1

TITLE OF THE PROJECT

Themes in Detective Fiction: A Comparative Study of Collins, Doyle, Chandler, Keating, and

Christie

Project submitted to

Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University, Dehradun

For the partial fulfilment for the award of the Bachelor of Arts (English)

By

Harshit Kumar

(Registration No.: 22491003)

Under the Supervision of

Prof. Dr. Antima Thapliyal

Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University

Name of the Department

Department of EnglishInstitute Address

*Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University, 566/6 Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun,

Uttarakhand 248002*
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Month, Year

April 2025

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work contained in the dissertation entitled “The Interplay of Love

and Loss in Literature: An Analysis of Human Emotion and Existential Transformation”,

submitted by HARSHIT KUMAR(Regd. No.: 22491003) for the award of the degree of

Bachelor of Arts to the Graphic Era (Deemed to be) University, Dehradun, is a record of

Bonafide research work carried out by him/her under my direct supervision and guidance. I

consider that the dissertation has reached the standards and fulfils the requirements of the

rules and regulations relating to the nature of the degree. The contents embodied in the

dissertation have not been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma in this or

any other university.

Date: 30th April 2025

Place: Dehradun

Signature of Supervisor(s) and Designation

Assistant Professor, Department of English

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DECLARATION

 I certify that the work in the dissertation is original and has been done by myself

under the supervision of my supervisor.

 The work has not been submitted to any other Institute for any degree or diploma.

 I have conformed to the norms and guidelines given in the Ethical Code of Conduct of

the Institute.

 Whenever I have used materials (data, theoretical analysis, and text) from other

sources, I have given due credit to them by citing them in the text of the thesis and

giving their details in the references.

 From the plagiarism test, it is found that the similarity index of the whole thesis is less

than 10% as per the university guidelines.

Date: 30th April 2025

Place: Dehradun

Harshit kumar

Regd. No.: 22491003

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr.Prof.ANTIMA THAPLIYAL, for their

invaluable guidance, constructive feedback, and unwavering support throughout this research

journey. I am deeply indebted to the Department of English, Graphic Era (Deemed to be)

University, for providing access to essential resources and fostering an environment

conducive to academic exploration. My sincere thanks to the faculty members for their

insightful suggestions and encouragement. I also acknowledge the contributions of my peers

and family, whose moral support kept me motivated.

Signature:

Harshit kumar
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ABSTRACT

This dissertation explores how four significant themes are portrayed in five traditional

detective novels. It contrasts The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins), The Hound of the

Baskervilles (Arthur Conan Doyle), The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler), Inspector Ghote

Goes by Train (H.R.F. Keating), and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie). The

discussion proceeds according to themes of (i) Mystery and Detection, (ii) Truth and

Deception, (iii) Justice and Morality, and (iv) Social Class and Setting. Within each theme is

examined how every text reveals a unique strategy—Victorian sensation, Holmesian

reasoning, noir cynicism, postcolonial viewpoint, Golden Age puzzle—to the detective genre

by authors. The conclusion reveals that despite stylistic and temporal differences, all five

works prioritize investigation and pursuit of truth, a testament to the genre's persistent social

and moral issues.

Keywords: detective fiction, mystery, deception, justice, social class

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LIST OF FIGURES

Chapter 1

 Figure 1.1: Timeline of Detective Fiction (19th to 20th Century)

 Figure 1.2: Map of Themes Across Authors in Unit 1–5

 Figure 1.3: Comparative Development of the Detective Archetype

 Figure 1.4: Structural Framework of a Classic Detective NoveL

Chapter 2

 Figure 2.1: Character Relationship Diagram – The Woman in White

 Figure 2.2: Character Relationship Diagram – The Hound of the Baskervilles

 Figure 2.3: Character Relationship Diagram – The Big Sleep

 Figure 2.4: Character Relationship Diagram – Inspector Ghote Goes by Train

 Figure 2.5: Character Relationship Diagram – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

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LIST OF TABLES

Chapter 1

 Table 1.1: Chronological Overview of Detective Novels in the Syllabus

 Table 1.2: Key Features of Golden Age vs. Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction

Chapter 2

 Table 2.1: Thematic Comparison: Mystery, Deception, and Justice

 Table 2.2: Role of Social Class in Detective Fiction across Units

 Table 2.3: Morality and Ethical Dilemmas in the Five Selected Novels
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CONTENT

 Title Page

 Certificate

 Declaration

 Acknowledgements

 Abstract

 List of Figures

 List of Tables

 Contents

 Chapter 1:

o 1.1 Introduction (page 9)

o 1.2 History of Detective Fiction (page 10)

o 1.3 Literary and Cultural Importance(page 11)

o 1.4 Methodology(page 11)

o 1.5 Structure of the Dissertation(page.11)

 Chapter 2: Thematic Analysis (page 12)

o 2.1 Mystery and Detection (page 12)

o 2.2 The Nature of Truth and Deception (page 15)

o 2.3 Justice and Morality (page 17)

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o 2.4 Social Class and Setting (page 2O)

 Chapter 3: Conclusion (page 23)

 References (page 26)

Chapter 1:

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Detective fiction began in the mid-19th century and soon branched out into numerous

subgenres Poe's 1841 tale "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is often referenced as the first

modern detective story. After Poe, early examples include Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone

(1868), credited with introducing key detective conventions (red herrings, false alibis,

methodical clue‐gathering) Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, first appearing in 1887,

popularized the rational, analytical detective. The genre developed further during the early

20th century: by the 1920s–30s ("Golden Age" of detective fiction), British authors such as

Agatha Christie and American authors such as Raymond Chandler had developed cozy

"whodunits" and hard-boiled noir respectively. As the New York Public Library explains, a

successful detective novel tends to "catch the prevailing social and moral atmosphere" of its

era while probing the "dark mysteries of the human heart.". Briefly, detective fiction

entertains with mysteries, but also mirrors society's values and fears. This analysis deals with

five exemplary works by five writers who span this tradition.

Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White (1860) is an early Victorian sensation novel

combining Gothic and investigative suspense. Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles
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(1902) pits Sherlock Holmes against a supposedly paranormal mystery on the English moors.

Chandler's The Big Sleep (1939) is quintessential American noir: Philip Marlowe, a world-

weary private investigator, negotiates the seedy underworld of Los Angeles in the 1930s.

H.R.F. Keating's Inspector Ghote Goes by Train (1971) transfers the detective novel to

postcolonial India, taking a diligent Bombay police inspector on a subcontinental journey.

Finally, there is Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), which is a

benchmark of the Golden Age puzzle mystery and renowned for its clever twist on the story.

Each author has a varied setting and style but all contributing to the tradition of the detective.

Collins's novel, to take one instance, is also routinely characterized as a "precursor" to

subsequent detective fiction: it utilizes multiple narrators and concealed clues behind a veil of

respectability Doyle's novels makes explicit reason's victory over superstition (Holmes

"illuminates" his Victorian readers).

Big Sleep by Chandler addresses moral relativism and societal rot, the keen, sceptical

narration by Marlowe echoing a "morally corrupt" world. Keating's Ghote novels emphasize

bureaucracy and justice; Ghote himself is characterized by his acute observation and

unshakeable integrity. Christie's novel, in a charming English village, emphasizes class

conflict and systematic crime-solving, leading to a stark moral lesson regarding trust. The rest

of this dissertation examines four themes throughout these five works. Chapter 2 discusses

(2.1) Mystery and Detection, (2.2) The Nature of Truth and Deception, (2.3) Justice and

Morality, and (2.4) Social Class and Setting. In each section, we contrast how Collins, Doyle,

Chandler, Keating, and Christie treat the theme.

This comparative method serves to bring out both the distinctive context of each text

and the common elements of the detective genre. Finally, as one critic notes, good detective

fiction "capture[s] the prevailing social and moral climate" while entertaining readers with
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puzzle-solving and the pursuit of truth. The conclusion (Chapter 3) will highlight how

investigation, mystery, and the pursuit of truth unite all five works within the detective fiction

tradition.

