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Essay 4 (week 5) - Final copy 6/24/09  It is a common practice to adapt a novel into a movie on the big screen. It is an easy way to draw in new fans and keep the old ones interested. So it is not surprising that this would happen with mystery and detective novels. But a film does not always measure up to the book that it mirrors. Detection in film has its advantages. One such advantage is that that the reader or viewer can better visualize scenes from the book. Fight scenes and final confrontation scenes can be especially difficult to picture correctly. But detection in film can only go so far. Films are under certain time constraints. So material from the novel needs to be condensed into a two hour movie that people will enjoy. This means that the writers will pick and choose scenes from the book, and change things so that the plot flows. This can take away key moments from the book that are deemed unnecessary for plot movement. As such, the influence of the director and actors on the film can change the feel of certain scenes. Scenes that are meant to be dramatic may come off as more comical in the film.

Personally I prefer detection in print. The book version is usually better as far as all novels are concerned. By reading the novel the reader becomes the director of how things go. The reader uses their own imagination to decide how places and characters look and sound. Pronunciations may be incorrect in the readers mind but that does not take away from the overall process of imagining the story. There are many benefits to moving a detective novel to the big screen. However, films tend to fall short of obtaining the essence of the novel itself. Detective novels in print will always be better.  Essay 3 (week 4) - Final copy 6/24/09  Hard-boiled and classic detective fictions are two polar opposites in the detective fiction field. The detectives, settings, and feel are all different in the genres. Hard-boiled fiction goes places that classic detective fiction wouldn’t touch. On the other hand classic fiction has a more audience friendly tone. Classic detection is a very clean genre. The language is very proper in comparison to other writing, such as that of hard-boiled fiction. This opens classic detective fiction to a much wider audience. Classic detection has a set standard. The setting in classic detective fiction usually doesn’t deviate far from the crime scene. This limits the possibilities for writing and scenarios within the story. There is also a certain standard for classic detectives. Most of the detectives are quirky and intelligent with a keen eye for clues. They also have a strange way of looking at clues and coming to conclusions. But these detectives, though quirky, are likeable and in a way, relatable. Hard-boiled detective fiction is on the opposite end of the genre. The language is much coarser. There’s a definite use of foul language that isn’t seen in classic fiction. The story also moves around and deviates from the crime scene venturing to places such as the detectives home or office. The detectives themselves are very different. They tend to live by their own moral codes. And they also are wary of the police. This makes them come off as gruffer and less likeable. Hard-boiled and classic fictions are both very different. But the place where they both come is the same.

Essay 2 (week 3) - Final revision 6/24/09  When it comes to detective fiction, male and female sleuths differ in many ways. There’s a barrier that separates the men and women in detective fiction.

Male detectives don’t seem to have a pre-determined mold to fit into. Dupin is unorthodox and quirky, whereas Sherlock Holmes is a more determined, straitlaced detective. Male detectives like Dupin are more inclined to focus on the use of logic while investigating. Dupin looks at the evidence in front of him and makes his judgments from there. Feelings and emotions never come into play.

A female detective that we’ve read in class, Miss Marple, is a perfect example of a female detective. She’s a cute, little old lady. There does not seem to be anything out of the ordinary about her. She’s quite average, except for her vast knowledge, keen eye, and sleuthing capabilities. Female detectives, like Miss Marple are more likely to follow feminine intuition and emotions while on a case. While male and female detectives may differ in their method of detection and general nuances, their overall use of clues is similar. But both males and females handle situations differently. Essay 1 (week 2) - Final revision 6/24/09 When most people think of Edgar Allan Poe the first thing that comes to mind is "The Raven." It is one of his most famous poems, a classic horror gem. But Poe was in fact a literary maverick. He paved the way in the field of literature creating the modern mystery genre. His writing helped to shape and mold the genre, giving a great foundation for future mystery writers to follow.

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the perfect starter "murder" mystery. In it the audience is shown the formula for a murder mystery. The first and foremost ingredient is a detective to lead the investigation. Poe gave the reader a quirky detective in Dupin. There is something about him that is just so absurd. His method of detection and his quirky personality make him really odd as a detective. Lacking the modern day crime scene investigation advancements, he uses a keen eye and logic to solve mysteries. Poe then added the art of dropping clues in plain sight for the acute reader to spot. It is the subtle things, such as Dupin mentioning that the hair found at the crime scene was not human, that give the reader a chance to get to the right conclusion. The astute reader might realize that the meaning of this revelation is that the murderer is not human. Subtle placement of clues leads the reader in the right direction without giving things away too much. Finally, Poe crafted the perfect twist ending to "Murders in the Rue Morgue." An ape as the murderer is a completely unexpected revelation.

