0% found this document useful (0 votes)
12 views5 pagesRzepka What Is Detective Fiction1
The document explores the definition and elements of detective fiction, particularly focusing on the distinction between 'Mystery' and 'Adventure' archetypes. It discusses key components of detective stories, such as the presence of a detective, an unsolved mystery, and the investigation process, while also highlighting the importance of the 'puzzle element' that engages the reader's reasoning. The text further examines the evolution of the genre, the role of formulas and rules in crafting detective narratives, and the relationship between the author, reader, and detective.
Uploaded by
treesajosephCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
12 views5 pagesRzepka What Is Detective Fiction1
The document explores the definition and elements of detective fiction, particularly focusing on the distinction between 'Mystery' and 'Adventure' archetypes. It discusses key components of detective stories, such as the presence of a detective, an unsolved mystery, and the investigation process, while also highlighting the importance of the 'puzzle element' that engages the reader's reasoning. The text further examines the evolution of the genre, the role of formulas and rules in crafting detective narratives, and the relationship between the author, reader, and detective.
Uploaded by
treesajosephCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
/ 5
Charles J. Rzepka
The Desth of
printed ia The
polity 1
What is Detective Fiction?
‘Types and Elements
Before we can relate the history of something, we must define what
we are talking about, There are several ways to go about defning
{ercetive Fiction. One is taxonomic. This means placing i in elation
to other «ypes of popular literature, such as love stories, Wests,
Science fiction, spy tales, and so on, john G. Caweli (Adventure) has
‘grouped these types into larger categories called ‘archetypes’, which
fare convenione foe making an inital distintion between two major
kinds of detective fiction, Mystery’ and ‘Adventure’
Because it offen begins with an unsolved crime of some sor, the
detective story seems to fit sanglyssithin Caeltis “Mystery” arche=
type, rather than either of his ocher two groups, ‘Adventure’ of
"Romance’. Crimes, however, can appear in all three, while some
detective mysteries donot, eehncal involve eximes stall In ali-
tion, many erime stores including a detective of similar character
offer no mystery to be solved, bu rather a difficulty tobe overcome:
‘making an arrestor cluding one, stealing something or retrieving i,
taking or freeing s hostage. Such "eaper’ or erime-sispense tales have
2 long pedigre reaching back to "The Pusloined Leer’ (1845) of
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-48). While gripping, they are not paticulary
mysterious, forthe eulprts and their schemes are known almost rom
the beginning, ‘Caper’ tales clearly belong to Cavsltis Adventare
archetype, where the virtues to be displayed are ingenuity, daving,
tnd resolve, not the decipherment of clues of weighing of evidence
1n what follows, we will focus on detective ftion ofthe Mystery
‘pe, whether the detectives in question are official, priate 10. Narratives of Detection and the Sciences of History
profesional, or amateur Nonetheless, the Adventute crime story,
both with and without detectives, will be seen to play an important
cay sole in the development ofits Mystery counterpart
‘Within the Mystery type of detective story some elements are fiy
consistent. A Mystery deective story usually contains a detective of
Some kind, an unsolved mystery (not always technically a crime), and
an investigation by which the mystery is eventually solved. Theve is
‘another component, however, that may be present in varying degrees,
for may not be present at all This the so-called “puzale clement
the presentation ofthe mystery 38 an ongoing problem forthe eader
to solve, and its power to engage the reader's own reasoning, abil
ites. The ist theee elements of detective Retion~ devctve, mystery,
investigation ~ make a coajoint appearance quite early in the history
fof the genre. However, the fourth, the ‘puzzle element’, is conspicu-
‘ous by its absence during most ofthis period.
