Essay: Differences between the story “Story of your life” and the film Arrival

There are many differences between the short story “Story of your life” and the film Arrival.
In the film short story Story of your life the audience was able to get an emotional feel of Louise’s daughter. Although her name was never mentioned in the book, the reader could (grab) an emotional grasp because she was described often. For instance, in the short story the the daughter says jokingly, “Oh man, they’re not kidding when they say that body weight makes a difference. I didn’t drink any more than the guys did, but I got so much drunker.”(Chiang 13) This provides information about the daughter. The reader can make an attachment based on the type of person the daughter seems to be. When the reader has no insight on the personality of the character, it is much harder for the reader to make a connection with the character. Louise states, “And after graduation, you’ll be heading for a job as a financial analyst. I won’t even understand your fascination with money … You’ll do what makes you happy, and that’ll be all I ask for.” (Chiang 16.) This is very controversial because in the short story the daughters character has no name, but in the film Arrival, the daughter was given the name Hannah. In the film, the viewers were not given much detail to Hannah’s character; therefore, the viewers were not able to make an emotional connection with Hannah. It was much harder to empathize for Louise’s character when the viewers have very little insight on the type of person that Hannah was. The viewers saw Hannah very briefly when her body was being viewed by Louise. Louise reflects for a second, and she instantly moves on with her feelings at the time (Villeneuve.) The daughter and Louise’s interactions are mostly comedic in the short story. For instance, she states at one point that maybe the Heptapods won’t come from their ship because of their ‘fear of cooties, maybe.’ In the film, she is much more serious and much more dedicated to her work. Also, in the film, the daughter dies of a terminal illness, but in the short story the daughter dies from a mountaineering accident. This difference is often pointed out by movie critics because it ties in with the short story plot and the film plot. Louise states, “The request for that meeting was perhaps the second most momentous phone call in my life. The first of course will be the one from Mountain Rescue.
The climatic point in the differs in the film Arrival and in the short story. In the film, the climatic point revolves around the global tension. China, along with other nations, are no longer trusting of the aliens, so they begin to become hostile towards them. The journey in the short story, however, is much more relaxed. There is no global tension. The discussion with the colonel comes from nowhere. The discussion is very brief, and suddenly the short story shifts. The scientists offer their language interpreting, grow a connection with the Heptapods, and then the resolution happens. Louise was very reserved in the film; however, in the story she was very straightforward and outgoing. The reader can relate her to our everyday lives in the short story, but in the film, we knew her as simply the linguist. She was very unattached with her emotions. In the short story, the aliens simply leave without ever answering why they came; on the other hand, in the film they state, “mankind helps the Heptapods in the future, so they have come to help mankind, hammering home the point their worldview is not sequential like a human’s” (Villeneuve.) This plays a significant role in the film because Louise and the rest of the world get an answer as to why the Heptapods arrive. In the short story, they are left clueless and their questions are mainly left unanswered.
There is no bomb planted in the alien space craft by renegade soldiers in the short story. The plot-point that propels us into the final showdown in the movie regarding the withdrawal the death of one of the aliens and the withdrawal by humans is not present in the short story. The aliens simply take off and go home.
Louise tells the ‘Kangaru’ story in the short story just as she did in the movie; however, Louise also makes her concerns regarding language much more obvious throughout the movie. She breaks down visually several more timeshare why it’s so important that they get it right – not only for the military, for us at home as the audience who may not have this understanding. If the readers studied English Language, he or she would be able to follow Chiang’s logic easily.