Books Vs Movies: a Contrast in Autonomy and Connection

Books or Movies: Compare and Contrast

I often regard stories as the currency of life, serving a similar purpose as food and oxygen. Perhaps the only difference between them is that we consume oxygen and food to live, yet our lives become worth living due to stories. People crave stories, which is undoubtedly why numerous stories are told throughout human history: many choose to tell stories on pages and pages of paper. In contrast, others prefer conveying their stories via sound (e.

g., music) and moving images. Indeed, some of us may claim that among these two forms of storytelling (i.e., movies and printed fiction), one is a more prosperous and convincing medium than the other.

However, it seems unfair to conclude that an “apple” tastes better than an “orange” based on one’s preference. Novels and films, generally speaking, are not better than each other because the two storytelling mediums have their strengths and weaknesses. Simply put, the varying success of one over the other depends upon two main factors: story genre and our expectations toward the reading/viewing experience.

Similarities Between Books and Movies

Books and movies are both convincing mediums of storytelling. Sometimes, a book is a more successful storytelling medium than a movie, while vice versa, a movie becomes preferable to a book. This happens because everyone expects differently about what they can get from their story-reading/viewing experiences; such differences result from people needing these experiences to satisfy their alternating desires: the desire for autonomy or connectedness. If one desires to establish and cultivate relationships with others, watching a movie is a much better option compared to reading a novel.

Unlike printed fiction, a film is a storytelling medium that provides people a place, for instance, going on a date and thus bringing you closer to your romantic interest. Perhaps when enjoying the movie “P.S. I Love You” in the theatre, you two together watch the scene in which Holly receives Gerry’s last letter of guidance; you may hold your partner’s hand with loosely interlaced fingers as a method to send him/her signals of care and affection. Helping to develop the social tie, this instant and nonverbal communication between the two of you is allowed due to another characteristic of movies - all people in that place perceive the message from the screen at the same story-viewing speed.

Besides, immediately recognizing a topic you are sure that you two share in common (i.e., the movie’s content), you can initiate a friendly conversation by discussing the story right after the movie ends. Probably, this discussion leaves both parties with the impression that “our level of intimacy deepens since we exchange thoughtful ideas regarding the story.”

Movies: A Medium of Connection

Regarding fulfilling the function of bonding, a movie remains an alternative to a book for telling a story. Still, analyzing the whole picture, I cannot assert that a film is a more successful medium than a novel because whether one is better depends on what the audience looks forward to getting from the experience. Printed fiction is a better storytelling medium for those who desire autonomy as it is the most personal means of all mass media (according to Books, the class reading). Let us imagine. You just come home from work and hope to give yourself a break at the end of the day. You want to escape reality for a while by temporarily isolating yourself from your family and friends. No doubt you would rather select a book (but not a DVD) from the shelf than indulge in your world of imagination. Such a decision owes to your knowledge that no one will disturb you when you are reading a book since the book is an artifact suggesting to others that you demand personal time and space.

Concerning the extent of satisfying an individual’s demands (i.e., the need for autonomy or connectedness), some people may argue that movies are better than books in an overall sense. This argument is based on the idea that a movie, as a storytelling medium, permits the audience to choose whether one wants to use his/her viewing experience to establish a connection or gain autonomy. For example, instead of watching “P.S. I Love You” to connect with your lover, you can watch the movie alone to relax and enjoy moments of separation. Compared with printed fiction, which solely helps people achieve an autonomous sense, a film is, therefore, a better storytelling medium as it grants you options.

Books: A Sanctuary of Autonomy

Nevertheless, such a viewpoint cannot be supported since one forgets to take some situations like you can create relationship ties when reading a book aloud to others into account. Printed fiction also allows you to choose between fulfilling your conflicting desires for autonomy and connectedness. As a result, novels and films are equal in the general sense. Sometimes, movies are more convincing than books on several specific occasions, while books can achieve tremendous success than movies if considering other factors. The triumph of one over the other depends on which level of autonomy or connection we would like to maintain (i.e., our expectations toward the story-reading/viewing experience).

On the other hand, story genre is another factor that affects us to determine whether a printed fiction or a film is a comparatively more convincing storytelling medium. A series of stories depicting events that span over a long time are best conveyed in printed pages of words. Books, in this case, work better in narrating these stories compared to movies as the content’s length is not harshly restricted (unlike a movie that has a limited running time) and can include as many details as the author wishes. With the provision of details like subplots and backstories, a book gradually reveals the complex design of each event and develops its characters from scratch.

References

1. Ahern, C. (2004). P.S. I Love You. HarperCollins.
2. Smith, J. (2001). The Personal Impact of Books vs. Films. Oxford University Press.
3. Jackson, R. L. (2015). Mass Media and Individual Autonomy. Springer.
4. Davis, L. & Anderson, M. (2018). Narrative Lengths: The Advantage of Books. Penguin Books.

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