scott

Essay #4

Recently in class we have watched several film versions of detective fiction novels. I have found the films to be rather amusing, and much more stimulating than reading. I think this is because I find it interesting to see the author's words come to life on film; in both black and white and color. Detective fiction novels, and all reading for that matter, requires us to create the images of the story's characters and settings. This is not the case during the equivalent films. The producers and directors create the image of these characters and sittings in film for us. This as a result, is somebody elses interpretation of the story. However, I have found the transition from print to film rather successful in the films we've seen in class. Although detective fiction in print form has been around much longer, film has shed new light on older stories, and won over younger fans. Print and film are both great ways to present detective fiction. The preference of which is "better" is in the eye of the beholder. Each presentation has particular strengths and weaknesses. Among these strengths and weaknesses are the length of the presentation and the particular interpretation of the novel vs. film.

Several authors have made the transition from print to film. Among these authors are Walter Mosley and Raymond Chandler. Walter Mosley, author of the "Devil in a Blue Dress", helped produced the film version of his story. This was apparent because the movie is done rather well. Author Raymond Chandler aslo helped with the adaptation of his novel Double Indemity. Of course a great novel always has a better chance of becoming a great movie. With the creation of a film from a great novel, comes the chance for a younger fanbase. Although the transition of detective literature from print to film has been ultimately successful there are however a few negative aspects. For instance, if you read a novel and enjoy it, you anticipate on enjoying the film version of your favorite book. This can potentionally be a negative aspect, if the expectations of the reader are not met. When the reader has interpreted the novel in their way and sees a film that does not portray the story with justice, fans are upset and disgruntled. When we read print we are the creator and can determine how each character looks, sounds, and acts. The film version of the book is simply somebody else's interpretation of the book and not everyone has the same interpretation. This is illustrated in Hammet's "The Matlese Falcon". When I initially read the novel I did not find the story as comedic as the film translation. This is not necessarily a negative aspect however. I really enjoyed this particular aspect of the film. Another downfall of the print to film transition is that film must meet a required time frame. This time frame is to keep human interest. To do this, editors cut out parts of the story they deem as less important than others. An example of this would be a particular scene from "The Maltese Falcon". Not only are scenes cut out, but the sexuality in the film is extremely limited due to censorship. The movie version of "The Maltese Falcon" does not depict any sexual encounters, but it's implied that Spade and Brigid had some type of relationship.

I found it interesting to contrast the books to the films, by paying specific attention to the director's version of the story, and how he illustrates characters and scenes. When writing detective fiction the author can be sure to include racier scense such as sexual encounters and violent crimes, but in early black and white film they kept this explicit behavior to a minimum by using subtle technique. However I found it rather positive that film creates a more vivid image of relationships and the crime throughout a detective story. Print allows the author to be more descriptive and but the impact of a particular scene could be less than intended. However our imaginations are not censored. We can also create vivid images in our heads. In film this image is painted for us, via somebody else's imagination. The full length stories in print do not have to meet the length requirements of film. This allows more descriptive language and potentionally more scenes to get a better understanding of the characters and plot. In conclusion, print and film are certainly both crucial to the success of the detective fiction genre. The classic prints created longtime fanbases, and the creation of print to film has allowed for new fan bases to discover old classics. Although print may have the slight descriptive advantage over film; the movies do a rather good job at translating.

