


She also plays a more crucial role in Kunta’s journey whereas in the novel she has only one scene, and is never captured along with Kunta. The character of Fanta is a widow at least twenty years Kunta’s senior in the novel, while she is portrayed as closer to his age in the miniseries. Kunta has two other brothers besides Lamin, named Suwadu and Madi in the novel, while he is only referred to as having two brothers in total in the television adaptation. Also Nyo Boto seems to be Kunta’s maternal grandmother in the television adaptation whereas the novel portrays her as a family friend and someone who fills the void left when Yaisa dies. The Character of Nyo Boto is a combination of the same character in the novel as well as Kunta’s paternal grandmother Yaisa. The book records the early life and adolescence of Kunta Kinte in Juffure while the miniseries covers only his birth and teenage years before his capture. Thus, presumably Kunta would have mentioned Sireng shortly after mentioning Kairaba. While Sireng, Kairaba’s first wife, is not referenced in the miniseries as in the book, it is important to note that Kunta’s narrative to his daughter is the final scene of the episode (the audio gradually tapers off with Kairaba’s name barely distinguishable). Kunta’s grandfather, Kairaba Kunta Kinte, is mentioned only once, at the very end of the third episode, as Kunta is describing his newborn daughter Kizzy’s Mandinka lineage to her. Additionally, Murray’s first name is not revealed in the book, whereas Harvey is given the first name Samuel in the miniseries. Waller is changed to Reynolds, Lea is changed to Moore, and Murray is changed to Harvey. The differences include:Īll the characters’ surnames are different.


Differences Between the Roots Television Series And Book There are numerous differences between the miniseries and novel that it is based on. The last seven chapters of the novel were later adapted in the form of a second mini-series, Roots: The Next Generations, in 1979. The novel spent 46 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List, including 22 weeks in that list’s top spot. The release of the novel, combined with its hugely popular televisiontelevision adaptation, Roots (1977), led to a cultural sensation in the United States. It portrays the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his alleged descendants in the U.S. Roots, a novel by Alex Haley, was published in 1976. Roots: The Saga of An American Family Television Mini Series
