Adaptation Studies: Reinterpretation and Cultural Dialogue

Adaptation studies examine how texts are transformed across media, moving beyond early

fidelity debates that judged adaptations by their “faithfulness” to originals. Bluestone argued

novels and films are distinct art forms, while Wagner, Andrew,

and others created taxonomies to classify adaptation types. Narratologists like McFarlane and Chatman

emphasized transferable narrative elements and the distinction between story and discourse.

Later theorists reframed adaptation as cultural dialogue: Genette’s hypotext/hypertext model,

Cardwell’s view of adaptations as cultural products, and Stam’s critique of moralistic language

shifted focus away from fidelity. The canon remains central, traditionally seen