An Ongoing Battle: Emily Dickinson and Adaptation

Abstract

In A Quiet Passion, Terrence Davies grapples with Emily Dickinson’s poetry and offers an explanation for her life of isolation. Through the themes in Dickinson’s poetry and her obsession with “the looming man”, the author reveals her desire to share a connection with her readers. However, she is fearful that her work will be widely accessible to the public. While A Quiet Passion attempts to address the author's reluctant relationship with her readers, the film demonstrates that adaptations can never fully honor the wishes of their source material.