As a first in the field of mystery stories, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is okay. It gives future mystery authors something to work from and build off of. However, it is very flawed and more importantly hard to follow. It takes too long to get into the actual murder mystery itself. At times reading becomes monotonous, lacking in entertainment value which makes it hard to get in to. The lengthy explanations by the narrator at the beginning just get boring after a while.

In a way Poe's mystery stories, especially "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", correspond to my idea of what detective and mystery fiction should be. However, when it comes to today’s standards for mystery fiction, Poe's stories fall short of my expectations. ___________________________________________________________________________

Essay 2 When it comes to detective fiction, male and female sleuths differ in many ways. There’s a stereotypical barrier that separates the men and women in detective fiction. Male detectives don’t seem to have a pre-determined mold to fit into. Dupin is unorthodox and quirky, whereas Sherlock Holmes is a more determined, straitlaced detective. Male detectives like Dupin are more inclined to focus on the use of logic while investigating. Dupin looks at the evidence in front of him and makes his judgments from there. Feelings and emotions never come into play. Being a female detective that we’ve read in class, Miss Marple, is a perfect example of a female detective. She’s a cute, little old lady. There does not seem to be anything out of the ordinary about her. She’s quite average, except for her vast knowledge, keen eye, and sleuthing capabilities. Female detectives, like Miss Marple are more likely to follow feminine intuition and emotions while on a case. While male and female detectives may differ in their method of detection and general nuances, their overall use of clues is similar. But both males and females handle situations differently.

Essay 1 - Revised

When most people think of Edgar Allan Poe the first thing that comes to mind is "The Raven". It is one of his most famous poems, a classic horror gem. But Poe was in fact a literary maverick. He paved the way in the field of literature creating the modern mystery genre. His writing helped to shape and mold the genre, giving a great foundation for future mystery writers to follow.

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the perfect starter "murder" mystery. In it the audience is shown the formula for a murder mystery. The first and foremost ingredient is a detective to lead the investigation. Poe gave the reader a quirky detective in Dupin. There is something about him that is just so absurd. His method of detection and his quirky personality make him really odd as a detective. Lacking the modern day crime scene investigation advancements, he uses a keen eye and logic to solve mysteries. Poe then added the art of dropping clues in plain sight for the acute reader to spot. It is the subtle things, such as Dupin mentioning that the hair found at the crime scene was not human, that give the reader a chance to get to the right conclusion. The astute reader might realize that the meaning of this revelation is that the murderer is not human. Subtle placement of clues leads the reader in the right direction without giving things away too much. Finally, Poe crafted the perfect twist ending to "Murders in the Rue Morgue". A monkey as the murderer was a completely left field revelation.

As a first in the field of mystery stories, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is okay. It gives future mystery authors something to work from and build off of. However, it is very flawed and more importantly hard to follow. It takes too long to get into the actual murder mystery itself. At times reading becomes monotonous, lacking in entertainment value which makes it hard to get in to. The lengthy explanations by the narrator at the beginning just get boring after a while.

In a way Poe's mystery stories, especially "The Murders in the Rue Morgeu", correspond to my idea of what detective and mystery fiction should be. When it comes to today’s standards for mystery fiction, Poe's stories fall short of my expectations.

Essay 1

When most people think of Edgar Allen Poe the first thing that comes to mind is "The Raven". It is one of his most famous poems, a classic horror gem. But Poe was in fact a literary maverick. He paved the way in the field of literature creating the modern mystery genre. His writing helped to shape and mold the genre, giving a great foundation for future mystery writers to follow.

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the perfect starter "murder" mystery. In it the audience is shown the formula for a murder mystery. The first and foremost ingredient is a detective to lead the investigation. Poe gave the reader a quirky detective in Dupin. There is something about him that is just so absurd. His method of detection, his Lacking the modern day crime scene investigation advancements, he uses a keen eye and logic to solve mysteries. Poe then added the art of dropping clues in plain sight for the acute reader to spot. Something as subtle as Dupin mentioning that the hair found at the crime scene was not human. The astute reader might realize that the meaning of this revelation is that the murderer is not human. Subtle placement of clues leads the reader in the right direction without giving things away too much. Finally, Poe crafted the perfect twist ending to "Murders in the Rue Morgue". A monkey as the murderer was a completely left field revelation.

As a first in the field of mystery stories "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is okay. It gives future mystery authors something to work from and build off of. However, it is very flawed and more importantly hard to follow. It takes too long to get into the actual murder and mystery itself. At times reading becomes monotonous, lacking in entertainment value which makes it hard to get in to.

In a way Poe's mystery stories, especially "The Murders in the Rue Morgeu", correspond to my idea of what detective and mystery fiction should be. It fits my idea of what earlier mysteries should be. When it comes to todays standards for mystery fiction, Poe's stories fall short of my expectations.