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Week Five Essay:

Detective and mystery fiction has frequently and quite successfully been adapted to the big screen. Do you prefer detection in print or on film? What can be done (or done better) in one medium that can't be done (or done as well) in the other?

Lots of novels, especially detective and mystery fiction are turned into movies. Some are successful and others are not. I have always preferred novels to the movies. Reading lets me use my imagination to visualize the characters and the setting. In addition, the movie usually changes some parts of the story and adds or leaves out important parts of the plot. From the all of the movies that we have seen, I liked //The Maltese Falcon// the best. It is very similar to the book and I thought most of the characters were cast perfectly. I think the way that directors and scriptwriters can make a successful movie from a book is to stick to the plotline of the book.

Detective fiction was first conceived and introduced by Edgar Allan Poe. From then on detective fiction has grown and captured the attention of many people. It was inevitable that written detective fiction would be transferred into film. Many authors of detective fiction went to Hollywood because they knew they would quickly become wealthy and famous. For example, Walter Mosley, who wrote __Devil in a Blue Dress__, helped produced the film version of his book. Raymond Chandler, who wrote my favorite novel __The Big Sleep__, helped write the screenplay of James M. Cain’s, __Double Indemnity.__ Even William Faulkner went to Hollywood and contributed to the script for the film version of Raymond Chandler 's __ The Big Sleep. __    I liked Walter Mosley’s novel __Devil in a Blue Dress__, however, I thought the movie was terrible. This surprised me because Mosley helped produce the film version of the book. The casting was excellent with Denzel Washington as detective Easy and Don Cheadle as Mouse but so many vital parts were left out or changed. For example, the character of Zeppo was not in the movie version of __Devil in a Blue Dress__. Even though Zeppo is a mentally disabled alcoholic who only appeared in one chapter of the novel, I thought he was very important character that brought comic relief to the story. In addition, Zeppo unintentionally helps Easy find information about the gangster, Frank Green. Stuttering, Zeppo asks Blue, “Y-y-you-ou s-sellin’, B-Blue?” (181). Blue, along with many others, receives stolen alcohol from Frank Green at a cheaper price. By asking Blue if he is selling, Zeppo makes Easy’s life much simpler. The characters of Daphne Monet and Mr. Carter were slightly changed. In the novel, Mr. Carter was madly in love with Daphne and would do anything for her. In the movie, he seemed less in love and interested more with his career and money. Daphne Monet was not such a big character in the movie. I almost felt like the plot was more important that the characters sometimes. Daphne was not the important one but the picture she possessed of Matthew Teran got all the attention. I think the transition of __Devil in a Blue Dress__ from novel to film was not very successful because so many things were changed. The story was interesting and kept me guessing and I expected the same from the movie but it did not work. Next, I think the author of a novel has more time to explain the plot and the characters with words while the movie has to do a lot of the explaining visually. For example, in the novel __The Maltese Falcon__, Brigid O’Shaughnessy was described as, “ …tall and pliantly slender, without angularity anywhere…The hair curling from under her blue hat was darkly red, her full lips more brightly red” (4). Mary Astor was definitely nothing like the description of Brigid or the image I had of her in my head. I imagined a redheaded version of Angelina Jolie. I could have disregarded her looks if she was a better actor but I think it was hard for her to take on the role of a femme fatale like Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Sam Spade was played Humphrey Bogart who I thought was excellent. My favorite character in the novel and the movie was Joel Cairo who was played by Peter Lorre. Peter Lorre steals all of the scenes that he is in playing the effeminate thief looking for the jeweled falcon. His voice and huge eyes makes me laugh. It is hard for directors to find actors who match the author’s creations and to transfer words into images. When it comes to //The Maltese Falcon//, I think the actors and the directors did a great job staying close to the narrative. I think that something extraordinary can be only written once. That is why I always read the novel first before watching the movie. The movie has to transfer a two hundred to three hundred page book into two hours and I think that is a very difficult job. It’s even more difficult to make it a good movie. //The Maltese Falcon// did not change the plot like //Devil in a Blue Dress// and that is why it was a more satisfying movie. When I go watch a movie version of a novel I expect it to be similar to the book. I am only going to watch it if I enjoyed the book and when the movie is very different from the book I find it very disappointing. I find reading more enjoyable because I have a picture of it playing in my head. I visualize the characters, setting, and how the dialogue is spoken. I guess I just like to control a little bit of the story.

