Detective Archetypes in Anglophone Fiction
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Detective Archetypes in Anglophone Fiction Ketović, Marko Master's thesis / Diplomski rad 2019 Degree Grantor / Ustanova koja je dodijelila akademski / stručni stupanj: Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences / Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Filozofski fakultet Permanent link / Trajna poveznica: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:142:968848 Rights / Prava: In copyright Download date / Datum preuzimanja: 2021-09-30 Repository / Repozitorij: FFOS-repository - Repository of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera u Osijeku Filozofski fakultet Dvopredmetni diplomski studij njemačkog i engleskog jezika i književnosti nastavničkog usmjerenja Marko Ketović Detektivski arhetipi u anglofonoj prozi Diplomski rad Mentor: doc.dr.sc. Ljubica Matek Osijek, 2019. Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera u Osijeku Filozofski fakultet Dvopredmetni diplomski studij njemačkog i engleskog jezika i književnosti nastavničkog usmjerenja Marko Ketović Detektivski arhetipi u anglofonoj prozi Diplomski rad Znanstveno područje: humanističke znanosti Znanstveno polje: filologija Znanstvena grana: anglistika Mentor: doc.dr.sc. Ljubica Matek Osijek, 2019. University of J.J Strossmayer in Osijek Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences MA Programme in English Language and Literature (Education Studies) and German Language and Literature (Education Studies) Marko Ketović Detective Archetypes in Anglophone Fiction Master’s Thesis Ljubica Matek, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Osijek, 2019 University of J.J Strossmayer inOsijek Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences MA Programme in English Language and Literature (Education Studies) and German Language and Literature (Education Studies) Marko Ketović Detective Archetypes in Anglophone Fiction Master’s Thesis Scientific area: humanities Scientific field: philology Scientific branch: English studies Ljubica Matek, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Osijek, 2019 Abstract This master thesis analyzes, exemplifies and contrasts different archetypes of detectives in Anglophone fiction. Five fictional detectives are sorted into their respective archetypes according to their methodology of detection and role in crime investigation. The archetypes are grouped into two categories: the main archetypes and archetypes by genre. The first category includes the private investigator, represented by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, the police detective, represented by Ngaio Marsh’s Roderick Alleyn and the amateur detective, represented by Gilbert K. Chesterton’s Father Brown. The analysis encompasses the detectives’ different approaches to resolving cases and contrasts them to each other. The second category includes the hard-boiled detective, represented by Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe as well as the cozy detective, represented by Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple. The paper addresses their general crime solving skills and how their characterization is shaped by the two genres. Conclusively, a comparison of the two categories will establish the similarities and differences between the five archetypes. Keywords: detective, crime fiction, archetypes, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ngaio Marsh, Gilbert K. Chesterton, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie. Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................8 1. History and Defining Traits of Detective Fiction ............................................................... 9 2. Main Archetypes ............................................................................................................... 11 3.1 The Private Investigator .................................................................................................. 12 3.2 The Police Detective ....................................................................................................... 17 3.3 The Amateur Detective ................................................................................................... 21 3. Archetypes by Genre ......................................................................................................... 24 3.1 The Hard-Boiled Mystery ............................................................................................... 25 3.2 The Hard-Boiled Detective ............................................................................................. 27 3.3 The Cozy Mystery .......................................................................................................... 31 3.4 The Cozy Detective ........................................................................................................ 33 4. Comparison of the Archetypes .......................................................................................... 36 Conclusion................................................................................................................................37 Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………………..38 Introduction For centuries, detective stories have fascinated readers with their suspenseful investigations, intricate puzzles and shrewd detectives. The detective, who solves the most complex cases with his sheer intelligence or just by chance, remains a popular literary figure. Among the vast examples of the detective narrative, a certain pattern can be observed in the characterization of the fictional sleuths. Despite all having the same main goal, which is revealing the truth, the process by which this is achieved as well as the involvement of the detective in the investigation correspond to different archetypes. The aim of this paper is to analyze, exemplify and contrast the several archetypes of detective fiction based on Anglophone novels written during the early period and the so-called Golden Age of detective fiction. The archetypes themselves are divided into two categories: the main archetypes and archetypes in different subgenres of detective fiction. First, this paper will provide a brief overview of the history of detective fiction, its canon and predominant traditions of the genre. Following is the analysis of each representative of the respective archetypes, which will address their exhibited skills, methodology of detection and their interactions within the realm of investigation. Chapter 2 is dedicated to the first category of archetypes which distinguishes between the two types of professional detectives, the private investigator type being epitomized by Sherlock Holmes in The Study in Scarlet (1887) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the police detective represented by Ngaio Marsh’s Roderick Alleyn in A Man Lay Dead (1934). The amateur detective is personified by Gilbert K. Chesterton’s Father Brown (1910-1936). The analysis will focus on their knowledge of crime detection, analytical techniques, interaction with the criminals and law enforcement, and the effect of their professionalism, or lack thereof, on the course of the investigation, while their similarities and differences will be cross-referenced in the paper. The second category is dealt with in chapter 3 and it distinguishes between the hard- boiled and the cozy detective whose characterization is heavily influenced by the subgenres themselves. A synopsis of the two genres will identify their particular characteristics and provide additional examples of the type. The hard-boiled genre is represented by Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep (1939), while Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple in The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) is the representative of the cozy mystery. The interpretation will determine the way the two detectives correspond to the individual 8 conventions of their subgenre as well as compare them. Lastly, in chapter 4, analogies will be drawn between the representatives of the two categories. The conclusion will present a synthesis of the representatives and their characterization. 1. History and Defining Traits of Detective Fiction The origins of detective fiction can be traced to American writer Edgar Allan Poe, whose short story, “Murders in Rue Morgue” (1841) is cited to be the first example of the classic detective narrative (Horsley 27). The appearance of Poe’s eccentric and yet brilliant character Auguste Dupin, who was retrospectively labeled as a detective, has according to Scaggs “set the template for crime in the next century” (19). Along with his two other stories, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” (1843) and “The Purloined Letter” (1845), Poe created a formula for the detective plot, which must include a perplexing case which only an individual of brilliant intelligence can solve, a loyal sidekick who also serves as the narrator, as well as skeptical members of law enforcement, who remain baffled by the detective’s genius. Merivale notes that Poe’s three stories established three different paradoxes prominent in both classic and modern detective fiction, the first being “The paradox of Something Hidden in Plain Sight”, which exemplifies most important clues being overlooked because they are too obvious. Second, “The paradox of the Locked Room” features an impossible crime occurring in a room locked from the inside, where the detectives only find the victim and no perpetrator, but whose escape through a secret door or passage is later revealed. Third, “The paradox of the Least Likely Suspect” as the name states, involves the revelation that the crime was committed by an unassuming character, who at first glance had no real motive (310). Poe’s short stories also