1.2 History of Detective Fiction

The detective fiction form appeared during the 19th century in reaction to an interest in crime

as well as to the advent of rational inquiry. Wilkie Collins is most often credited with paving

the way for the modern mystery with The Woman in White, a work published before many

conventions of the genre were formalized. In the early 20th century, Arthur Conan Doyle

ascended the genre to legendary status with Sherlock Holmes, bringing deductive reasoning

to detection and creating archetypes that would reign supreme.

By the mid-20th century, Raymond Chandler and others created the "hard-boiled" detective—

a cynical, amoral figure operating in city corruption. Authors such as H.R.F. Keating,

meanwhile, introduced world views, discussing how regional practices and institutionalized

forms influence crime investigation. Agatha Christie, referred to as the Queen of Crime,

incorporated psychological acumen and experimentation in the storytelling of her mysteries,

famously anticipating reader expectations in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

1.3 Literary and Cultural Importance

Detective fiction is more than entertainment; it offers deep observations about cultural fears,

ethical theories, and social relations. All the texts chosen for analysis are dealing with larger

issues such as justice, lying, and the complexity of truth. In The Woman in White, the

intersection between identity and insanity disrupts the definitions of sanity and control. The

Hound of the Baskervilles combines the rational and the supernatural, testing the boundaries
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of reason. The Big Sleep presents a gritty vision of post-Prohibition America, full of cynicism

and moral corruption. Keating's Inspector Ghote stories illuminate the bureaucratic and

ethical dilemmas of Indian policing, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd compels readers to

doubt the trustworthiness of narrative itself.

1.4 Methodology

In this dissertation, close textual analysis and comparative literary study are used to

analyze recurring themes in the chosen texts. Through an interdisciplinary methodology, the

study draws on psychology, sociology, and literary theory to analyze each work more deeply.

Central focus is given to how investigation as an act reveals levels of deception, truth, and

moral ambiguity.

1.5 Structure of the Dissertation

The dissertation is structured into three chapters:

Chapter 1 introduces the subject, offers background on the development of detective fiction,

and presents the aims and methodology.

Chapter 2 offers thematic analyses under four broad headings: Mystery and Detection, Truth

and Deception, Justice and Morality, and Social Class and Setting.

Chapter 3 concludes by marking the act of investigation as a unifying narrative mechanism

for the genre, demonstrating how each text is working within that mode.

CHAPTER: 2

2.1 MYSTERY AND DETECTION

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In each of the five novels, the impetus is the central mystery and the detective

process. Each tale is presented as a puzzle to be unraveled, although the method of

investigation differs with author. In The Woman in White, Collins constructs a multifaceted

mystery of deceitful identities and familial secrets. The heroes (schoolmaster Walter

Hartright, sisters Laura and Marian) learn the truth incrementally through letters, eye-witness

testimony, and brave escapes. The offense is wrongful imprisonment and inheritance plotting.

Collins's use of a chain of linked testimonies mimics the clue-collecting strategy of

subsequent detective fiction. Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles focuses on a mysterious

killing linked to an old legend about a hound.

Sherlock Holmes (narrated by Dr. Watson) uses scientific thinking: analyzing

footprints, footprints, earth, and disguise to invalidate the supernatural myth. Holmes even

misleads Watson briefly to facilitate a correct investigation. As one critic points out, Doyle

constructs three levels of deception: public superstition in the minds of people, narrative

suspense in Watson's eyes, and an explicit criminal conspiracy by Dr. Stapleton. Holmes's

logical detection finally unravels the crime: the hound is not supernatural but a genuine dog

taught to kill, and the scheme of the villain is uncovered. In The Big Sleep, Chandler’s Philip

Marlowe investigates underworld crimes in gritty 1930s Los Angeles. The initial mystery (a

blackmail case) quickly entangles murder, pornography, and family scandals.

Marlowe’s detection is personal and instinctive: he questions suspects, follows leads

through clubs and back alleys, and reads between the lines of others’ lies. Chandler’s style –

“sharp dialogue” and vivid cityscape – immerses the reader in Marlowe’s search for clues.
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The private investigator doesn't necessarily employ official police procedure; rather, his

isolation and self-reliance (even fighting when necessary) assist him in discovering the truth.

