"Once Upon a Time" Film Adaptation

Plot
The film opens with a paranoid woman working late at night in a library. As soon as it is closing time, she runs to the door and sets a series of locks on all the entrances. She leaves all the lights on in the library and cautiously checks around all the bookshelves to make sure she is alone. Then, she continues on with her work while still looking nervous and worried. While checking in books, she falls asleep and begins to dream a children's story. Her dream appears as the short story is told. The film follows the same plot as the children's story within the short story. At the end, after the little boy is being carried back into the house, the final shot of the film is of the woman jumping awake in the library. By showing the woman's previous behavior and reaction to the story, the meaning of the short story is better emphasized. The paranoid actions of the woman before the story happens and the realization afterwards show the meaning of over protection. Over protection can be dangerous; if someone is afraid of everything, eventually they become afraid of nothing. Instead of having the woman planning the children's story like at the beginning of the short story, the unexpected dream causes the event to seem more like a sudden realization rather than a planned attempt to prove a point. It makes the meaning seem less straightforward and intentional; therefore, the meaning is revealed in a dramatic and less boring way.

Point of View
The film should still be told from the same point of view as the short story. The beginning is told from the first person point of view in order to make it more personal and sympathetic. The short story is then told in the same way that a typical children's story is told. It is presented from the third person point of view as the narrator focuses in on the family. This point of view is the best way to present the storyline and convey the meaning of the work. It makes the story personal and the frame story sympathetic. Therefore, the point of view should not be changed for the film adaptation because it best shows the meaning as it originally was told.

Characterization
The woman telling the story should be an extremely paranoid librarian. She should be constantly worried and nervous about everything that goes on in the library. Her overly cautious actions like setting a series of locks on the entrances and checking behind every bookshelf help to emphasize the meaning of over protection. She becomes so caught up in her paranoia that she dreams up this tragic attempt at a children's story. Her overprotective actions only cause her to have more pointless worrying and stress in her life. In addition, her job as a librarian creates irony as she dreams about writing a children's story. The irony of this frame story adds to the meaning because it shows how involved people can become in their work and actions to the point where it becomes hazardous to their well being.

Setting
The setting of the beginning should be in a library instead of an old house. By changing the location, it makes the frame story more relevant to the outside story. Thinking of a children's story does not seem as out of place and random if it takes place within a library full of other stories. This also creates an ironic situation as the woman wakes up from the children's story to find herself surrounded by more stories. The frame story should have the same setting. The children's story should not be changed because it is written in a way that can be presented as a film without alterations. The meaning of the children's story is best displayed if the setting is not changed in any way. However, the setting of the outside story would create irony and draw attention to the meaning if it were changed to another locations such as a library.

Theme
The theme of the short story is the danger of over protection. The family is so concerned for their safety that they forgot their own son's safety. They were paranoid about being safe from the outside world, but they did not think about the dangers this may bring into their inside world. When someone is afraid of everything, eventually they become afraid of nothing. Over time, paranoia about everything causes the real danger to be overlooked. This theme is presented in the short story and should be shown in the film because it is an important aspect of the meaning of the work. Therefore, the theme should not be changed or adapted when making the short story into a film.