Essay #2

The detective is what makes detective fiction, detective fiction. Yes, crime plays a critcial role; but what is a good detective story if the detective isnt the brightest character? The detective needs to be the sharpest character in the story; they must be courageous and keen, but both women and men are known for their ability to solve crime in 2009. So why are male detectives more prominently known and admired than female detectives? Nowhere is it written that to be a detective, you must be male. However, when people think of private detectives and famous private eyes, the most common recollected are male. Detectives of both genders can solve crime. However, memebrs of the opposite sex, also focus from opposite perspectives. Both genders can help serve justice and discover truth; so why are women not glamourized like famous male detectives? Although both male and female detectives can solve mysteries, their characteristics are at times different. These differences can be seen when women detectives focus more on trivial aspects of the case to solve it. Women detectives may be more empathetic to the victim/culprit; and their reasoning on why they want to become a detective, but overall their detective fundamentals are certainly similar. Female detectives, such as the characters found in Susan Glaspell’s, “A Jury of Her Peers” and Anna Katharine Green’s, “Missing Page Thirteen,” are often dismissed as being incompetent detectives. However, they are arguably just as clever as the equivalent male detectives, but women are seen by the male characters as incapable, due to lack in intelligence. For example, in Glaspell’s, “A Jury of Her Peers” the men tease the women, and accuse them of focusing on "irrelevant" components in the case. They dismiss them as being incapable of solving the murder of Mr. Wright. Although male and female detectives are similar; they certainly have several distinct differences. Male detectives generally use theory, logic, and rational thinking. Women generally rely on their intuition and strong emotion. Women use this intution and emotion to help visualize the solution to the case. Women are also more compassionate creatures, which is another huge difference between female detectives and male detectives. Female detectives tend to be empathetic or more understanding. In "A Jury of Her Peers" the women felt bad for Mrs. Wright and excused her actions as self protection. Minnie Foster relates to Mrs. Wright before she married. The women see the loss in their own identity when they became wives. The women relate this all to being supressed in a man dominated society. They see Mrs. Wright as suffocated. The biggest distinction between male and female detectives is the emotional characteristics they display. Male detectives as a whole, generally do not show emotion or fear. Males are depicted as cool and collected; not afraid and emotional. Female detectives are portrayed fearful and display other "weaker" emotions. "Missing Page Thirteen" shows Violet Strange as scared. The men however do not show this same fear or any emotion for that matter.

Females differ from males in their use of emotion, but also are not detectives by trade. An example is Agatha Christie’s, “The Blue Geranium.” Miss Marple is not a detective; she simply stumbles into the case. Another difference between male and female detection is their intended focus. Female detectives tend to focus more on "why", all while male detectives focus on "how." An example of this is Glaspell’s story. The women are more focused on why she kills her husband and they empathize with her; while in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, the focus is placed more on how the culprit commits the crime. In conclusion, male and female detectives share many similar qualities, but their differences are their distinguishing characteristics. Why do women detectives tend to be more sympathetic than male detectives? Perhaps it is the way society portrays men vs. women. The male detectives as a whole are seen as invincible, heterosexual gods, who fear nothing, fall to no woman and see no downfalls in combat. Women are viewed as emotional, vulnerable, and fearful. Female detectives have worked to break this mold of women, and with mild credit to female detection, women can also be seen as confident, clever, and resourceful, but the male detective will always reign supreme in popularity.

Essay #3 Revised 6/20

There are many similarities and differences between classic and hardboiled detective fiction. Classic Detective Fiction is a type of detective story in which a professional investigator or police officer, but occasionally a gifted amateur, investigates a particular crime. This private detective usually investigates a murder committed in a relatively closed off environment. The murder is usually commited by one of a small number of suspects, usually a prominent character in the story. Classic detection birthed the widespread subgenre of this style, a style known as the “whodunit”. In this type of detective story, the author chooses to explain the events of the crime, and of the investigation of the crime, all while making sure to keep the identity of the criminal from the reader until the end of the book. Only then does the author reveal the actual criminal and his or her method. However, this is not the norm in hardboiled detection. Hardboiled detection is told from a different perspective and in a more explicit, racy fashion. As a result, classic detection is told in a more subtle fashion, with milder language and hardboiled detection is told in a more explicit, racy and in your face attitude.

