No idea how to write a crime fic essay (1 Viewer)

[kiniki]

I just can't get my head around this topic, well it seems like I can, but then I write an essay which gets 12/25

I can't seem to write an essay on hound/skull/rearwindow/ORT at all! My teacher cuts me down and hacks into my essay with no real constructive criticism - just writes a big NO next to every paragraph and then fails to explain to me how to improve my writing. I'm so lost, and I really need to redeem my rank in my class (2nd last) for this upcoming speech I have to do..

What are the essential things to be talking about in an essay on crime fic/genre? I'm apparently 'awful' at explaining/connecting values as well. Fuck life, this subject wants to make me commit.

My essays feel alright ... but yeah help?

edit: if anyone wants me to post up my prac essays up, just tell me x

 

[foolish bowie]

I cant really help unless I see one of your essays.

So if you'd like, if you post one or something, I could pull it apart for you.

I'm doing crime writing now as well and have scored well in all my essays.

 

[kiniki]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]DRAFT ONE[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]1829 WORDS – SUBVERSION AND UPHOLDING OF CONVENTIONS IN CRIME FICTION ? to show purpose of the text ? what values emerge ? 'rear window' 'the real inspector hound' 'el dorado'[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The conventions which help to form the crime genre have the ability to be manipulated by composers in order to reflect a specific context or fulfil the purpose of a text. The conventions of crime provide the basis for the development of the genre, and their flexibility allows authors to either subvert or uphold them, refreshing crime writing, allowing for adaptation to the interests of new audiences.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Such conventions appear in texts such as 'Rear Window' directed by Alfred Hitchcock which reveals the underlying preoccupations of the 1950s, Tom Stoppards 'The Real Inspector Hound' where the conventions have been more aptly subverted to suit his particular authorial style and the poem 'El Dorado' by Dorothy Porter where the conventions of crime fiction lend emphasis to the extent of reality in our perceptions.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Stoppard's absurdist 'The Real Inspector Hound' uses aspects of absurdist theatre to subvert the traditional conventions of crime, in particular, parodying Agatha Christie's highly popular stage production, 'The Mousetrap' – a play within the context of the cosy sub-genre. He takes the formulaic structure of the play and adapts traditional conventions of crime fiction in order to assume the conventions of absurdist theatre. 'The Real Inspector Hound' dissolves the wall between the audience and the play, blurring our distinction of what is reality and what is art This breakdown of the 'fourth wall' is further emphasised with Stoppard's adherence and subversion of traditional conventions of crime writing. The setting of the play at the 'charming though somewhat isolated Muldoon Manor' upholds the idea within crime fiction that crime must take place away from civilisation in order for the reader to suspend their notions of disbelief and allow themselves to be engaged by the play. Though despite this typical crime convention of an isolated setting, Moon and Birdboot, who are portrayed as members of the audience, are allowed to enter the play and its operation, subverting the ideas of the genre as well as the usual perception of stage performances where the audience is distinguished from the actors. **link back to q***[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The peak of crime fiction, the development of the Golden Age crime sub-genre, was dominated by Agatha Christie and her 'The Mousetrap' models a typical story which adheres to the strict criteria imposed by 'cosy fiction' values. Through Stoppards parallel, we can discern the values that Cosy-writers held with regard to the criticism that writers tended to receive when they strayed too far from the cemented conventions of crime-writing. The static nature of 'cosy' crime stories is clearly subverted with Stoppards clear sense of the ridiculous, shown by Felicity when she states 'But it doesn't make sense'. Furthermore the sequence of events are disjointed and irrational. Within a crime story, the discovery of a body is typically the catalyst which drives the resulting events of the plot. However in Stoppards 'The Real Inspector Hound' a body is revealed to the audience within the opening scene of the play, and goes unnoticed by the characters until the Inspector 'finds himself standing on top of the corpse', well past the thick of the plot. Golden Age crime fiction emerged in a time where the Depression of the 1920s presented a bleak outlook for society. In crime writing, this translated into a sense of fluency governing the storyline, where writers easily resolved the 'puzzle' of the crime with offering many clues and suspects to the reader. Stoppard upholds this is a satirical manner through the characters withholding nothing from the audience, such as Mrs Drudge exclaiming '[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]'The air is foreboding and it's all very mysterious, something will happen soon' [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]exploiting the puzzle elements of the crime story. The very premise of the crime-writing is built around a detective figure and in 'The Real Inspector Hound' a central detective cannot exist as even the identity of the characters is blurred. This is show through the charatersation of the Real Inspector Hound, Magnus, Albert and Puckerdige as all assuming one character. This is extended through the opening of the play beginning with the audience confronted by their 'own reflection in a huge mirror. Impossible'. This subverts one of the most definititive conventions crime-writing, allowing Stoppard to send up the folly of the adherence of crime fiction to a linear storyline. As well as this, it reflects his intentions to regenerate the genre of crime fiction in the 1960s where it had begun to wane through writing a play in the context of 'cosy fiction' from the Golden Age of crime where its popularity had peaked. **link needed**[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alfred Hitchcocks 'The Rear Window' commentates on the social order and the underlying concerns in society, redeveloping the appeal of crime fiction. This is through Hitchcock using many values of the 1960s, translating them into the context of the plotline to help intertwine the characters perceptions with the audiences. The disappearence of Lars Thorwald's wife and the supposition of her murder form the storyline of the movie is put forward by Jeff, the only observer to the lives of Lars and his wife. This use of an amatuar detective without the assistance of the police is also a