Along the way, the detective sorts out red herrings and contradictory statements, a standard

detective requirement. Inspector Ghote, in Keating's Ghote Goes by Train, provides a more

procedural, nearly polite approach to detection. Ghote's mission is to escort a notorious

confidence trickster by train from Calcutta to Bombay. On the long Calcutta Mail trip, a

series of puzzles develop and suspects are questioned.

In one summary, Ghote exhibits "observational and analytical skills" as well as self-

doubt; he is not a Holmesian super-brain, but he "has integrity and wants justice.". Ghote's

approach is slow interview and rapport-building: he patiently elicits information from co-

passengers and local officials. Even when Ghote "makes it near a holiday" on the train, his

detective instincts take over as he catches alibi contradictions and motive flaws. His detection

draws on Indian society minutiae (caste, bureaucracy) and his own insight into human nature.

In Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the investigation takes classic puzzle shape. Dr.

Sheppard (narrator) partners with Hercule Poirot (off-stage) to unravel the murder of the

victim in an English village. The detective/narrator compile clues: hidden engagements,

ledger books, and cryptic telephone calls. Closed-circle mystery (everyone is interconnected)

is a possibility due to the village location.

Poirot's technique is logical deduction, questioning suspects from the rich to the poor.

The reader along with him accumulates puzzle pieces until Poirot finally unveils the villain.

In each book, the detective or the hero accumulates clues step by step, illustrating that clue-
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based investigation and rational deduction are central to the mystery. At the core of all five

novels is one overarching mystery. In The Woman in White, the mystery involves the identity

and situation of Anne Catherick and her extraordinary similarity to Laura Fairlie. Walter

Hartright acts as a self-appointed amateur detective, demystifying an evil plot entailing

deception, coerced marriage, and stolen identity. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes

has to separate fact from myth, applying scientific reasoning to account for a purportedly

supernatural beast. This combination of horror and logic is typical of the genre's tension

between the known and the unknown.

The Big Sleep is a more complex case, with private eye Philip Marlowe caught up in

a web of deceit, blackmail, and murder. The focus here is less on one mystery and more on

negotiating a world of moral complexity. Keating's Inspector Ghote Goes by Train is quieter,

concentrating on character psychology and institutional constraints as the Indian detective

tries to unravel a crime in a limited setting. Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd contains

one of detective fiction's most brazenly shocking plot reveals, undermining the reliability of

the narrative and advancing the complexity of the genre.

2.2 THE NATURE OF TRUTH AND DECEPTION

A defining element of detective fiction is the tension between truth and deception. In

these novels, characters frequently conceal facts or live behind masks, and the detective’s

task is to disentangle reality from lies. In The Woman in White, multiple deceptions drive the

plot. The villain Percy Glyde hides the truth of his parentage, and the apparently deceased

Laura is actually imprisoned. Marian Halcombe and Walter Hartright gradually strip away

these layers of deception. The mystery depends on identifying twins and impersonations:

Anne Catherick and Laura resemble each other, so characters (and early readers) are misled.
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Only through close comparison of the "women in white" portraits and questioning witnesses

do the protagonists discover the truth. Doyle's Hound openly toys with illusion.

Stapleton's trick depends on getting people to believe in a ghostly hound. Holmes keeps

insisting that "rational explanation" has to take the place of superstition. Of particular interest

is the fact that Holmes himself employs a mild fraud for an end: he "lies to Watson and

deceives him" in order that Watson may receive information undercover, as Barkas notes

grin.com. Stapleton's falsehoods, however, are criminally wicked: he resides under an

assumed name and employs trained animals to cause terror. By the end of story, the fake

hound and curse are revealed, truth reinstates order, and Doyle upholds rational observation

over gullible legend. In The Big Sleep, all levels of society are deceived by deception.

Practically every character lies or deceives.