Week Four Essay:  In what notable ways does hard-boiled detection differ from classic detection and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each?

Hard-boiled detection differs from classic detection in many ways. Classic detection deals with the question “Whodunit?” while hard-boiled detection deals with the question of “What the hell is going on?” Unlike classic detection, the hard-boiled detective has more to figure out then just who killed that person or who stole the letter. The hard-boiled detective must become actively involved in solving the crime, which usually takes place in an urban setting. Also, the culprit is usually part of a gang or a conspiracy, different from the criminals in classic detection, who commit the crime accidentally or for personal gain. Furthermore, hard-boiled detection is almost always written in first-person while classic detection is written in third person. Hard-boiled detection allows the reader to experience the events and feelings that the detective experiences. A first-person narrative builds the character of the detective and the reader is able to relate to or disagree with his/her dilemmas and moral standings.

In classic detection the detective has to answer the question “Whodunit?” For example, in Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” the amateur detective Dupin has to figure out who murdered Madame L’Espanaye and Mademoiselle L’Espanaye. Dupin uses deductive reasoning which includes gathering facts, formulating a theory, proving his theory, and finally explaining his conclusions to the reader and narrator. The reader never knows when Dupin actually figures out the mystery. It is a mystery to us and the narrator until he explains himself. The hard-boiled detective has a harder job because he has to figure out “What the hell is going on?” In most hard-boiled stories the plot is more intricate and involves more people. For instance, in the book __The Big Sleep__ by Raymond Chandler, the detective, Philip Marlowe has to solve a missing person’s case, a stolen photograph, and many murders. Not only does Marlowe have to solve all of these mysteries but his is actively involved in the action. In the very beginning of the novel Marlowe disguises himself at Geiger’s bookstore to find out why Geiger has been trying to bribe General Sternwood. He describes his attire saying, “I had on horn-rimmed sunglasses on. I put my voice high and let a bird twitter in it” (23). Marlowe is very smart and always careful about what he says and who he says it to. He also puts himself in harms way when he discovers that Carmen Sternwood is the one who killed Rusty. Carmen takes him down to the oil wells because she wants Marlowe to teach her how to shoot. He doesn’t tell her that he loaded the gun with blanks. She pulls the gun out on him and then he knows that she killed Rusty. He says, “I laughed at her. I started to walk towards her. I saw her small finger tighten on the trigger and grow white at the tip. I was about six feet away from her when she started to shoot” (219). Marlowe laughs because he knows he is not going to get hurt and he eventually takes her down. Classic detection definitely does not have the multiple plots and action that hard-boiled detection does. Classic detection usually only has one major problem that the detective has to solve and that is always “Whodunit.” What makes hard-boiled detection so interesting and exciting to read is the fact that it is written in first person. The reader does not have to rely on the narrator to tell the story like in classic detection. In hard-boiled detection the detective is telling the story and the reader gets a first-hand idea about how the detective thinks and feels. Hard-boiled detection is more character-driven than classic detection. In classic detective stories like Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Purloined Letter,” the reader knows very little about Dupin. The only details we get are that he is very intelligent and loves analysis. The narrator wonders, “At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic ability in Dupin” (6). Dupin’s intelligence and analytic ability allows him to be an amateur detective but still solve every mystery he comes across. I tried to relate to and like the character of Dupin but it is very difficult when you do not know anything about him. On the contrary, hard-boiled detectives like Philip Marlowe and Easy Rawlins from Walter Mosley’s novel, __Devil in a Blue Dress__, are relatable and interestingly complex. They do not seem superhuman like Dupin but the reader can understand and maybe relate to many of the dilemmas that they come across. For example, Easy is a war veteran and recently gets fired from his job. He has to pay for his mortgage and that how he gets involved with the gangster Mr. Dewitt Albright. He says, “I knew I was going to take Albright’s money and do whatever he wanted me to, providing it was legal, because that little house of mine needed me and I wasn’t going about to let her down” (57). Easy feels a special connection with his house because it is the only thing he owns and he loves it. Any reader can relate to Easy’s situation, he is trying to save something he loves. Hard-boiled detection is more interesting to read for me because it is more character driven than classic detection. In all the hard-boiled detection stories and novels that we have read, I am always rooting for the detective even if he is breaking the law or degrading women because in the end they are on the good side. In conclusion, I find hard-boiled detection more interesting and fun to read. I like the complexity of the detectives because I think that makes the story. Classic detection is more plot-oriented and gives very little detail about the detective. Even though I prefer hard-boiled detection, classic detection was invented first by Edgar Allan Poe who is one of my favorite authors. I think that the genre of detective fiction has grown and evolved from Poe to Mosley, from classic to hard-boiled and it will continue to entice readers for a long time.

