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A STUDY ON THE DETECTIVE STORY
I. INTRODUCTION
"Agatha Christie is the most widely published writer of any time and in
any language. Only the Bible and the plays of Shakespeare have sold more
edition than the murder mysteries".
One could ask, after reading the fragment quoted, a simple question:
"Why?" and we believe that the answer to this question would make an
eloquent introduction to the present paper.
The XX-th century is coming to an end. Literature worldwide has
experienced all kinds of narrative structures( if we are to refer only
to prose) along the time , from the total omniscience to what was called
"the death of the author". There are literary works which are not
accessible to every one. It is here a question of taste and also of
culture. But the detective fiction has gained so wide an audience to
read and most of all it is entertaining.
Such texts are a challenge for the reader who involves mentally in the
solving of the mysteries.
It is therefore a chance to put your mind to work in a very pleasant way
and it is also everybody s taste of adventure which finds here the
atmosphere needed. Thus detective fiction becomes a refuge in the every
day s agitation and worries, a place full of danger but which is safer
than any other place in the real world. People have the possibility to
test their abilities of reasoning, of anticipating, inferring, and
drawing conclusions in spite of the fact that they have at their
disposal very little material.
So, taking as key concepts some ideas: "adventure", "challenge",
"reasoning", "meeting danger from the safe position of the reader",
"being finally morally rewarded by the punishment of the evil", we can
understand why the detective fiction has so much success since its first
apparition till nowadays.
A very important thing when speaking about detective fiction is the fact
that, in the end, the guilty person(s) is(are) discovered and the good
always wins upon the evil.
We should not forget the fact that, although it first appeared in the
XIX-th century, detective fiction flourished after the two world wars,
perhaps because then people felt the need to revenge the numerous crimes
which had been committed against humanity. The satisfaction of seeing a
murderer punished - even if it was only in a book - was after all
soothing for so many frighten and terrified souls.
II. INFO DATA ON DETECTIVE FICTION
Definition
Pattern
General types of detective fiction
"Detective story is a work of fiction about a puzzling crime, a number
of clues, and a detective who eventually solves the mystery. In most
detective stories, the crime is murder and the clues lead to or away
from the solution "("Book of the world").
The pattern of most detective stories is the same, whether the tale is
a novel, a novelette or a short story. The author presents the crime,
the detective and several clues and suspects. The climax of the story
comes when the detective reveals the criminal and tells how the mystery
was solved.
Certain conventions have developed from the detective story pattern. The
author is expected to "play fair" with the reader. That is, the reader
should be given exactly the same information that the detective uses to
find the criminal. Readers can treat the story as a battle of wits
between themselves and the detective .
The detective in most of these stories is not a professional police
officer, but a private consultant. For example, G.K.Chesterton s Father
Brown is a priest, Rex Shout s Nero Wolfe is a gourmet and an
intellectual. Fictional professional detectives include Wilkie Collin s
Sergent Cuff, John Creasey s Inspector Maigret. Romance or financial
gain may be a factor in a detective story, but the main theme is the
mystery and its solution.
Some of these characteristics and some others will be discussed while
analysing Agatha Christie s The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (in
chapter III).
The detective story above mentioned belongs to the well known
"Whodunnit" which is one of the 4 types of detective fiction, together
with "the hard boiled detective narrative", "the police procedural",
"the metaphysical detective narrative".
Whodunnit, the British detective fiction is usually a detective puzzle
that presents crime exclusively as a riddle to be solved through the
"Wh-" train of questions (i.e. Who, Why, How, Where, When).
The term Whodunnit (Who done it ?) was coined by D.Jordan in the
American News of Books in 1930. It refers to a form of writing invented
by Edgar Allan Poe in "The Murder of Rue Morgue" (1841).
The mystery is very important, emphasized whereas the writer must follow
a set of guidelines that require fair play in the telling of the murder,
presentation of the clues and the withholding of the identity of the
murderer until the end.
The art of the "whodunnit" comes in the pursuit of the murderer through
the skillful presentation of clues. The writer is expected to adhere to
the standard of fair play. Which is, the writer must present to the
reader all the clues necessary to reveal the significance of the clues.
The writer can misdirect the reader by emphasizing the unimportant
clues.
Margery Allingham, the mystery writer went on to single out an smaller
group of essentials for a murder mystery belonging to the "Whodunnit"
type in the preface of "The Mysterious Mr. Campion" (1963): a killing,
"a mystery, an inquiry, and a conclusion with an element of
satisfaction".
The writing of a classic whodunnit is governed by some very strict rules
concerning the order of the sequences in the text: starting from a
certain problem, it goes back in time, finds its roots and deals with
them; then the solution of the problem is given and the guilty persons
are punished.
Now let s follow these stages in one of Agatha Christie s stories,
taking not only its title, but also its reading as an adventure of the
mind.
III. Agatha Christie s:
"The Adventure of the Egyption Tomb"
Short presentation of the plot
Why a Whodunnit?
