Topic > Comparative research of scene differences in the book and film adaptation of The Summer of My German Soldier

The novel The Summer of My German Soldier, written by Bette Greene, is about a young Jewish girl, Patty, who befriends a Nazi soldier. She confides in him due to the lack of parental love in her life. The Nazi soldier shows Patty that she is a person of value and is important in the world. This is something her parents never told her. Michael Tuchner, director of the film version of Summer of My German Soldier, does a good job of portraying the action in the novel, however some key scenes are not shown, thus taking away important facts that the viewer would see. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There are many scenes in the movie that are not in the book. There are a few key additions, one of which is Anton asking Patty for accessories. The accessories are toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, comb, etc. When he asks these things he seems really demanding. This doesn't seem to be the case in the book. Another addition is that, towards the end of the film, Patty's father comes into her room and tells her that she is a bad person and that she is dead to him. He also tells her that he has always hated him, and in a way this is comparable to the scene in the book where he walks into the garage and screams "no one loves me, no one loves me!". The scene where Ruth walks around town with Patty is another key addition. It shows that she is confident in herself and that she is not afraid of white prejudice. This scene is very similar to the one in the book where Ruth orders the white guards at the juvenile detention center to go get Patty's Christmas bag. There are many scenes in the book that don't take place in the film. The most obvious deletion concerns the scenes involving the grandparents. Patty's grandparents are never mentioned in the film; in the book they play an important role in his life. At the beginning of the book, before Patty meets Anton, her grandparents are all she has. Unlike her parents, they treat her like a person. Also at the end of the book they detain her before she has to go to the juvenile detention center. The film shows none of this. Another erasure that occurs is Patty's punishment for harboring the Nazi. In the book she is sent to the juvenile detention center as punishment. In the movie all that is said is that she will have a lawyer who will help fight for her. Many of the interactions between Patty and her father are not shown in the film. In the book Mr. Bergen beats Patty numerous times; in the film Mr. Bergen only beats her once. Instead of hitting her, he just screams at her violently. This is probably done to keep the film's rating minimal. Also, when Patty goes out to see Anton at night, in the book her father catches her in the kitchen; in the film she sneaks out the window and isn't caught. Some scenes turned out the same between the movie and the book, but the way they were shot was different. A prominent example of this are the scenes involving Anton's departure. In the book it is set at night and is long and dramatic. They also kiss right before he runs off into the night. In the movie, it's during the day and it's very abrupt. The FBI arrives at the Bergen house to look for the Nazi. Anton is forced to leave because he doesn't want to be found. They don't kiss in the film, but Anton gives Patty a kiss on the forehead before leaving. Another example of the changes that occur are the book and movie versions of the stone throwing episode. In the book Patty goes looking for the people whose windows she broke to repay them with Ruth's money. He arrives at his father's shop and sees what the car is.