Them typical of the detective Genre Essay Example for Free

Them typical of the detective Genre Essay This is typical in detective fiction because the detective has already solved the case, but doesnt reveal it until he has all the evidence to back up his theories. For example in The Beryl Coronet when Watson is narrating, we can clearly see that even Watson doesnt know what his companions conclusions are about the crime. It was obvious in despair. This shows us that Holmes has made his conclusions and Watson and the audience cant even dimly imagine what it could be. On the other hand there are also concrete clues which are simple and easy to follow for the reader, an example of this would be in the Solitary Cyclist. The horse and trap were to have come this week, but for some reason they were not delivered. The reason this is a concrete clue is because, you can clearly see that the horse and trap were not delivered for a reason, and you can even begin to link Mr Caruthers in with the solitary cyclist. The horse and trap would mean that The Solitary Cyclist would not be able to follow Miss Violet, so if it did not arrive it would be quite convenient for The Solitary Cyclist. Another example of a Concrete clue would be in The Speckled Band when Holmes has to work out how Julia Stoner was killed because there was no way someone could get in. The Speckled Band is a locked Room mystery meaning it will create more suspense and tension. The dummy bell-pull and the ventilator are significant concrete clues because, it gets the reader thinking why there is a bell which doesnt work connected to a ventilator which is not in use. Red-herrings mislead us in our trail to find the villain in a crime, but they also add a sense of mystery and suspense. The gypsies bandana is a very crafty red herring used in the Speckled Band; it leads us to think that the gypsies have something to do with Julia stoners death, because her last words are about a Speckled Band. But further on we are aware they have nothing to do with the case and are just there to hoodwink us. Another well used red herring would be Arthur Holders debts, initially you would firstly presume that he needs money and would go to extremes measures, even steal from his own father to clear his Gambling debts. Theses are the three main types of clue and a well written detective story will contain all three, just like Arthur Conan Doyles literature does. Although Sherlock Holmes solves most of his cases there isnt always a punishment, for example in The Beryl Coronet, when Mary Holder and George Burnwell escape without a suitable punishment. Although they do not receive a physical punishment, they will receive a moral one. There punishment will be as Sherlock Holmes puts it a more than sufficient one. In contrast in the Speckled Band the mystery is solved and the culprit is found, although he has already received a more than suitable punishment, of death. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimbesby Roylotts death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavy upon my conscience. This quote shows us that although Holmes is responsible for the death of Dr. Roylott, it will not affect him that much because he feels that Dr. Roylott deserved what he got for all his sins. Even though Edgar Allen Poe, Wilkie Collins, and others had written mysteries before him, somehow Arthur Conan Doyle captured the public imagination as no detective writer has. The formula Doyle helped establish for the classic English mystery usually involves several predictable elements: a closed setting such as an isolated house or train; sometimes corpse; a small circle of people who are all suspects; and an investigating detective with extraordinary reasoning powers. Edgar Allen Poe was well known for his crime stories in the 19th century and his stories are still popular today. Although he cant really be called the inventor of the detective story he certainly created a kind of detective. Chevalier C Auguste Dupin was his name; he was a brilliant detective quite like Sherlock Holmes in fact. The detective and mystery stories we read and watch on television and in film can often be traced directly to this literary tradition. Contemporary writers continue to reinvent the basic formula so that, over a hundred years since readers met the great Sherlock Holmes, the detective story is more fresh, interesting, and popular than ever. The key to Arthur Cannon Doyles success include many factors such as, his timing. Doyle let his stories loose in the 19th century where people felt insecure and unsafe; Doyles captured their hearts by introducing to them an extraordinary detective who could solve all their problems when they needed him the most. Also Doyles stories were predictable to a certain extent this made his audience feel safe and reassured that the detective would always solve the case unlike the police at that time. Doyle used crafty red-herrings to complicate matters in his stories adding more suspense and keeping his audience at the edge of their seats although the plot would always be predictable. In addition Doyle knew his target audience, so he used sophisticated language and settings and characters which they could easily relate to. This made Doyle stories very suitable to their target audience. Doyles stories often contain many of these features making them typical of the detective genre. Radia Osman Miss Mubashar English coursework Page 1 of 5 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.