My condolences. I can't see the relationships. I think that professor needs a stake driven through his/her heart. Don't pay any attention to Gareth, I think he saw a third-rate movie (I saw it on TV as well) that had little to do with the original novel. Or maybe that is where this teacher got the idea and Gareth is on the right track.

Some literature instructors are OK. After reading and analyzing about a dozen novels, the final exam question was: "Select one book. In one page tell what it means to me, to me!" After floundering thoughts about the "great novels" and more than half the time gone, I selected one that hadn't received much attention, a tale by Conrad. His story was the only one that had made a lasting impression on me.