Abandonment, jealousy and self-invention: : an exploration of the adaptation process in Jeanette Winterson’s ​The Gap of Time

Abstract: This essay explores the adaptation process in ​The Gap of Time ​by Jeanette Winterson, a novel basedon​TheWinter’sTaleb​yWilliamShakespeare.Itisadiscussionandanalysisofthe novel; put in contrast to the play, and an exploration of the different emerging elements and themes in ​The Gap of Time.​ The most prevalent themes in the novel are abandonment, the power of jealousy, and alienation leading to self-invention. By exploring the novel in light of adaptation theories this essay will illustrate how Winterson exposes these themes. A comparative reading of the play and the novel makes it possible to discover various points in the plot where the adaptation process contributes to a different perspective on some of the characters in the story. In addition, the author has a personal connection to abandonment and loss due to being adopted as a child. This may also influence the narrative in the novel. Whilst jealousy is primarily focused upon in the play, the novel uses abandonment as its driving force instead, which is what this essay is focusing on. This in turn leads to self-invention as a tool to cope with loss, as expressed in the novel. Arguably there are other perspectives arising from the major themes, such as alienation and to some extent faith, which is also mentioned in this essay. In conclusion, the divergence between the novel and the play is fundamentally seen in character development.