Narrative technique
Title and Plot
Time and Setting
Character Building
Language and Irony
Short presentation of the plot
Reading a detective story becomes an adventure in itself, adventure
which people search for, when stepping into its narrative structure, the
plot included.
The title of the story which we are going to discuss announces "The
Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb". The title, we must admit is quite
interesting and arouses the reader s interest.
In a nutshell, the story is about the investigation of three deaths
which "followed upon the discovery and opening of the Tomb of King
Men-her-Ra. The series of deaths is presented by Hastings very
succintly: two archaeologists: Sir John Willard and Mr. Bleibner,
excavating not far from Cairo, came unexpectedly on a series of funeral
chambers. Soon after, Sir John Willard died "quite suddenly" of heart
failure. The newspaper took the opportunity of reviving the old
superstitions connected with the ill luck of certain Egyptian treasures.
A fortnight later, Mr. Bleibner died of acute blood poisoning and a few
days after, a nephew of his shot himself in New York.
At this stage of the story, Inspector Poirot s help is asked by Lady
Willard whose son, Guy Willard went to Egypt to continue his late
father s work. He gathers all the information he can get from Lady
Willard, he informs himself about "the other members of the party"
(which are: Dr. Tosswill, Mr. Schneider of the Metropolitan Museum, Mr.
Harper- a young American secretary, Dr. Ames and Hassan- Sir Willard s
servant). After that he decides to go to Egypt. A week later, Poirot and
Hastings arrive there, just in time to learn about another death: that
of Mr. Schneider. The cause of his death: tetanus.
Poirot meets Sir Guy, then Dr. Ames whom he asks about the last death
and its cause. Dr. Ames assures him that the death was due to tetanus.
Poirot gives everybody the impression that he really believes in the
Egyptian King s curse. Then he talks to Mr. Harper who wants to return
to New York, being terrified of the latest events. He speaks to Hassan
also and then to Dr. Tosswill.
A strange shadow is seen moving amidst the tents, which makes Poirot
appealing to magic: he draws in the sand all kinds of diagrams around
his tent, in order, he says to be protected. He asks then for a cup of
tea which is brought by Hassan. After these, Hastings finds Poirot
"lying back across the couch, his face horribly convulsed". He calls Dr.
Ames and tells him that Poirot is dying, after having drunk the tea.
But, it all proves to be a bluffing.
Poirot hasn t drunk the tea, but he mentions that he has put it in a
safe place to give it to analyses. It is the moment in which Dr. Ames
commits suicide by poisoning and thus the guilty man is discovered and
punished. "His hand went to his mouth, a smell of bitter almonds filled
the air, and he swayed forward and fell.
The final fragment of the story brings light on this case with Poirot s
explanations: Dr. Ames took advantage of Sir John Willard s death and of
the superstitious panic provoked and decided to kill Mr. Bleibner to
take his fortune. Young Bleibner who committed suicide had left a note
in which he said: "I am a leper" (Poirot asked for the information from
New York). He killed himself because, as Dr. Ames had assured him, he
really believed he had leper. Mr. Schneider s death is not very clear.
Dr. Ames may have killed him because he suspected something or in order
to enhance the rumors about the Egyptian curse.
Yet, the ending says that the case was hushed up and that "people still
believe in the vengeance of a bygone king".
This is the story. What makes it a Whodunnit ?
The present story follows the strict rules of a classic whodunnit. The
chronological order is reversed. It starts from a certain problem, in
this case, the three deaths that have already occurred by the time the
story begins.
The presentation of the case is made by Captain Hastings, here, a first
person narrator. Then, the detective is called by one character who is
related to one of the dead persons: Lady Willard. She is afraid for her
son s life and asks for Poirot s help. The detective questions her and
then goes to Egypt, trying to find the roots of the problem. His
inquiries go back in time in his search for elucidating clues. He speaks
to every person of the "party" and he even misleads the other characters
(Hastings included) and also the reader, because he gives the impression
that he really believes in the curse. So, together with the right clues,
which the author gives, playing fair with the reader, the latter gets
some false clues (or better said s/he misreads the clues s/he gets) in
order to enhance the mystery.
Hastings plays in the text the role of the mislead reader and voices the
readers amazement:
<<"Dr. Ames ?" I cried, stupefied. "But I thought you believed in some
occult influence?".
"You misunderstood me, Hastings. What I meant was that I believed in the
terrific force of superstition. Once get it firmly established that a
series of deaths are supernatural and you might almost stab a man in
broad daylight, and it would still be put down to the curse, so strongly
is the instinct of the supernatural implanted in the human race.
Mystery is the most important element of a whodunnit and it is present
here, being doubled by the exotic setting and its aura of superstitions.
The story becomes a battle of wits between the reader and the detective.