Carmen Sternwood's gambling debts, blackmail plots, and secret photographs are at first

shrouded. Indeed, Ujjal Amin comments Chandler's novel "is not merely a story of crime and

detection; it is also concerned with themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the corrupting effect of

power". Loyalties are changed as characters disclose or withhold information. Vivian

Sternwood, for instance, is protective but evasive. The detective Marlowe has to separate

truth from pretence: he interprets clues in the behavior of people and in a secret camera, and

penetrates the emotional defences of Vivian. Even Marlowe does not discover all the answers

– there is some corruption concealed – but he untangles the net of lies in his own code of

conduct. Inspector Ghote Goes by Train is constructed on deceit. The prime suspect is

actually a "confidence-trickster", and Ghote's test is to penetrate through deception and

pretences. Other travelers can deceive Ghote out of fear or obstinacy.

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Unlike Holmes, Ghote doesn't lie frequently; his talent is to be truthful in the face of others'

deceit. His truthful nature becomes a weapon: by asking straightforward questions and

refusing to underestimate people, he slowly coaxes the truth out. Ghote's moral integrity

stands opposed to others' cunning – that opposition is the expression of the theme of truth.

Deception is at the core of the novel's surprise ending in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Dr.

Sheppard relates the facts and apes helping Poirot, but the real truth is that he himself is the

murderer, astutely concealing clues in his own story. Readers instinctively trust the first-

person narrator, so the story takes advantage of the assumption of honesty. As one analysis

describes, characters (and readers) "assume a certain level of trust in the narrator" and are

therefore "stun[ned]" by his guilt.

The novel has a lesson to learn from the danger of assumptions: truth in detective fiction

often hides under lies. Through all these works, truth lies in secret treasure. Each of these

detectives comes gradually to unwrap deception: Collins's heroes unscramble identity

exchanges, Doyle's Holmes enlightens superstitious deceit, Chandler's Marlowe exposes

concealed sins, Ghote cracks con deceptions, and Christie's peeling away the deception of the

narrator brings to the reader a fundamental revelation. In each, inquiry equals bursting a web

of deception to unearth truth. Truth in detective fiction is not easy. In The Woman in White,

truth lies behind a host of deceptions and deceptions concocted by Sir Percival Glyde and

Count Fosco. Social institutions such as marriage and the asylum, according to the novel, are

mere tools for deceptions. Holmes's strategy in The Hound of the Baskervilles is empiric

observation, yet even Holmes needs to find the truth beyond layers of domestic secrets and

mythologies.

In Chandler's universe, truth is relative. Marlowe discovers facts, but the final truths

regarding morality and justice are out of reach. Keating's Ghote frequently finds himself in a
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position where the truth might not be the most moral option, and this is where duty and

conscience come into conflict. Christie's Poirot discovers the truth not only through reason

but through insight into human nature. The well-known plot twist in Roger Ackroyd

highlights how even the narrator can be misleading, defying our expectation of viewpoint and

truthfulness.

2.3 JUSTICE AND MORALITY

Another recurring theme is justice – legal justice and moral justice – and the heroes'

connection to it. In The Woman in

White, Victorian moral order is ultimately upheld: the villains are brought to ruin and the

innocent are vindicated. Collins makes sure that Sir Percival Glyde and Count Fosco are

punished for their crimes (Fosco is murdered, Glyde suicides), restoring rightful inheritance

to Laura and exonerating Marian's name. The novel maintains a conventional morality: evil is

punished, love and truth prevail. Collins goes as far as using law and reason as instruments of

justice, so that his detective-narrators attain a moral conclusion. In Doyle's novel, justice is

attained through Holmes's rational triumph.

Although the Baskerville curse appeared to be invincible, Holmes and Watson's inquiry

invalidates it. The criminal Stapleton's design is unraveled and he is punished accordingly.

Doyle is writing in an age believing in scientific advance, and the solution mirrors that

confidence: crime is a rational enigma, solved by reason, and the innocent Baskervilles are

vindicated. The hound's killing of Stapleton represents old superstition being vanquished.

Briefly, the law finally catches up with evil through detective expertise. Chandler's The Big

Sleep presents a different moral landscape. Marlowe does get to the bottom of the case, but

all wrongs cannot be righted through official justice.

