The Rachel Papers/The Lust Diaries

My RE-write Movie Ideas?!!
In my interpretation of the new The Rachel Papers I would change the name of the story to The Lust Diaries. My character would be female but her journey would be a bit different. She would be a beautiful Caribbean Island girl but she is very insecure, therefor causing her to yearn for love and attention, but the men that she meets are old and not realistic for finding happiness. Her name would be Chauncey and she would have 4 siblings all girls each different in their own way but, still no father figure in the picture, causing her to have “daddy issues”. Chauncey and her friend Shne would leave the Island together, and experience life in the US.
Chauncey would keep a journal about her escapades, and eventually meet the man of her dreams, Joseph, or so she thought and he would bring along bad things, drugs, bad luck, and eventually break her heart. Chauncey feels that love is the only thing keeping her alive, and in the moment of weakness when she wasn’t looking for attention and trying to better herself, she meets a man named Ramsey who would turn her life around. When Chauncey is older and reminiscing about her life she will decide to write a story about her experiences.
Forever Young-Alphaville
When the novel opens we are introduced to Charlie Highway a young man who is going to be traveling to Oxford soon. He describes himself as a bit nerdy but then the attention turns to his age. “Twenty may not be the start of maturity but in all conscience, it’s the end of youth (Amis 3).” Many people feel this way when you think about modern society.
Charlie however felt that “there were several teenage things still to be done; get a job, have a first love, and well just marshal in my childhood” (Amis 6). I liked how Amis incorporated a saying that we are all familiar with, “You are only as old as you feel” isn’t necessarily a quote that you could prove true or false. I felt that this song was appropriate in a sense to describe Charlie’s journey from teenager to man. Chauncey in the opening of the film would experience some of the some feelings as Charlie with the exception of feeling sad about leaving home but happy about her new journey in life.

Papa Was A Rolling Stone-The Temptations
Charlie Highway is one of six children that his parents have together, 4 boys including Charlie and 2 girls. “The thing is that I am a member of that sad, ever-dwindling minority…the child of an unbroken home. I have carried this albatross since the age of eleven” (Amis 7). In today’s society it would be easy for many students and adults to be able to relate to this type of “minority”. It is very normal to be raised in a single parent household.
Charlie gives us a bit of background on his family, “My father has in all sired six children. I used to suspect that he had had so many just to show the catholicity of his tastes, to bolster his image as tolerant patriarch to inform the world that his loins were rich in sons (Amis 8). For some time now his ferrety favors have been the preserve of his mistress, as I was assured at the age of fifteen by my elder brother” (9) Papa was a rolling stone is a song that suggests that the man described “Papa” was very promiscuous. Although Charlie’s father did not have any other children it seemed fitting to relate this song to him since he does in fact have a mistress. This song would fit in perfect with my movie because Chauncey doesn’t have her father in the picture at all therefor her papa would be a rolling stone in terms of he moves around a lot.
Petula Clark – Downtown & On The Road Again Willie Nelson
I chose the song Downtown because I felt it was perfect for how Charlie may have been feeling when he was at home, miserable but he would feel better once he left and went “downtown” which really would be Oxford. “Elation was gathering on me like a drug-I smiled at my fellow passengers, gazed interestedly out of the window, and was polite and deferential to the transport operative, producing the correct money and enunciating my destination clearly” (Aims 12)
Charlie explains that “London is where people go in order to come back from it sadder and wiser. But I had already been there-returned form it only three weeks before in fact.” (Aims 12) I chose the song On the Road again because this was not Charlie’s first trip to Oxford as he explained to the readers. He seems very elated about leaving home. Chauncey would be able to relate to this because she would be happy about leaving the Island but sad at the fact that she is leaving her family behind.
Linkin Park-Lying From You
Lying From You is a song about a kid who feels that he has to lie to get away. In the moment up until Charlie meets Gloria he begins to think about the lie he may have told her. “I wondered if there were any important lies I had told her which it would be worth reacquainting myself with, but could think of none.” (Aims 16)
Modern students would relate really well with this song and the story because at some point in time we all lie to impress someone or make ourselves look more appealing to the opposite sex. Charlie tried really hard to think about any other lies he had told Gloria, “which reminded me (him); there was another lie; I was friendly with Mick Jagger.” (Aims 17) This song would also work well with my interpretation because Chauncey being from the Islands would not have much money and she has to lie in order to succeed overseas. On the island she has family and friends so money is a non-factor.
Bad Romance — Lady Gaga
I chose Bad Romance because it is the perfect song to describe the relationship Charlie has with Gloria. It is just sex. He spends the time after wondering, “What did I feel for her? Ambiguous lust, genial conscension, and gratitude. It didn’t seem enough” (Aims 25) They don’t have anything serious going on and this could also relate to my interpretation because the relationships Chauncey has are all Bad Romances until Ramsey.
Joseph is the man that Chauncey believed would make her happy forever but ended up breaking her heart. “I want your love and all your lovers revenge you and me could write a Bad Romance” (Lady Gaga).
That Girl- Justin Timberlake
Charlie I mesmerized by Rachel and gets lost in her presence. He scurries up enough courage to call her while he is out on the town. “You probably don’t remember me (why should you?) but in fact we met at the party in August? August 9th? I was wondering…” (Aims 29) I chose this song because I feel that it exasperates how infatuated a person could be with someone else, for example one moment in the song Timberlake explains how this girl of his dreams has been running through his mind all day. “She lit a cigarette. That would give me five precious minutes in which to think” (Aims 30). Charlie continues on to intensely describe Rachel and every detail about her body, while still informing us that she was “a bit out of (his) my league really.” (Aims 30)

Day Dream Lupe Fiasco
I felt that this song is a good interpretation of the novel, The Lust Diaries because Chauncey would have moments that she daydreams about how life in the US could, but she continues to wake up on the Island. Chauncey wishes and hopes for a better future and eventually releasing her diary and the stories about her past sets her up for success. This song is the ultimate day dream, waking up and imagining this world that is perfectly perfect and what you know your life is supposed to be like.
In relation to The Rachel Papers, I feel that Charlie in the beginning was just dreaming about what he and Rachel could have, and eventually his dream becomes a reality for a moment. Charlie can’t wait for the moment that he is able to see, spend time and sleep with Rachel. Although his “dreams” were accomplishing teenage things before he became an adult, Chauncey’s ultimate dream other than happiness is Love.
Girls Girls Girls- Jay Z
I chose this song because in reading the novel it seems as if Charlie is all about sex. Sex seems to be an important part of his life, or maybe it was just the idea of sex, since he never had sex with Coco. “Coco was the sixteen year old daughter of a Lebanese economics professor. I kept our correspondence because it made me feel active and in demand, and because I like showing off in letters” (59) Charlie is what I would call an attention whore. He wants to be noticed although he doesn’t think he looks the best he still feels that he deserves the consideration.
Girls Girls Girls is a song about a man who is in love with women. I felt that it was fitting for the novel, especially after reading the section about how Charlie felt he had enough never to call Rachel immediately after sleeping with Gloria. This song could also be on the soundtrack for The Lust Diaries because even though the title is about Girls, it’s about someone who is in love with the opposite sex. Chauncey isn’t in love with Guys but the idea of ultimate happiness with the one guy that she is supposed to be with.

Amis, Martin. The Rachel Papers. 1973. Vintage International. 13-19. EBook.