Week Three Essay: Revised In what ways do female sleuths diverge from their male counterparts, and what is significant about the differences between them? There is a definite and obvious difference between male detectives and female detectives. Female sleuths are not taken seriously and there is always some type of prejudice against them or females in general. Also, most female detectives rely on intuition rather than ratiocination, something that the male detectives use. Generally, female sleuths are more emotional and sympathetic toward the criminals than the male sleuths. The thing that is most significant about the differences between male and female sleuths is that the women are knowledgeable about other women’s lives and they are observant of their social surroundings. The men are not observant and knowledgeable in that regard, however, they are quick to make judgments.

In the story “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell the main characters and accidental detectives are Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Both women are rural housewives who uncover all of the clues needed to solve the murder of Mr. Wright. The find out that Mrs. Wright really did kill her husband but they conceal the evidence to protect her. Mrs. Hale knows that Mr. Wright was a horrible man. She explains to Mrs. Peters saying, “He didn’t drink, and kept his word as well as most, I guess, and paid his debts. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the day with him—like a raw wind that gets to the bone” (170). Mrs. Hale understands what life would have been like for Mrs. Wright living with Mr. Wright. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters put themselves in Mrs. Wright’s place and realize that they probably would have done the same thing. Mrs. Hale ponders to herself about Mrs. Wright’s horrible situation thinking, “…year after year, to have that stove to wrestle with. The thought of Minnie Foster trying to bake in that oven—and the thought of her never going to see Minnie Foster” (167). Mrs. Hale understands the everyday struggles that women have to endure and knows that Mr. Wright only made it worse for his wife. In this case, both the women think that Mrs. Wright is more of a victim than a criminal.

Male detectives do not think with their emotions at all. A prime example of this is Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Both of these characters are described as analyzers and thinking machines. For example, Watson is always amazed by Holmes’ ability to figure out things so quickly. He describes Holmes character fondly saying, “He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in the following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by police officials” (1). Watson clearly thinks Holmes is a very intelligent person and a non-stop theorist. The narrator in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is in awe of Dupin’s phenomenal analytical abilities. He says, “At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its exercise—if not exactly in its display—and did not hesitate to confess the pleasure thus derived” (6). Both of these male detectives use ratiocination to solve mysteries unlike the female sleuths who use intuition and emotions.

Lastly, male detectives are quick to make negative judgment against females. In “A Jury of Her Peers” the sheriff laughs at the women who were talking about Mrs. Wright’s quilting saying, “They wonder whether she was going to quilt it or just knot it! There was a laugh for the ways of women…” (167). Also, in “The Blue Geranium” by Agatha Christie, Mrs. Marple is described by a woman as the “…typical old maid of fiction. Quite a dear, but hopelessly behind the times” (231). Some women, along with the men, are critical of other women. So, women not only have to battle critical men but also women. However, interestingly in both of these stories and many others women have solved the mysteries that men could not.

Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” was the only story where a detective was defeated by a woman. In the story, Irene Adler outsmarts and outwits Sherlock Holmes when he is trying to get a photograph that she has of Holmes’ client, King Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein. Holmes describes Irene Alder saying, “Oh, she has turned all the men's heads down in that part. She is the daintiest thing under a bonnet on this planet.” Obviously, Holmes does not think that women can be beautiful and intelligent. However, Irene Adler uncovers Holmes’s plan to steal her photograph and she and her husband vanish the next day. She does, nevertheless, leave Holmes a note saying, “Well, I followed you to your door, and so made sure that I was really an object of interest to the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Then I, rather imprudently, wished you good-night, and started for the Temple to see my husband.  "We both thought the best resource was flight, when pursued by so formidable an antagonist; so you will find the nest empty when you call to-morrow. As to the photograph, your client may rest in peace. I love and am loved by a better man than he. The King may do what he will without hindrance from one whom he has cruelly wronged. I keep it only to safeguard myself, and to preserve a weapon which will always secure me from any steps which he might take in the future. I leave a photograph which he might care to possess…” In the end, Irene Adler becomes the detective by following Holmes back to his house. Also, she is smart enough to keep the letter in case the King thinks to give her any trouble again. Holmes never forgets Irene Adler. He is both in awe of her and despises her because she outsmarted him. Watson observes Holmes’s behavior and says, “He used to make merry over the cleverness of women, but I have not heard him do it of late. And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable title of the woman.”

In conclusion, male and female detectives definitely think differently, however, one thing that is similar and the most important is that they always think about their clients first. In “A Jury of Her Peers” Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both consider how Mrs. Wright must have felt living with Mr. Wright all of those years. Irene Adler was her own client and looked out for herself. It is a known fact that men and women think differently so of course they are going to solves mysteries differently.

Week Three Essay: In what ways do female sleuths diverge from their male counterparts, and what is significant about the differences between them? There is a definite and obvious difference between male detectives and female detectives. Female sleuths are not taken seriously and there is always some type of prejudice against them or females in general. Also, most female detectives rely on intuition rather than ratiocination, something that the male detectives use. Generally, female sleuths are more emotional and sympathetic toward the criminals than the male sleuths. The thing that is most significant about the differences between male and female sleuths is that the women are knowledgeable about other women’s’ lives and they are observant of their social surroundings. The men are not observant and knowledgeable in that regard, however, they are quick to make judgments. In the story, “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell the main characters and unprompted detectives are Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Both women are rural housewives who uncover all of the clues needed to solve the murder of Mr. Wright. The find out that Mrs. Wright really did kill her husband but they conceal the evidence to protect her. Mrs. Hale knew that Mr. Wright was a horrible man. She explains to Mrs. Peters saying, “He didn’t drink, and kept his word as well as most, I guess, and paid his debts. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the day with him—like a raw wind that gets to the bone” (170). Mrs. Hale understands what life would have been like for Mrs. Wright living with Mr. Wright. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters put themselves in Mrs. Wrights place and realize that they probably would have done the same thing. Mrs. Hale ponders to herself about Mrs. Wrights horrible situation thinking, “…year after year, to have that stove to wrestle with. The thought of Minnie Foster trying to bake in that oven—and the thought of her never going to see Minnie Foster” (167). Mrs. Hale understands the everyday struggles that women have to endure and knew that Mr. Wright only made it worse for his wife. In this case, both the women think that Mrs. Wright is more of a victim than a criminal. Male detectives do not think with their emotions at all. A prime example of this is Edgar Allan Poe’s main detective Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Both of these characters are described as analyzers and thinking machines. For example, Watson is always amazed by Holmes’ ability to figure out things so quickly. He describes Holmes character fondly saying, “He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in the following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by police officials” (1). Watson clearly thinks Holmes is a very intelligent person and a non-stop theorist. The narrator in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is in awe of Dupin’s phenomenal analytical abilities. He says, “At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its exercise—if not exactly in its display—and did not hesitate to confess the pleasure thus derived” (6). Both of these male detectives use ratiocination to solve mysteries unlike the female sleuths who use intuition and emotions. Lastly, male detectives are quick to make negative judgments against females. In “A Jury of Her Peers” the sheriff laughs at the women who were talking about Mrs. Wright’s quilting saying, “They wonder whether she was going to quilt it or just knot it! There was a laugh for the ways of women…” (167). Also, in “The Blue Geranium” by Agatha Christie, Mrs. Marple is described as the “…typical old maid of fiction. Quite a dear, but hopelessly behind the times” (231). However, in both of these stories and many others women have solved the mysteries that men could not.