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Some of the guilty characters escape through ambiguity or death under not strictly

conventional circumstances. Personal ethics are a concern of the story: Marlowe himself

operates according to an interior code ("no cheap chivalry" as he would put it) and is loyal

even to cheating clients. His characterization is as a "lone crusader" amidst corrupt

surroundings. In fact, Amin’s summary notes that Marlowe’s struggle “against the forces of

darkness” shows him as morally upright in a compromised society. The Big Sleep implies

that in its modern setting, moral ambiguity reigns – the detective’s job is not to restore perfect

justice, but to navigate shades of grey. In Ghote Goes by Train, Inspector Ghote’s moral

compass is explicit. He consistently demonstrates honesty and respect for human dignity even

when provoked by bureaucracy. In one analysis, Ghote "has integrity and pursues justice"

during his journeyscribd.com.

Unlike a hard-boiled hero, he does not bully or bribe witnesses; he supplies drinks and

soothing reason. Ghote's sense of right prevents him from merely framing somebody at the

boss's request; he tries to discover the actual truth and see that a fair verdict is delivered.

Keating's characterization implies that personal virtue and waiting are as crucial as sagacity

in serving justice. Christie's novel highlights justice re-established through the detective's

logic. Poirot's resolution clearly punishes evil: the traitor Sheppard is apprehended at a dinner

party and brought before the law. Notably, the reader discovers a lesson too: never assume

people. Bear's GradeSaver analysis observes that when Dr. Sheppard's treachery is

uncovered, it is a "powerful lesson ."

in the peril of assumptions.". In Ackroyd, as in much Christie fiction, the solving of the crime

cleanses evil out of society and reestablishes moral order as well. The detective's position is

openly one of moral rehabilitator. In these works, detectives dispense justice in a variety of

forms. Collins and Christie adhere to the convention that evil must be punished and virtue
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defended. Doyle also conforms to this model but emphasizes human intellect as a force of

morality. Chandler wonders whether justice is ever possible, introducing a detective who is

truthful in an often untruthful world. Keating proposes that moral character can be as

important as deductive ability.

These oppositions indicate shifting attitudes: Victorian fiction tends to end in clear moral

retribution, whereas subsequent fictions permit uncertainty. Nevertheless in each novel the

detective is an agent of justice or at least of moral truth. Each of the novels offers a distinct

interpretation of justice. The Woman in White eventually restores order but at the expense of

significant emotional and psychological harm to the characters. Holmes's triumph in The

Hound of the Baskervilles confirms the authority of reason and law. Chandler's Marlowe,

however, works in a world where official justice is not always present and moral choices

must be made on an individual basis rather than a legal one.

Inspector Ghote's conundrums identify institutionalized corruption and the price of justice in

a bureaucratic setting. His sense of morality is frequently in conflict with procedural codes. In

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, justice is intensely personal. Poirot's solution challenges

whether societal justice is compatible with moral righteousness, particularly when the killer's

motives are psychologically intricate.

2.4 SOCIAL CLASS AND SETTING

The social context and class position in each of these books strongly influence its

characters and themes. In Collins's The Woman in White, Victorian class is the overriding

issue. Laura Fairlie is wealthy and aristocratic, her half-sister Marian and escaped Anne less

so. Laura's wealth makes her vulnerable to Sir Percival Glyde's manipulation and dictates her

future marriage prospects. Harrison observes that Laura's wedding "must heed her father's
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deathbed behest," demonstrating how class destiny (marriage to a baronet) governs her

future. Class structures also provide the basis for pretence: Anne's lower position allows her

unfair imprisonment with little outcry. The social hierarchy under which Fosco and Glyde

were able to exploit Laura is eventually overthrown when they're brought low, quietly

denouncing the indulgences of aristocratic entitlement. In Doyle's book, class is found in the

contrast between the aristocratic Baskerville family and peasants who inhabit the region.

Holmes and Watson, as educated gentlemen (upper-middle class), traverse the barren

moor where peasants fear supernatural legend.