Hardboiled crime fiction, is a subgenre of detective fiction, but is different than hardboiled fiction and has a style that is distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex. This perspective is often from the view of a righteous private investigator, but sometimes also from the perspective of the criminal. In the novel "The Big Sleep", the story is told from the perspective of Detective Marlowe. The term “hardboiled” derives from a way of cooking an egg. For an egg to be hardboiled it has to be in its toughest form. The hardboiled detective is epitomized by characters such as Hammett's Sam Spade and Chandler's Philip Marlowe; not only do these men solve mysteries, like their police counterparts, but they also confront danger and engage in violence on a regular basis. This makes them tougher than the average policeman. The hardboiled detective also has a characteristically tough attitude. Spade and Marlowe are both cool, cocky, and charismatic.

Although Classic and Hardboiled both have their strengths and weaknesses. Classic Detective fiction is sometimes too "glossy" and "unreal" and this makes it difficult for the reader to take the story seriously at times. Such as Dupin in "Murders in the Rue Morgue." However, this form of detective literature was also the foundation for hardboiled detection. Hardboiled detective literature offers a more realistic edge on the crime world, from more interesting perspectives; but sometimes it seems the wit and humor involved in telling the story is over the top. This is the case at times with Hammet's detective Spade.

In summary, classic detection is told with more subtle and family friendly, and hardboiled detection is explicit and not for the faint of heart. That being said, I think that overall my favorite subgenre of detective fiction is hardboiled because of its racier edge and realistic perspective on crime. I think that this style is more interesting to read; as well as watch on film. However, I also appreciate classic detective fiction because without it, hardboiled writing would have never emerged.

Essay #1 Revised 6/20

"Detective, or mystery fiction is defined literally as a branch of criminal fiction in which, a detective, or multiple detectives, professional or amateur, investigate an apparent crime, usually murder (Wikipedia)." Based on this definition (which one must remember arrived post-Poe’s short stories) Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is certainly worthy of being considered the first modern detective story of its time. This short story, as well as a handful of other detective fictional work by Poe; paved the way for future detective novels by authors such as Arthur Doyle, and his Sherlock Holmes tales. The structure of "Murders of the Rue Morgue" is often imitated and still is today, thus making it original which later writers of detective fiction copy and attempt to improve upon. This novel was one that I enjoyed but at times had to re-read, in order to understand what Poe was trying to describe. This made it difficult to read during some parts of the story. Although I found some of Poe's words new and different, I don't think this story would be the same without Poe's signature language.

Many authors have mimicked Poe’s style of detective writing, by creating a detective with keen senses and the ability to remove him or herself from the emotional affects of a murderous crime scene. This character in “The Murders of the Rue Morgue” is Dupin. Edgar Allan Poe and many other authors of detective fiction, also create the character of a narrator who is not the detective. This allows us as the reader, to relate to Dupin, via the perspective of the narrator, who is amazed at the wit and ability to solve crimes. As a result, the reader is also amazed by Dupin’s uncanny ability to solve crimes of great complexity, such as the animal murders in “The Murders of the Rue Morgue.” Poe's style of describing events via this 3rd person perspective is what makes this story so special and unique.

What I found the most interesting about “Murders of the Rue Morgue” was Poe’s bloody description of the violent murders. I could not help but wonder what had inspired him to write in this explicit fashion. Perhaps, Poe had been tormented as a child, or experienced some type of human loss, which gave him the ideas to write about such a grisly crime. I also found it interesting that in Poe’s style of criminal fiction, the police are the most in the dark about how to solve the crime. It’s almost as if Poe was mocking the police, and hinting that perhaps the criminal justice system wasn’t as effective as one might think.

Overall I find it hard to argue that “The Murders of the Rue Morgue” was not the first modern detective fiction short story. It was a short story written in a lingustic style of it's own. The fact that the story was the first of its kind, and possessed a structure and style that was copied and parodied numerous times afterward, also help give confirm its stature as the most original detective narrative, and Poe as the granddaddy of the detective fiction as we know it today in 2009. Furthermore, this story has also made me appreciate Poe as the creator of Detective literature, and conviced me of deserving respect and admiration.

"Detective fiction." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 28 May 2009. <[]>.