Crime fiction

The crime fiction genre has been growing in popularity since its apparitions in the early 1840s. Indeed, the interest for this literary genre is comprehensible, given the entertainment one gains from reading a detective novel, the thrill of the plot and action and, of course, the constant desire of figuring out the solution before the detective himself does. As with most literary genres, crime fiction has clear conventions that contribute to making it recognizable and enjoyable to the readers. These conventions evolved with the years and eventually became implicit elements that actually make a novel or story deserve the appellation of crime fiction. Between Edgar Allan Poe, the famous American writer who is considered to be the founder of the…

Until 1982, this stereotyped role of woman was the echoes of the many worldwide crime fictions. Nowadays, however, the role of woman in crime fictions had changed. Men aren’t the only detectives in the novels, but women can also become the “gumshoe” in many of the crime fiction novel, such as in “Murder in the Collective” by Barbara Wilson. Although the character in the novel was a woman, Wilson visualized the main character to play the role by becoming a lesbian (Duran). The role of the woman…

The crimes that Margot and Chris committed would land them in the electric chair without hesitation from the judge or jury. The spree had lasted over several weeks and the police had their names for suspects. They both knew it and they hunkered into a cheap motel room, smelling of stale smoke and a musty dampness that crinkles your nose. The light was dim. She sat at the round table that was slanted from one of the wooden legs being shorter than the others. Circular stains littered the surface…

Crime fiction television shows from different countries portray the contrasting values and cultural ideologies societies of differing nations possess. A nation’s context greatly influences the crime fiction programs that it creates; current events occurring within a country and the contemporary issues that they deal with all shape the shows they produce. The American drama “Breaking Bad”, England’s “Sherlock Holmes” as well as the Australian show “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”, all demonstrate…

The femme fatale became a very popular character in crime fiction in the United States during the mid-twentieth century (Jaber, 1). This character is a woman who is portrayed to be hyper-sexual and is manipulative towards men. The femme fatale appears in hard-boiled crime fiction and film noir. She also was featured on many pulp covers making seductive poses because of the rise of sex in books (Horsley). Throughout the mid-twentieth century, the femme fatale character changed. Throughout this…

Raymond Chandler’s The High Window introduces Philip Marlowe as a private detective. Mrs. Murdock is in need of a private detective, and she heard Marlowe can get the job done. He is hired and his duty is to find Mrs. Murdock’s daughter-in-law, Linda, without anyone getting arrested. Linda has stolen one of the valuable coins that Mrs. Murdock’s deceased husband collected. Already the suspicion starts when Marlowe senses that Mrs. Murdock is not telling him the entire story; she doesn’t want her…

Christoper is not a reliable narrator because whenever he does not have control over his emotions, he completely shuts down his body and mind. For instance, when Christopher is describing how he feels when he is in a new place, he mentions how he covers his eyes and ears, blocking out all outside surroundings. “Sometimes when I am in a new place and there are lots of people there it is like a computer crashing and I have to close my eyes and put my hands over my ears and groan…” (143). Clearly,…

Americans were still suffering from the bad economy and the issue of money became very important one that the author wanted to convey, “Chandler mentions money throughout the novel as an ideal, a goal for the seedy crime ring that lives within the novel. Many of the characters kill and bribe for money” (Sparknotes, Themes, Motifs, and Symbols). This is a sobering reminder to post-War Americans recovering from the disorder and lack of money of the 1930s topsy-turvy economy, “many of the…

England. The main characters are detective Sherlock Holmes, his friend Watson, and Mr. Wilson. The Red-Headed League Mr. Wilson works in suddenly closes, so he sets out to find Sherlock Holmes. The misleading information makes the plot more riveting, as they create mystery. False facts and details lead the reader off track, consequently, adding suspense. The entire business about the Red-Headed League is full of red herrings. One example is the requirement that you have to be red headed; "it is…

A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Outline: INTRODUCTION: Attention Grabber: In the “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time,” we see a young adult, Christopher, traveling through life and overcoming obstacles he never thought he could. Specifics regarding topic: In my high school today myself along with other high school students overcome obstacles we could have never thought of our freshman year. At the beginning of our college prep four class, students learn that “college…