Bleak House (1853), for instance, by Charles Dickens (1812-70),
features one ofthe calest official police detectives co appear in main.
stream English fiction, Inspector Bucket. Ir als includes the murder
‘of a prominent attorney, Me Talkinghora, and a train of detection
that involves testing alibi, sifting motives, and collecting material
tridence, all leading to the arrest of the culprit, Lady Dedlock’s
French maid, Mademoiselle Hortense. Along the way we encounter
at lease two innocent suspects (one of them Lady Dedlock herself)
land several rechnigues of decection (such as close surveillance) dear
forthe heart of early crime writer. Tlkinghorn’s murder is only one
among many mysteries in Dickens's huge tapestry of London high
fnd low lif, at the centre of which lurks the tragedy of Lacy
Dedlock’s deadly, locked-up secret her former love affair with
(Captain Havidon and her abandonment in infancy ofthe child they
conceived, Esther Summerson. Infact, Buckets most important inves"
tigation i dicected not at apprehending & murderer, but a prevent
Jing a suicide. Over the course of twenty-four hours, the detective
helps Hsther tack Lady Dedlock 10 Hawdon's anonymous grav,
whither she has fled from the mansion of her husband, Sir Leiceste,
in disgrace
‘As for amateur detetives, consider Emily St Aubert, heroine of
‘The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), a popular Gothic novel by Ann
Radeliffe (1764-1823). Many eitics have cited Radclffe’s book asa
detective story procotype. Here we have a young Englishwoman
trapped in « decrepit cate owned by 8 predatory Ilan Count
‘named Montoni. She is surrounded by mysteries defying rational,
explanation: cadavers in hidden rooms, strange night sounds, secret,
What i Detective Fiction u
Passages behind fatering curtains and he like. Emily makes several
lscoveres for herself as she tiesto escape from the castle, and is
later told that smugslers hiding contraband have contrived some of
the other ‘supernatural’ occurrences to scare away casual interlopers
Dickens's and Radclifies novel illustrate the thece constant factors
swe have identifi! as essential to detective ftion, In each, we find 9
‘detective (one professional, one amateur, mysteries to be solved, aad
fan investigation which eventuaes in the solution to these mysteries,
but neither author enables the reader to participate very actively in
the investigation. Radcliffe offers few if any resoutees inthe course
fof Emily's adventures by which we might arrive at a solution belore
the author provides it. Tulkinghorn’s murdes in Bleak House fils the
same test. We know early on that Mademoiselle Hortense has reason
to despise Lady Dediock, and thus sufcient motive to frame her
‘employe fr the crime. But we are denied the most vital information
pointing in the maids direction anil after her arrest This includes
the source ofthe paper fragment used to wrap the gunpowder in the
pistol chat killed Tlkinghorn. The remainder of the page from which
that fragment was tora is recovered from Mademoiselle Hortense
wascebasket hy Inspector Bucker's wife,
‘Granting the reader access to information essential to solving the
mystery is thought by many readers and critics, at least nowadays,
to be crucial to stories af detection, Jost as crucial, for those holding
this view, is withholding from the ceader for as long 28 possible the
complete solution to the mystery. For this reason, one might aague
that Inspector Buckor's discovery of Lady Dedlock’s sordid pas does
not qualiy as a plot of detetion any more than his solution of
Tulkinghorn’s murdes, even though the reader is provided ‘with
‘ough hints ro ‘connect the dots as it were, Indeed, the problem
here 1s not too few dots, but too' many, all nea lined up. Long
before Lady Dedlock’'s light, her connection to Captain Hawdon and
to Esther has been surmised by # number of unsavoury characters,
whose suspicions are conveyed to us though they have not yet become
publi
Given these reservations, some critics consider Bleak House less a
novel of detection than of ‘Sensation’, » term coined by Margaret
‘Oliphan (1828-97) ine Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine essay of
May 1862. Oliphant was describing. books much like Dickens,
‘where along erin of carefully prepa hints, suggestions, and impli
‘ations i laid down not so much to astonish the reader with some
thing altogether unexpected as ¢o reveal some dreadtul secet that
ost readers have suspected all slong 12 Narrative of Detection and the Scinees of History
Cay, torn hat etre dst mye and a inet
gation may or may not engage the readers own powes of detection.