clear convention of the crime fiction genre. Hitchcocks adheres to this throughout the film, subverting the function of the police to the extent where the only clues and help Doyle offers, are misleading red herrings. This convention is within the context of the social and political issues of the 1950s where Mccarthyism, engendered by the fear of communists in the Cold War, was prominent. Politicians had begun to accuse American citizens of possibly being communists. Widespread suspicion ensued, and the role of citizen responsiblity was encouraged to suss out covert Communists within society. This negates the role of police, who seemed ineffectual against the curbing of communism, exemplified by the emphasis lent to Jeffs role as an amatuar detective with his only assistants being Stella and Lisa. The emphasis on Jeffs observation of the neighbours lives expose the undercurrents of voyeurism within 'Rear Window' clarifies the societal values in the America of the 1950s. **fucking link, also link to hound somehow**[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The voyeuristic framing throughout the entire movie also questions the morals and ethics of Jeff, who is labelled a 'Peeping tom' by Stella. The notion of carrying out all his detective work through his 'rear window' upholds the status quo that society was expected to maintain whilst being assertive of any secretive doings of their neighbours, following the fear of communism. However, Hitchcock challenges this societal value by questioning the ethics of it, 'Is it ethical to watch a man through binoculars.... do you suppose it's ethical even if you prove he didn't commit a crime? ' which underlines Hitchcocks perspective of society and the morals that he believes should be imposed. While Jeff pays the price for prying into a 'secret and private world' when Lars pushes him out the window, the crime would have otherwise gone unnoticed by the rest of the neighbours. The social contempt for the invasion of privacy is suggested by Lisa when she calls Jeff 'diseased' for watching the neigbours and Jeff warning Doyle to 'be careful' when he makes assumptions about Lisas nightgown being in the apartment. Despite all this, Jeff continues his obsessive habit of watching the neighbours and Lars which ultimately results in the solving of the crime. The audience are privy to the everyday life of the neighbours, moreso when Jeff is asleep. Inevitabley, the audience are included in the operation of the film, much like in 'The Real Inspector Hound' where the significance of the details in the crime are subjective, chiefly formed by the audiences own assumptions rather than Stoppards intentions, shown through the device of the mirror. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In Dorothy Porters, 'El Dorado' the plot focuses on the hunt for a serial killer, intent on killing children to prevent their transition into the cold reality of the world, sending them to 'El Dorado' because it's 'where they want to go'. Throughout the verse novel, explicit references are made to 'Peter Pan', when the book is found in Emmas backpack and the question arises whether the killer himself put it there, to illustrate what drives him to slay the children and have them stay in a 'perfect childhood'. Porter imbues the killer with a sense of sincerity in his actions and justification of the crimes, subverting the typical context in which a killer kills, for revenge or simply self-interest. **link needed*[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The reality of the killers morals is heightened when Cath reflects on the discovery of the 'Peter Pan' book, disconcerted by the fact that 'it was one of my beloved childhood books'. From here arises the question of what is reality and what is mere fantasy, as Bill trawles the internet looking for the 'Neverland' chat room where the killer lurks, reflective of his own suspension in a fantastical world.. Bill also tells Cath that she's 'living in a Fairyland', placing Cath somewhat within the killers shoes. This murky portrayal of what is reality is accentuated by Caths own occupation as a 'Imaginary Worlds Specialist Director' in Hollywood. This mirrors the thematic thread of the question of what's reality in the 'Real Inspector Hound' also reflected in 'El Dorado' when Bill remarks 'I hate stuff that pretends to be art' to which Cath responds, 'Are you agreeing with El Dorado?'. Furthermore, in 'El Dorado' the killer 'seems to have known' Cath and Bill as children, invading into their own childhoods by sending Cath toys that she used to own. This exploits their own pasts and Bill tells Cath 'Nothing is private these days', a concern that was highlighted in ' Rear Window' both of which denote the societal value of privacy. However a paradox is formed, when despite 'rear window ethics', we are compelled to be privy in the lives of others. This compulsion is chiefly shown by Stoppards use of the mirror to include the audience in the play, suggesting this want to know details of others lives is inherent and challenges the ethics in society today concerning privacy. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Conclusion: rararar tie it all up and shit, mirror --> inclusion of audience --> rear window framing of the movie --> typical convention of crime fiction to allow the reader to solve the crime on their own --> question of what is reality and art, mirror in hound, peter pan in el dorado and within jeff's own assumptions of whats going on in lar's apartment (is it reality, or is it just his over active imagination brought on by being stuck in his apartment w/ broken leg) --> subversion of the role of the detective --> no detective in hound, upholding this convention in rear window w/ amatuar detective ditto with el dorado (not to the same extent, coz bill is a proper detective but he's helped by cath) --> quick thing on values on the 1950s in rear window --> end!! [/FONT]


embarrassing

 

[tomsmith2010]

Good thread you have shared here, the crime fiction essay writing is really interesting one. I really like the Author Agatha Christie. She wrote lot of famous crime fictions. All of those are really impressive. In my academic period i have completed the essays on agatha christie. That was very nice and great experience to me. In your essay writing you should research about that specific topic....
Have a good day

 

[Thomas Sullivan]

Hey dude, it seems like you are having troubles with your essay ,I'm not essay writing expert but I can tell you that you could get help from essay professionals on the web. Considering your topic you can choose good writers by checking forums like essay writing reviews. have a very good time

 

[cullas]

Before you went to college, what did you think you would be doing there? Surely, you imagined yourself being an excellent student, a leader, part of the learning community purchase essays for college , where you would be able to reveal your hidden talents and academic skills.