomorrow and you have no food to eat" exclaimed the Bear.

"Tomorrow is still a long time away, I have plenty of time to look for food. In fact I think I will begin today" said the Squirrel 

"I fear you have left it too late little Squirrel but I must be heading back to my cave before the cold begins" with that last word the bear trudged off home. 

As he left the little Squirrel clambered down from his tall tree and started to wander around the forest. He looked in tall branches for acorns, he searched reddening bushes for juicy fruit. Yet he could not find anything to eat. He realised the Bear had been right all along.   

Don't leave tasks of importance to the last minute. 

The Moth and the Butterfly  

  

In a flowery meadow there lived a very arrogant but beautiful butterfly who spent her most of her days admiring herself. Within the meadow there also lived a very plain, peaceful moth. Both the Moth and Butterfly where friends with a Caterpillar. One afternoon the three of them found themselves discussing the upcoming transformation of the Caterpillar. 

"Well I think you should become a moth, plain, boring and ugly. Even if you where to become a butterfly you would never be as pretty as me. So why even try? " sneered the Butterfly fluttering her patterned wings. 

Looking dejected the Caterpillar muttered and almost silent "oh". 

The moth gave a very different piece of advice. 

"Why dear caterpillar you must strive to look your best, it does not matter whether your wings are bursting with colour or if they are simple and blend in with the meadow. All that matters is that you are happy and make the best  decision for yourself." The Caterpillar smiled and began to wind itself up into a cocoon. Many days later the  Caterpillar erupted from the cocoon with bright blue wings that easily outshone the wings of his Butterly friend. 

As he burst through his cage the Moth greeted him with a few words. 

"Oh what beautiful wings you have, it must have taken a very long time to create a such stunning pattern" 

As these words left his mouth the arrogant Butterfly flew away from the meadow. 

A true friend doesn't encourage failure but instead supports success. 

The very Busy Bee  

In a luscious green field full of wonderful, bright flowers there lived a very busy Bee. The Bee would collect pollen from all the flowers everyday but still did not think she was very important. After every outing she would return to the hive and judge herself for taking longer than yesterday to collect the pollen or hating herself for missing a few flowers that day. Everyday this routine continued until one day the rest of the Bees had enough. 

"Busy Bee you collect the most pollen out of all of us everyday, why must you criticise yourself so harshly" asked a friendly Bee.

"Such kind yet untrue words my friend. I don't work nearly as hard as I should, in fact I think I'm quite lazy actually" said Busy Bee. With that she sped of to collect her daily amount of pollen on returning she found herself feeling quite ill and requested that she would be allowed the next day off in order to recover. Already loathing herself for being stupid enough to get ill she fell asleep and didn't wake up until the next evening. 

"Busy Bee! Busy Bee!" Shouted the friendly Bee 

"Oh what is it?" Busy Bee questioned. 

"You are needed at work straight away Busy Bee, it seems that without your huge donation of pollen all of our honey supplies have fallen. We aren't producing enough without you, you always bring in the most pollen and without you the whole hive is falling to pieces" exclaimed the friendly Bee

In this moment Busy Bee smiled to herself realising how important she truly was. 

You are your harshest critic.