Week Two Essay Revised:

n my opinion, “Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe is an interesting and satisfying detective story. Poe writes with such detail and clarity that the reader wants to read on. While reading “Murders in the Rue Morgue” I could imagine the way that Dupin looked, the layout of Madame L’Espanaye’s house, and the horrific and bloody aftermath of the killings. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is especially interesting because it is an example of a “locked room mystery”. A “locked room mystery” is a case in which the detective has to figure out how the murderer entered the room. Poe’s main character and detective, Dupin, is a brilliant man who has all the necessary traits of being a great detective. Dupin is observant, intelligent, and analytical. Also, I thought this story had a great twist at the end. The reader finds out the murders were not really murders at all because an orangutan killed the two women. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is an example of a “locked room mystery”. A “locked room mystery” is a type of case where the detective has to figure out how the murderer got into the room because all the entry ways are supposedly locked. In this story, C. Auguste Dupin, who is not a professional detective but always unravels the mystery, has to figure out how the “murderer” got into a fourth story house of the owned by Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter, Mademoiselle Camille L’Espanaye, and brutally killed them. I think Poe was very clever to use this type of method to write a detective mystery. With a “locked room” scenario, the reader can follow the detective and try to figure out how the murderer entered the room. When I first read this story, I remember going back to the previous pages and re-reading the description of Madame L’Espanaye’s room. I kept thinking there was something important that I missed. However, in class the next day, we discussed how some authors never mean for the reader to solve the mystery and it’s all just a trick. I think that was Poe’s goal. There is no way the reader could have solved the case by discovering the nail that was loose on the window. I especially like the character of Dupin. I like his high level intelligence and the fact that he’s not a real detective but somehow manages to solve all these cases before the police. This makes him unusual and someone that I would like to meet. Though we never find out much about his personal life, the narrator explains to us that he does not work. According to the speaker Dupin, “…was of an excellent—indeed of an illustrious family…there still remained in his possession a small remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income arising from this, he managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to procure the necessaries of life, without troubling himself with its superfluities” (5). Dupin does not work but lives off of the little money that he has inherited. The most interesting part of this is that Dupin solves crimes and collects the reward money. I thought this was great because Dupin is not just solving the crime for the good but because he gets something from doing it. Another way that Poe strings the reader along is by revealing that the “murderer” was actually an orangutan. This means the murders are not actually murders at all. Dupin ends up finding animal hair in Madame L’Espanaye’s hand that the police missed. When Dupin shows the narrator the hair he exclaims, “Dupin! This hair is most unusual—this is no human hair” (23). And then other clues lead him to conclude that an orangutan, brought to France by ship, escaped and killed the two women. The idea of Dupin finding major clues that the police missed are hard to believe but in the end the reader is aware that it is a fictional story. Even though some parts of the story are questionable, Poe does an excellent job of keeping the reader engrossed in his story. I love his style of writing. Poe describes everything in such detail, even the horrific murders of the two women. Poe lets the reader visualize the blood splatter across the room, the hair caught in Madame L’Espanaye’s hand, and the way the woman was stuffed into the chimney. In conclusion, I think “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is an exciting detective story. Poe writes with such great detail and clarity that the reader feels like he or she is at the scene of the crime, standing next to Dupin. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is the first story in the detective fiction genre and I think Poe did a wonderful job writing this story and I enjoyed it very much.