Women In Detective Fiction

Just like the world we live in today, detective fiction is a male dominated genre. Detectives are usually white males who solve dangerous crimes such as murder. If women are involved, they are usually characterized as damsels in distress or femme fatales. It is a man’s world; therefore, it is the sole responsibility of men to be the protectors. For centuries, we have lived in a patriarchal society and this mindset has influenced this genre significantly. Men are deemed better detectives because they are intelligent, rational and unemotional in comparison to women who are emotional, caring, and better suited to be a housewife and mother. The characters of detective fiction are not only males; the writers are also mostly men. Women authors at a …show more content…
Victoria is a private eye in crime-ridden Chicago. The plot is simple but there is a climax and a smooth transitional resolution. She is the true definition of a tough female private detective. Victoria’s physical scuffle with John Crenshaw proves her manly characteristics. With her legal experience, she manipulated situations and got information from the police and other sources. She stayed out of the way of law enforcement even after capturing the murderer. Her fluency in Italian also showed the level of intelligence she has. The only things that separated Victoria from being a full-fledged hard-boiled detective is the fact that she values the importance of personal friendships and is aware of the oppressive and marginalized nature of patriarchal society. She was committed to solving this case because she was doing a huge favor for her friend, Sal. Victoria also could relate to Evangeline’s situation. Women were subordinates to men and to add more salt to injury, Evangeline was a woman of color. Because Victoria empathized with Evangeline from this perspective, she made it her duty to find the murderer and let Evangeline be