The villain Stapleton himself is actually a dishonored Baskerville (an outlaw

aristocrat) who despises working-class locals. Even, the hound is read by one critic as class

struggle: the ghost hound "represents the proletariat in revolt against – or 'consuming' – the

wealthy," when it kills off upper-class Baskervillescentral.edu. The novel shows aristocrats

(the Baskervilles) spoken of as de facto apart from everyday life, yet also hinted at that lower-

class fears (superstition) can be manipulated on behalf of the upper classes. Either way, the

English country house and class-conscious village present a most un-British setting in which

social class means something. Chandler places The Big Sleep in rich and rotten Los Angeles

of the late 1930s. The Sternwood family mansion is the epitome of upper-class luxury, with

the city's sordid underside waiting just outside its gates. Chandler's accounts create an

palpable feeling of place – his "atmospheric depiction" of 1930s Los Angelesmedium.com is

a universe of dirty glamour and sleaze.

Individuals range from heiresses to occasional gangsters, with stark class divides.

Influence brokers and night-club men mix with prostitutes and roulette wheels. Even

Marlowe himself lives in worlds: he finds easy entry into smart homes on business but can
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also track down his quarry in sewers. The background highlights the fact that the "upper

crust" and the underworld are shared. Chandler's class commentary is not stated – anyone can

be corrupted, regardless of status – but in the glamorous Los Angeles environment, the novel

takes on a distinctly American tone. The backdrop of Keating is postcolonial India, and

class/caste is present subtly. The journey on the Calcutta Mail train literally travels "across

the breadth of the Indian subcontinent", and Ghote traverses diverse lands. Aboard, Ghote

interacts with wealthy travelers and impoverished service staff as well, and he must use both

official rank and respect between individuals to carry out his investigation. Although Keating

avoids the gross dramatization of caste, Indian social hierarchization infiltrates all

circumstances: Ghote employs formal deference to his juniors and seniors (e.g., Sahib). The

travelers' society in the carriage is a miniaturization of society – British colonial die-hards

(hangover from the Raj), Parsi businessmen, and native police ranks.

Class is felt throughout as Ghote returns on "influential relatives" (wealthy clans) and insists

on truth in defiance of social convention.

Third-class carriage carriages also remind one of rich-poor stratification. Therefore,

Ghote Goes by Train uses setting to describe an ascending nation where former colonial

classes and new Indian circumstances meet, and where a dedicated detective must navigate

social nuances in order to pursue justice. Christie's Roger Ackroyd is set in a small English

village, King's Abbot. Class distinctions are exposed in the traditional country-house social

hierarchy. The murdered Roger Ackroyd is a gentleman squire, his niece is upper class (soon

to marry into the aristocracy), and the household servants are working class. Bear

demonstrates how the secret marriage of Ursula (a servant) to Ralph Paton (the gentry heir)

must be kept hidden "because of her position in the serving class," showing the "incredible

power of class divisions." The social group within the village is intimate, and therefore gentry
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and servants inevitably encounter each other daily. The enclosed social milieu offers room for

secrets and scandal behind the politeness.

Conclusion reinforces class stratification: local gentleman (noble Dr. Sheppard) and revered

other (Poirot) implement justice and guarantee customary order.

In other words, every novel's social context is where the mystery receives its

information. Collins and Christie toy with Victorian/Edwardian class arrangements and their

influence upon crime. Doyle juxtaposes aristocratic tradition versus rural folk superstition.

Chandler examines stratified but mixed-up contemporary America. Keating illustrates

postcolonial Indian society's stratifications on a national train. Place and class aren't setting

data in either example; they have an effect on motives and strategies of deceit, and they form

what justice consists of. Setting and class structure are important to both novels. Collins's

Victorian England is full of patriarchal restrictions and strict class divisions, informing the

characters' options and limitations. Doyle's Dartmoor moors in The Hound of the Baskervilles

recall isolation and inherited heritage, both key to the mystery. Chandler's Los Angeles is

grimy and debased, echoing post-war disillusion and economic disparity.

Keating offers a glimpse into Indian society, one where tradition and modernity clash.

