sylvana


 * __Week Five Online Essay Question:__**

 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?  Many novels have been adapted to the big screen, among them are: Dashiell Hammet’s “The Maltese Falcon,” Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep” and “Double Indemnity ,” and Walter Mosley’s “Devil In A Blue Dress.” Even though some of the adaptations were very successful such as “Double Indemnity” – It was listed at number 38 on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 American films of all time—(Wikipedia) I find it very hard to choose between detection in print or on film. I cannot generalize my choice because it depends on the novel itself, its adaptation to the big screen and the cast that portray the characters. When comparing a novel to its adaptation many arguable aspects emerge. Some of these aspects are: the length, Censorship, action, humor, and venetian blind effects.

Looking back at “The Maltese Falcon” that I have read and seen during this course I can certainly say that the movie is more condensed than the novel. Therefore length is an important factor that can be excessive in print than it is in film. If an adaptation of a novel is followed exactly, the result would be a film that is longer than the standard of ninety minutes. Yet, sometimes the brevity is caused by more significant reasons one of them is censorship.

Because of censorship, “The Maltese Falcon” transition from book- to- film is altered. In the story on page 89 a paragraph relays that Spade and Bridgid had sex. However, this part is omitted from the film and replaced with a statement that they have slept together. This modification is made by the filmmakers who have to answer to studio owners, producers and managers. Therefore, in print a writer can infuse his novel with sexual content that cannot be showed on film. On the other hand, action in detection has a better appeal in film.

When it comes to comparison between action and suspense in print or on film, there is no doubt that the film does a great job. This is seen in both adaptations of “The Maltese Falcon” and “Double Indemnity.” Even though the first is a straightforward presentation and the latter is a flashback organization the action is definitely animate in both films than it is in the prints. Even the humor and sarcasm are more apparent in the films than they are in the print. This notion is evident in Peter Lorre’s facial expressions, his reactions and replies in “The Maltese Falcon.”

Another questionable aspect between detection in print and detection on film is the venetian blind effects. An adaptation to the big screen can highlight-- with a Venetian blind effect-- an important part of the print that the most elaborate description fails to achieve. The effect on Bridgid face in the last scene of “The Maltese Falcon” confirms this notion, the elevator door looks like a jail’s bars closing on her.

These characteristics are few of many that can be done in one medium and cannot be done in other. However, deciding whether I prefer detection in print or on film is a choice that I cannot generalize. As I have stated earlier my choice will be based on the novel itself compared to its adaptation and the cast.


 * __Works Cited__**

Handout: "Double Indemnity." Wikipedia, th free encyclopedia.

**__Week Four Online Essay Question:__** In what notable ways does hard-boiled detection differ from classic detection and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
The detective fiction began in1841 with Edgar Allen Poe’s novel “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”Since then, there have been two major types of detective fiction: Classic and Hard-boiled. Most of the Classic mysteries can be classified under one title (Whodunit), and the Hard-boiled mysteries under another title (What the hell is going on). From this point of view, Classic and Hard-boiled detection differ on the basis that classic detection focuses on solving the mystery or the puzzle while given a set of clues, and the Hard-boiled detection emphasizes on actions, sex, characters and dialogue. The following is a comparison between a Classic and a Hard-boiled detection that substantiates this point of view: Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is one of many classic detections that revolve around solving an intellectual puzzle/mystery, while emphasizing on the plot over the aristocratic characters. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Helen Stoner, a young aristocratic woman, seeks Sherlock Holmes’ help to uncover the mysterious death of her sister, Julia. As a detached observer, Holmes, the classical detective, uses his ratiocinative thinking to solve the mystery.

His methodical investigation reveals that Dr. Roylott, Helen Stoner’s disturbed step-father, is the killer. Dr. Roylott has sent a poisonous snake to her sister Julia’s room to murder her. Then, with the whistling, he calls off the snake and makes it climb up through the bell cord and go back through the ventilator that connects to his room. Holmes perceives Roylott’s intention of killing Helen so Holmes attacks the snake and sends it back in the same way to Roylott’s room. The furious snake bites the step-father, and, within seconds he is dead.

Although, Holmes is indirectly responsible for Roylott’s death, he doesn’t have any regrets. He believes that somehow moral order is restored. However, all along the account Holmes is represented by Watson, the narrator, as a well composed detective who uses mild language. Even when Roylott visits him in his office and calls him a “scoundrel,” a “meddler,” a “busybody” and a “Scotland Yard Jack-in-office”, Holmes answers these accusations with a composed comment “When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draught.” This characteristic of the Classic detection is replaced by different kind in the Hard-boiled detection which is clearly noticeable in Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep.”