In the end the reader is reassured of the validity of human logic in
the face of strange mysteries. The text is also rewarding, enhancing the
reader s trust in the moral values. When the murderer commits suicide
Poirot makes an eloquent affirmation in this sense:
<<"Another victim", said Poirot gravely. "But the last. Perhaps it is
the best way. He has three deaths on his head.">>
So having all these elements applied to this story, we can certainly say
that it is a whodunnit.
The narrative technique of the story built in the general atmosphere of
a whodunnit enlightens some very interesting aspects of the detective
fiction.
Looking again at the text, this time from a narrative perspective, the
title is the first which draws our attention.
Many of the titles of Agatha Christie s stories begin with "the
adventure" or "the mystery" which reinforces the idea that in a
whodunnit the mystery is one (perhaps the most important one of the Key
elements. We may give some examples : "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat",
"The Mystery of the Blue Jar", "The Mystery of the Blue Train", "The
Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb".
So, the title is the first step the reader makes in the mystery of the
story.
The very first phrase, a threshold phrase is also very important. It
creates attention, a horizon of expectation making the readers curious,
inviting them to take part in the adventures.
"I have always considered that one the most thrilling and dramatic of
the many adventures I have shared with Poirot was that of the
investigation into the strange series of deaths […]".
As usually in a whodunnit, the plot is the linear one, there is only
one narrative plan, although the setting of the story moves from London
to the pyramids of Egypt.
Speaking of setting, it plays a very important function in the
narrative structure of this story.
Being a very exotic place, Egypt not only does enhance the mystery, but
its aura of superstitions is used to misdirect the readers.
The change of setting (moving from England to Egypt) is also very
important because it brings a different perspective on the detective.
But, we ll come back to this idea when speaking of characters.
Usually, in an Agatha Christie story, time is very precisely noted,
minute by minute because it is often used an alibi. In this story, the
author places doubt on the idea of murder itself. The narrative doesn t
present crimes, but "a series of deaths" and nobody needs any alibi.
Therefore, time is noted only to help the reader understand the order of
the events : "soon ", "a fortnight later" and "a few days afterwards",
"it was a week later". So, the notation of time (or the lack of precise
notation), also emphasizes the mystery, misleading the reader used to
find in time an important clue.
In this story, time doesn t have the role of a clue which makes the
riddle more difficult.
But inspector Poirot seems to cope very well with this situation and
the reader follows his examples. Usually, the detective in a mystery
story is ranking immediately below the author, after him coming the
other characters and the reader, in what concerns the authority in
solving the case. As the author is hidden in the text (and we ll come
back to this), the detective becomes both a rival and a model for the
reader.
Usually, and it is also the case here, the story presents flat
characters, lacking psychological depth.
Nothing seems to affect the detective, who can see more than others can,
arousing thus readers admiration and even envy. But, as a person, he is
not at all untouchable. In her Autobiography, Agatha Christie said that
"it is very important that a detective should be an ordinary man. He
should prove that everybody (not only the exceptional ones) can solve a
mystery". Poirot, a retired Belgian police officer, having a high
opinion of himself, doesn t feel at ease travelling by ship: <
>. Other
structures in the text, such as: "Poirot, the picture of misery, wilted
by my side", prove that the famous detective is after all just human.
And this makes us, the readers, feel good, doesn t it? This is, we
believe, what the author wants.
Concerning the language, it shares the privilege of having Poirot, a
retired Belgian officer who, very often uses French or just the syntax
of French. This makes reading pleasant and it contributes to the humor
of the text , entertaining the readers. The lamentations of Poirot is
hilarious: <<"And my boots", he wailed: "Regard them Hastings. My boots,
of the neat patent leather, usually so smart and shining. See, the sand
is inside them, which is painful and outside them, which outrages the
eyesight. And also the heat, it causes my mustaches to become limp - but
limp!">>.
In this story the relation established between text, author and narrator
is very interesting.
Although assuming the function of an omniscient writer, the author
doesn t appear in the text. The author is completely hidden. We have yet
a first narrator. The text features a speaker in the person of Hastings.
But the narrator knows very little. He is just a shadow following the
detective. Just as we, readers, try to understand the latter s moves.
Hastings plays in the text the role of the reader who doesn t understand
at thing (if there is someone like that).
In the end, when the case is solved, it is not the author who explains
to the reader the use of the clues, but Poirot talking to a wondering
Hastings. That s why we could say that detective fiction really cares
for the readers feelings, trying not to make them fell insignificant.
IV. Final Word
Agatha Christie proves in her Autobiography that she doesn t consider
the detective fiction as belonging to low literature. The most important
and valuable thing is, she says, the capacity of reasoning and solving
puzzles, by putting clues together in a logical manner. She considers
that the originality of the detective story doesn t stand in the fact
the guilty person is punished, but in the way in which the writer
arranges the events and builds the narrative structure.
Readers tend to agree with these ideas and expect more and more riddles
to solve in a detective story. They read, taste the adventure and then
come back in the real life, somewhat different than they were before.
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