FRhari they may or may not havea ‘pu element Those that do,
as we thal ce, aso have a speialslaionship tothe act of reading,
and to autora atutudes toward history and ts aarti covery Ih
the modern world Becanse this distincdon is erual to our unde
Standing ofthe development ofthe gente in relation to these att
Tos shall se che term detective ton in what follows wo reer
tony soy that contains a major character undertaking theives
igo ofa mysterious cine or sila teenegresin, and reserve the
form detection, as in “lerary detection "stores of detection,
aia the lke for thae category of detective wing in which the
zl element dict engages the readers svenon and powers uf
Inference.
Formulas, Rules, and ‘Fair Play's
The Basis of the Puzzle Element
The puarle clement is often linked in discussions of detective fiction
‘with the word forma, a term alo applied to popular genres such
fs Wester and love stories, A forma is ike & recipe: te describes
the specific kinds of charactors, setings, and plots that readers have
come co expect in their favourite popular genre. For instance, in che
Shard-boled” American detective Formla the hero is cypically a
‘tough guy’ and good at making wise-cracks. Because it isa constant,
the formula can create a sense of ritualization, an integral pact of
what makes some popular genres attractive to their fans. Thus,
focording to W. H. Auden, the ‘classeal” English detective story
typically ro-enacs rites of seapepoating and expulsion that affirm the
itmocence of a community of good people supposedly ignorant of
tile Formally expelled from an Edenic "Great Good Place’ (19) by
Imprisonment, tensportation, of execution, the evil snakesin-the-
frass who has been lurking unsuspected among its inhabitants takes
fiway the stain of sin along with him or her upon expulsion: Paradise
is Regained.
‘Waiting toa formula will probably ensure sales, but it cam become
boring, In detection, however, formulaic rales also present opport
nities forthe display of suthoria ingenuity through “rule subversion’
(Owen, 78), which is intended to enhance the challenge ofthe puzle
‘clement having reached the point of cliché, for instance, the form
What is Detective Fietion? 13
lac cule that ‘the butler didi i pe for violation. Literary dete:
thn sms to generat, in writes and renders alike, a distin dic:
platy impule thse paradoxically encourages ‘ule subversion” by
fespetuating the expectation of formulate adference, asl
ontradcory pulse largely ford to other popular rary gears.
“The glory dap of ulebound ierary detection atived dang the
19205 and 4930s, the so-ale “Golden Age’ when lane or ana
Ij stories of detection challenging the reader to answer te que:
thn of “Whodnit dominated the beseseler Hs, The deesdes
tho sw the iat appearance of erioscrgeal reflection onthe form
elf and on fo historical development, including Regs Messick
Itagisterial diertaton on the detective novel and scenic thought
{092} and crcl “prologees’to popular anthologies edited by
Villard Fistingion Wrighe (ales. 8.8. van Dine, 1847-1939),
Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957), and hers
In gerral, Golden Ape cortmentators sa progrestive pattern in
the elution of teary deetion frm invention’ by Edgar Allan
Povin 184, when The Murders inthe Rue Morgue’ was plished,
through the comolidaing masterpises of Arthur Comin. Doyle
{1859-1930 inthe 1890s, to popular examples of lastial detection
by contemporaries such ns Sayers, Agatha Chrisie (1891-1970,
eso Math (1895-1982), and John Dick Care (1906-77) eis
Impossible co ignore the line of iaence embod by these writes
But as Martin Kayman warns ws (3) temporal secession ca easly
Bermisaken for inevitable advance
"Tere nothing inevable about detection’ advance along the
gath thatthe Golden Age crits laid out, and mich, infact that
fens inexplicable if we adhere 10 closely tock inerary. Why,
forinstance did take yore twenty years for Poe example speed
fsitwan tomake any impact on dec fetion? What was about
the decades after Worl War I that enhanced the allure of ‘lave
cltceton in gland, whl incing the “har-botle” reaction againt
dein the Unted Sates? AsT hope to show, the answers to such
