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Chris Vache’ 6/8/09 English 3221 Prof. Gruesser Essay #3 Revision Male and female sleuths have been different for as long as there have been detective stories. In their own way, these differences have made for some interesting competition between the sexes on both a personal and professional level that I’ve found to be very entertaining. In stories that feature one or both genders, there is an endless series debates concerning a woman’s competence and subtle insults about her gender. The following paragraphs will attempt to list the differences between the male and female detectives, such as sensitivity to victim’s families and methods of crime-solving, and the effect they have had on the average reader. The male detective is a perfect example of an investigator who is calm and collected. Throughout the entire investigation, he maintains his composure and is able to provide an almost clinical analysis of the crime and solve the crime within a few days time. Some examples of this kind of male detective are Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, and Sam Spade, the most famous of the male detectives. All three of these men, when investigating a crime, devote their full attention to the case and don’t rest until it’s been solved. They are able to block out their emotions so that the case can be solved with an almost repetitive level of devotion. Another similarity is their treatment of women, which is condescending at best. What makes these men different, however is their highly professional level of conduct during a case. While Dupin will sometimes resort to dirty tactics to find the guilty party and Holmes will maintain an almost ethical code of conduct during his investigations, Spade has no compunctions about resorting to the same tactics as Dupin in order to pursue the perpetrator of a crime. As investigators, Female detectives achieve the same kind of results as male detectives, but with slightly different methods than their male counterparts. They’re less inclined to keep their emotions in check, which allows them to consider other possibilities that wouldn’t occur to men. A few examples of famous female detectives include Miss Jane Marple and Jessica Fletcher of //Murder, She Wrote//. Although they don’t possess the same level of professional dedication and status as their male counterparts, they have an uncanny level of intuition that enables them to empathize with the people they talk to, enabling them to reach conclusions with a greater level of ease than male detectives. The advantage to this is that the female detective is more open-minded, considerate, and understanding. Unfortunately, this also means she’s vulnerable to the possibilities of having her objectivity compromised and being manipulated by either the evidence or information obtained from a witness/suspect. To conclude, while there are advantages and disadvantages associated with each gender, it’s these differences that make for exciting reading. Some of the locations where the stories take place also make a significant difference to how the detective goes about solving the crime he/she is investigating. For example, Sam Spade’s home turf of San Francisco helped him to loose the tails put on him and Ms. O’Shaughnessy in //The// //Maltese Falcon//. On the female detective side, Jessica Fletcher’s knowledge of Cabot Cove, Maine in //Murder, She Wrote// has helped her trick a criminal into confessing or to discover if someone’s been sent to spy on her. Miss Marple likewise uses her knowledge of St. Mary Mead in a similar fashion. Female detectives may not be as tough and efficient as male ones, but they sure know how to deal with unusual situations much better than most men could hope to.

Chris Vache’ 5/29/09 English 3221 Prof. Gruesser Essay #2 Revision In my opinion, Edgar Allan Poe’s //The Murders in the Rue Morgue// is justly regarded the first modern detective story. It features a crime, victims, and the one man who is able to solve the crime by using methods that the police normally wouldn’t consider using for any number of reasons. Since this is the first detective story, it’s understandable that people who haven’t read it before don’t understand it. What most people often forget about any kind of genre is that it isn’t great at first. It sometimes takes several attempts before a genre becomes so familiar that readers everywhere want to read more of it. At first glance, this story is incredibly drawn out. It seems to take an incredible amount of time to get from the beginning of the story to the point when the murders take place. Although it does get annoying, as I said it’s understandable since this is the beginning of a new genre. What I found to be unusual was the list of witnesses to the crime and the detailed information that they gave to Dupin, the “hero” of this story. To me, this was the most interesting thing about the entire story. In all of the detective stories I’ve read, I’ve never gotten this kind of detailed information before. While this kind of detail is interesting, I don’t see it being used on any detective story in the future, due to the fact that some people may find the similarities to other detective stories to be annoying, at best. What I found interesting about this story was that it was written in a first-person style that was similar to the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, although Poe was the first author that I know of to use the particular style in this kind of a story. This kind of writing style is unique because it tells the story from the perspective of one person, in this case Dupin’s unnamed assistant. The advantage of this kind of narrative is that the reader is able to gain insight into the detective and his methods. The disadvantage, however, is that this style narrows the reader’s perspective, preventing him or her from noticing important clues or information until either much later in the story or not at all. My impression of what detective and mystery fiction should be is something that grips the reader and doesn’t let him or her go until after the very end of the story. As long as there is any element in the story that keeps the reader hooked, you know that the story is going to be undeniably successful. All of the stories that I’ve read so far have managed to keep my interest piqued all the way through, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. This story has definitely exceeded my expectations of what a detective story should be, despite how drawn out it was. It was one of the most memorable stories that I’ve ever read in my life, and I look forward to reading again in the near future.

