"Breakfast At Tiffany's": A Hollywood Love Story

Essay by shaqattack32High School, 11th gradeA-, April 2007

download word file, 5 pages 5.0 1 reviews

Downloaded 23 times

The novel "Breakfast At Tiffany's", written by Truman Capote in 1958, documents the friendship between a New York writer, whose name is never mentioned, and his neighbor Holly Golightly. The story is written as a recollection of the short-lived friendship about ten years after its surprising conclusion. While visiting another old friend, Joe Bell, the narrator is reminded of Holly when he notices a picture of an African carving resembling her. He then proceeds to tell Joe about the relationship between Holly and himself many years ago. Changes to the novel's plot and characters were needed, though, when the novel was made into a 1961 film. The film became much more popular with the public than the novel because of the film's more developed story line. Screenwriters transformed Capote's novel into a Hollywood love story with a central romantic relationship between the two main characters. Most of the novel's original dialogue, symbolism, and characterization were kept; but, unfortunately, the plot and a few of the characters needed to forego drastic changes.

One of the major symbolic references in the novel is the close relationship Holly Golightly keeps with her brother, Fred. Throughout her entire life, she was always aware of his where-abouts and his health condition. Letters were sent from both parties while they were apart, and no minor detail was ever left out of any of these writings. The movie illustrates the exact same relationship between the two siblings. If producers had left out any part of Holly and Fred's unique connection, the movie wouldn't have had the same meaning. Holly looks at the narrator (Paul) as a very close friend in her life. She describes his looks as the looks of her dear brother Fred. She then begins calling him "Fred" (Capote 36). If Holly...