In “The Big Sleep” the narrator is detective Philip Marlowe himself. Through his narration we enter a new world of detection, the Hard-boiled detection. Marlowe is hired by an elderly Millionaire, General Sternwood, to track down a blackmailer named Arthur Gwynn Geiger. In order to solve the mystery Marlowe must uncover multiple layers of shells and the search upon which he begins his investigation leads him to a more perilous situation; he witnesses pornography, seduction, perversion, murder, and crime. He also finds himself entangled in a more dangerous game master played by Sternwood’s two troublesome daughters whose advances he rejects.

The Hard-boiled detection attempts to uncover truths about American reality which is evident in “The Big Sleep.” It presents a tougher breed of detectives and criminals living in a corrupt world. Their manner of speech toughens along with their actions; one of Marlowe’s accounts states “He wanted to fight. He shot at me like a plane from catapult, reaching for my knees in a diving tackle…for a moment it was a balance of weights.” Another apparent characteristic of Hard-boiled detection is that it describes the world realistically as we live in it; corrupt and sordid.

Both Classic and Hard-boiled detection have their strengths and weaknesses. As a beginner in this subject I find it very hard to detect them clearly. However, I can assert that for classic detection lovers, connecting the clues and solving the puzzle represent a big strength for this genre. Yet this strength is threatened by the fact that the author is constantly tricking the reader. On the other hand Hard-boiled detection drives its strength from the fact that it relays description of the real world and the crimes that occur in it. The only weakness that I can think of is that some readers might not like the harsh dialogue, the graphic and objective depiction of violence and sex.

Having compared both Classic and Hard-boiled detection I can conclude that Classic detection revolves around decoding the clues and solving the mystery meanwhile Hard-boiled detection stresses on the characters, their actions and reactions, their dialogues and the crime they commit.

In what ways do female sleuths diverge from their male counterparts, and what is significant about the differences between them? During the course of this semester, we read many mystery novels written by both genders. Among these were Carroll John Daly’s “The False Burton Combs”, Cornell Woolrich’s “Murder at the Automat”, Agatha Christie’s “The Blue Geranium”, Anna Katharine Green’s “Missing: Page Thirteen”, and Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers”. Although mystery novels are united by their genre, at the same time they prove to be different at many levels. One significant difference between them is the way male and female sleuths approach the investigation of the crime. In general, male detectives are fueled by their sense of ratiocination; therefore, they operate as thinking machines. However, female detectives are driven by their emotions and intuitions. My personal notion about female and male sleuths was the harvest of many readings yet, Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” seems to enforce this belief. In the story, Minnie Wright is accused of killing her husband. While she is being held at the jail as a suspect, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife, accompany their husbands and the attorney, George Henderson, to the Wright’s home, the scene of the crime. Even though originally Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were there to pick up personal belongings for the accused, their characters was skillfully transformed from rural women into detectives by happenstance. In the Wright’s house, while searching for some clues and trying to find out what might have occurred the day before, both males and females played the sleuths’ role ardently. As typical male detectives, Mr. Hale, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Henderson, acted like consummate analyzers; they looked for clues such as forced entry or signs of intruders around the barn. In their quest to pursue the law and solve the crime in a methodical way, they overlooked the importance of the “kitchen things” while making sure to criticize them. The sheriff words were: “Nothing here but kitchen things” and he laughed for their irrelevance. Another manly remark was emitted by the county attorney: “Dirty towels! Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?” Even Mr. Hale said mockingly: “But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?” Glaspell represented the male sleuths as stoics who cannot be swayed by softer emotions; they were obsessed with finding and convicting John Wright’s killer. On the other hand, Glaspell represented Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters as emotional and sympathetic individuals. Their sympathy towards the accused women helped them decode the clues, the “kitchen things”, which the males had ignored. Their knowledge about women’s lives, especially Mrs. Hale’s awareness of Minnie’s endurance, helped them put the pieces together and solve the mystery. The soiled towel, the broken stove, the unevenly stitched quilt, and even the dead bird somehow represented a justification of the murder. One of Mrs. Hale’s remarks was: “The law is the law—and a bad stove is a bad stove. How’d you like to cook on this?”Even Mrs. Hale had a turn of heart and said: “A person gets discouraged—and loses heart.” Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters’ investigation lead them to the motive of the killing. However, unlike the male detectives they weren’t pursuing the law, they were pursuing justice. In her attempt to voice her opinion about the women’s rights, Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” served another cause; it represented the different ways men and women handle the investigation of the crime. It also enforces my notion that most male sleuths follow the ratiocination path, meanwhile the majority of female sleuths follow an emotional and intuitive path.
 * __Week Three Online Essay__**


