Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth: On Its Stylizations, Takeoffs, Adaptations

Abstract

The article considers different imitative approaches to Charles Dickens’ novella “The Cricket on the Hearth” (1845). Our focus is on two groups of adaptations of Dickens’ work: (1) the “plot (non-stylistic) adaptations” and (2) imitations with elements of stylization. Adaptations appear as re-readings of the novella, which undergo literary simplification (cf. digest). Among such, we consider creative rehashings (including those for children) and scripts, which might be fleshed out with the help of theatrical and cinematic art. A separate group consists of stylistic imitations with occasional allusions to Dickensian narrative; however, they do not closely follow original storylines. The article pays attention to opinions expressed by Stanislavsky and Eisenstein regarding Cricket’s adjustment to the medium of theater and film. It also discusses some specifics of the Dickensian metaphor reflected in stylistic imitations and disregarded by non-stylistic adaptations.

Keywords

• stylizations
• non-stylistic imitations
• adaptations
• borrowings
• translations
• scripts
• christmas stories and fairy tales
• metaphor
• classics
• popular culture.