Chris Vache’ 6/22/09 English 3221 Prof. Gruesser Essay #5

In my opinion, detection is best told in movies than in print. Although printed

detective stories give the reader a chance to utilize his or her imagination, movies give

the audience a chance to see their favorite detective story in a way that they would’ve

never imagined in their lives. It’s simply uncanny how a detective story can seem more

real when it’s made into a movie. I shall now attempt to describe the advantages and

disadvantages to this statement.

When a detective story is made into a movie, both moviegoers and readers alike

will get the chance to see the story in a whole new light. Anytime this happens, it’s

highly likely that there will be a new way to tell the story that will be even more

enjoyable than the novel itself could ever hope to be. One can always expect movies like

this to have an excellent cast, from Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney

Greenstreet’s performances in //The Maltese Falcon// to Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals,

and Don Cheadle’s performances in //Devil In A Blue Dress//. As long as the casting is

done right, there’s no way a movie can do wrong.

The downside to this is that there’s no guarantee that the movie version of the

detective story will follow the book. While //The Maltese Falcon// more or less followed

the story featured in the book, //Devil In A Blue Dress// completely shifted plotlines. In the

novel, the focus was on the woman, but in the movie, the focus was diverted to the

pictures that Daphne wanted back in her possession. Another example of difference deals

with change of characters, which can be seen in two movie adaptations of //Murder on the//

//Orient Express//. In one version, the character of M. Bouc is changed to Signor Bianchi,

giving the character an Italian background allowing him to connect with the character

backgrounds of Ratchet a.k.a. Cassetti and Foscarelli. In a recent, more modernized

version, The character of Bouc is present, but the characters of Dr. Constantine and Greta

Ohlsson have been completely removed. The only problem that I see with this kind of

change is the potential to alter the story in such a way that will have a negative

reaction to anyone who sees it.

Despite the negative aspects that I’ve mentioned, I still believe that movies are a

better format for detective stories than books. Movies provide a greater escape from

reality than books, because movies already have characters and places established, thus

relieving the average person from the burden of thinking too much. Another advantage

that movies have is how its music has the ability to affect people in even the smallest

capacity. You can get incredibly energized when you hear the dramatic music signaling a

big fight or even be driven to tears when the music changes to a sentimental mood. There

are other ways that a person can be affected by both music and scenery, the trick is to

find that combination and use it to draw audiences in so much that they want to see it

multiple times. This, above all else, is why movies are better for detective stories than

novels.

Chris Vache’ 6/15/09 English 3221 Prof. Gruesser Essay #4

For most people, detective fiction started out with classic characters such as

Alexander Dupin and Sherlock Holmes. However, the introduction of characters such as

Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe has brought a more hard-boiled type of detective fiction

to the world. With this new type of storytelling came a grittier type of detective. The

following statements will show the two different styles, as well as their respective

strengths and weaknesses.

The classic style has a place dear to our hearts because it’s the first style of

detective fiction ever written. The main hero of this style is a consummate professional,

dedicated to the pursuit of the truth above all else. The advantage to this kind of style is a

dedication to duty that is possibly incomparable to any real life detective. It shows a kind

of detective who is willing to work with a partner who joins the detective on his

adventures, recording his exploits and confirming any observations he makes. The

disadvantage to this style is that the detective has little, if any, interpersonal skills

regarding regular people. His devotion to professionalism is so high, that he can only be

civil, at best, with members of the police. Another problem is that he can become so

focused on the case, that he ignores minor details that may actually solve the case with

greater efficiency.