 * __Week Two Online Essay Question Revised__**

According to most critics, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” marks the birth of a detective story and Poe himself refers to it as one of his “tales of ratiocination.” After reading it and after numerous discussions in class, I realized that it truly corresponds to what detective fiction should be. With its four major elements: the commission of a crime, the professional or amateur detective figure, a detailed description of the steps taken by the detective figure to solve the crime and finally some form of justice meted out or order restored. As a first time reader of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” which is a novel of detective fiction, I expected it to start off with a description of a particular crime or mystery. However, Poe’s elaborate introduction such as when he says: “The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, but little susceptible of analysis,” in addition to his use of game such as when he states: “A chess-player, for example, does the one, without effort at the other. It follows that the game of chess, in its effects upon mental character, is greatly misunderstood,” had me questioning whether it is a detective story or a discourse of the subject of analysis? Also, Poe’s intention of letting the reader get familiar with the narrator who in return introduces Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, the detective, in the most informative way, added to my impatience as to when the mystery and the crime would be revealed. Anyhow, not until the facts of the killing were stated, as mentioned in the newspaper article “EXTRAORDINARY MURDERS,” was my interest in the story roused. In “The Murders in The Rue Morgue” Poe’s ability to hook the reader was recognized mainly in the newspaper accounts of the murder of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter in the Rue Morgue. The article discloses: “ that the mother's throat is so badly cut that her head is barely attached and the daughter, after being strangled, has been stuffed into the chimney. The murder occurs in an inaccessible room on the fourth floor locked from the inside.” While I was reading  I had a mental image of the actual scene of the crime and the events as Poe’s intended for me as a reader. His words: “On the chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood. On the hearth were two or three long thick tresses of gray human hair, also dabbled with blood, and seeming to have been pulled out by the roots,” had me eagerly turning the pages. I was trying to interpret all sorts of clues, feeling immersed in the thrill and suspense surrounding the mystery. I realized that I was trying to solve the mystery at the same time that detective Dupin was and asking “whodunit?” A sudden urge to find an explanation to this so-called murder captivated me.

Also, Poe’s creativity in diverting the reader’s attention, and manipulating him into solving the wrong problem was another trademark of his invention of the detective-fiction in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” As readers we “are lied to” by Poe. All along we have been tricked into believing that an actual murder occurred. Needless to say, I was shocked by the twist at end, the killer was an orangutan; and mostly by my own judgment of the story. My initial boredom and impatience were completely transformed into homage to the piece of art that served as an inspiration to many authors.

In the span of thirty pages, and with his uniqueness, Poe succeeded in creating a path for many authors. One of these authors was certainly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories who stated: “Edgar Allan Poe, who, in his carelessly prodigal fashion, threw out the seeds from which so many of our present forms of literature have sprung, was the father of the detective tale, and covered its limits so completely that I fail to see how his followers can find any fresh ground which they can confidently call their own.” Also, when taking into consideration its impact during an earlier time, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” was first published in 1841, I truly believe that it does correspond to the concept of what detective and mystery fiction should be.

Week Two Online Essay Question Sylvana Shehady

According to most critics Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” marks the birth of detective story. Poe himself refers to it as one of his “tales of ratiocination.” However, in the process of assessing it as the first modern detective story, I felt compelled to ask myself: “Does it correspond to, fall short of, or exceed my notion of what detective and mystery fiction is or should be?” As a first time reader of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, which is classified as detective fiction, I expected it to start off with a description of a particular crime or mystery. Yet, Poe’s elaborated introduction in addition to his use of game analogies had me questioning whether it is a detective story or an analysis’ discourse? (Pg2-4). Also, Poe’s structured introduction of C. Auguste Dupin, and his intention of letting the reader get familiar with the narrator added to my impatience as to when the mystery or the crime will be revealed. (Pg4-6). Not until the facts of the killing were stated that my interest in the story roused. While I was reading it I had a mental image of the actual scene and the events as Poe’s intended for me as a reader. I was eagerly turning the pages, trying to interpret all sorts of clues, feeling immersed in the thrill and suspense surrounding the mystery. I realized that I was trying to solve the mystery at the same time that detective Dupin was. A sudden urge to find an explanation to this so-called murder took over me. Poe’s ability to hook the reader, and his creativity in diverting the reader’s attention, even tricking him into believing that an actual murder occurred, contributed to the climax of the story. Needless to say, that I was shocked by the twist at end, and mostly by my own judgment of the story. My original notion of boredom and the feeling that the story lacks the fascination of detection was completely transformed into homage to the piece of art that served as an inspiration to many authors. With its four major elements: the commission of a crime, the professional or amateur detective figure, a detailed description of the steps taken by the detective figure to solve the crime and finally some form of justice met or order restored, I am convinced that this story somehow laid down rules for detective fiction.

When taking into consideration its impact during an earlier time I truly believe that “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” do correspond to the concept of what detective and mystery fiction should be. In the span of thirty pages, and with his uniqueness, Poe succeeded in creating a path for many authors .One of these authors could have been Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories who stated :“ Edgar Allan Poe, who, in his carelessly prodigal fashion, threw out the seeds from which so many of our present forms of literature have sprung, was the father of the detective tale, and covered its limits so completely that I fail to see how his followers can find any fresh ground which they can confidently call their own.”