Ghote's position as a lower-level official in elite circles highlights the class conflict of Indian

bureaucracy. Christie's village settings, while appearing quaint, have secrets and expose the

hypocrisies of the upper middle class. The insular world of Roger Ackroyd likewise permits a

deeper exploration of privilege and isolation.

CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION
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This comparative analysis has demonstrated that regardless of period and style

differences, all five novels are bound together by their preoccupation with investigation,

mystery, and the search for truth. In each novel, a mysterious crime propels the action, and

characters struggle through layers of deception until truth is revealed. The mystery and

detective motif unites them: Collins's blurred witness accounts to Poirot's puzzle-solving,

each of the tales shows the detective's logic and tenacity. True and false too are constant

tensions: heroes are faced with counterfeit identities, concealed crimes, and false accounts in

the search for truth. Doyle's scientist-detective exposes superstition; Christie's detective

disentangles the final lie of the narrator. In all the novels, fraud brings suspense and only

systematic investigation brings out the truth. Similarly, the novels investigate justice and

morality in their contexts.

Collins and Christie end up providing traditional moral conclusions – offenders are

revealed and punished. Doyle's tale confirms rational justice. Chandler's noir presents a

darker morality (as Chandlers's novel itself "explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the

corrupting influence of power"), implying that individual ethics, not official law, regularly

control the outcome. Keating's Ghote illustrates that individual integrity is a brand of justice

in and of itself. In all instances, the detective character remains a moral agent who attempts to

correct unjustities or, at least, bring reality to surface. Finally, social setting and class supply

the backdrop for every mystery. Every writer sets the story in a particular environment –

Victorian England, Devonshire moors, 1930s Los Angeles, postcolonial India, a small

English village – and the class dynamics of that environment inform every clue and character.

As critics have pointed out, the genre's capacity to "capture the prevailing social and

moral climate" is exactly what makes these stories last. Whether the oppressive Victorian

marriage system, the aristocracy's secrets in the moor, the taboos of 1930s America, or the
 25

Indian colonial legacies, the social context is part of the narrative. The detectives in both

novels solve crimes, but they also negotiate and sometimes critique the social order

surrounding them. Lastly, this research stresses that mystery, detection, and pursuit of truth

are the threads unifying Collins, Doyle, Chandler, Keating, and Christie. All writers utilize

the detective novel to pose universal questions – identity, lying, justice, and society – in ways

that are correspondent to the time. As the readers observe these detectives tracing the path,

the texts remind us that detective fiction ultimately addresses the unmasking of truth in the

present.

Through comparative analysis, we observe that although styles change (from

Victorian sensation to noir cynicism), the essence of the genre is unchanged: the detective's

quest for knowledge reconstitutes order, fulfilling our intellectual curiosity and sense of

justice. These canonical novels, published over a hundred years, collectively illustrate the

continued power and adaptability of the detective tradition.

The act of investigation is the unifying factor that ties together the chosen works

across various time periods, forms, and cultures. Whether it is done by an amateur such as

Walter Hartright, a professional such as Sherlock Holmes, a hard-boiled private detective

such as Philip Marlowe, a diligent Inspector Ghote, or the legendary analytical mind Hercule

Poirot, the act of finding out what happened is an organizing narrative drive.

All of the detectives face not only external challenges but also internal struggles.

Their techniques, motives, and moral limits say a great deal about the worlds they live in.

Thus, the investigation is a metaphor for the human search for meaning in an unpredictable,

deceptively complex world.

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Additionally, the detective fiction enables moral ambiguity to be explored. Truth,

revealed by the investigator, is not necessarily satisfying or equitable. Rather, it tends to

mirror the faults and contradictions that are part of human nature and social institutions. The

genre therefore moves past mere whodunits and becomes a forum for philosophical

examination.

Finally, these books demonstrate that detective fiction is not so much about crime-

solving as it is about facing the truths that society seeks to conceal. Through the trajectory of

investigation, readers are led into a process of critical analysis, moral inquiry, and emotional

involvement that raises the genre above its formulaic origins into a rich literary heritage.

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gradesaver.com/the-murder-of-roger-ackroyd/study-guide/themes.

Harrison, Sophie. "An Introduction to the Classics: Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White."

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