The hard-boiled style of detective fiction was introduced fairly recently, and

gained popularity with pulp magazines and detectives such as Sam Spade and Phillip

Marlowe. This style introduces a detective who, although just as dedicated as his classic

counterpart, is more street smart and knowledgeable about how the world works. The

advantage to this kind of style is a more gritty, down to earth style that hasn’t been used

before. It shows a detective that prefers to work alone, preferring to not have to worry

about risking the life of a partner or simply not wanting a partner at all. The disadvantage

to this kind of style is that the detective is sometimes seen as being as bad as the

criminals he’s trying to pursue. Although he appears to have an unwavering ethical code,

he sometimes bends it to achieve the results he desires to obtain.

To conclude, there isn’t anything about both styles that can make them seem

excellent or terrible to most readers. The good and bad points I mentioned earlier can

appeal to readers in varying ways. The trick is to take those points and use them to make

the story more enjoyable for you to read. Whether you preference is classic or hard-

boiled, one thing remains constant, the detective in the story is trying to solve the crime

in the best way possible. What is enjoyable about both stories is that sometimes, the

detective doesn’t always catch the guilty party. If anything, it helps to make the detective

seem more relatable to the common reader, and thus motivates the reader to read the

entire book to see where he went wrong.

Chris Vache’ 6/8/09 English 3221 Prof. Gruesser Essay #3

Male and female sleuths have been different for as long as there have been

detective stories. In their own way, these differences have made for some interesting

competition between the sexes on both a personal and professional level that I’ve found

to be very entertaining. In stories that feature one or both genders, there is an endless

series debates concerning a woman’s competence and subtle insults about her gender.

The following paragraphs will attempt to list the differences between the male and female

detectives, and the effect they have had on the average reader.

The male detective is a perfect example of an investigator who is calm and

collected. Throughout the entire investigation, he maintains his composure and is able to

provide an almost clinical analysis of the crime and provide a suspect within a few days

time. Some examples of this kind of male detective are Alexander Dupin, Sherlock

Holmes, and Sam Spade, the most famous of the male detectives. All three of these men,

when investigating a crime, devote their full attention to the case and don’t rest until it’s

been solved. They are able to block out their emotions so that the case can be solved

with an almost clinical level of devotion. Another similarity is their treatment of women,

which is condescending at best. What makes these men different, however is their

level of conduct during a case. While Dupin and Holmes maintain an almost ethical code

of conduct during their investigations, Spade has no compunctions about resorting

to dirty tactics in order to pursue the perpetrator of a crime.

Female detectives are the kind of investigator that achieves the same kind of

results as male detectives, but with slightly different methods than their male

counterparts. They’re less inclined to keep their emotions in check, which allows them to

consider other possibilities that wouldn’t occur to anyone else. A few examples of

famous female detectives include Miss Jane Marple and Jessica Fletcher of //Murder, She//

//Wrote//. Although they don’t possess the same level of professional dedication as their

male counterparts, they have in uncanny level of intuition that enables them to emphasize

with the people they talk to, enabling them to reach conclusions with a greater level of

ease than male detectives. The advantage to this is that the female detective is more

open-minded, considerate, and open-minded. Unfortunately, this also means she’s

vulnerable to the possibilities of having her objectivity compromised and being

manipulated by either the evidence or information obtained from a witness/suspect.

To conclude, while the advantages and disadvantages associated with each

gender, it’s these differences that make for exciting reading. Some of the locations where

the stories take place also makes a significant difference to how the detective goes about

solving the crime he/she is investigating. For example, Sam Spade’s home turf of San

Francisco helped him to loose the tails put on him and Ms. O’Shaughnessy in //The//

//Maltese Falcon//. On the female detective side, Jessica Fletcher’s knowledge of Cabot

Cove, Maine in //Murder, She Wrote// has helped her trick a criminal into confessing or to

discover if someone’s been sent to spy on her. Female detectives may not be as tough

and efficient as male ones, but they sure know how to deal with unusual situations much

better than most men could hope to.