In approaching a topic such as adaptations, one has to first understand what exactly adaptation means and how it is applied to such works to get the product the "adapter" is trying to create and for what reasons they are "adapting" for. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Adaptation as the following:

"1(a). The act for process of adapting. 1(b). The state of being adapted.

2. A composition recast into a new form: "The play is an adaptation of a short novel."

3. An alteration or adjustment by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment. (10)"

The definition that we'll be looking at closely is the second one; "a composition recast into a new form." The novels, The Hours, Mrs. Dalloway, and the film The Hours are three "compositions" that were recast by their creators in order to explore a different area from those mediums. Virginia...