January 14: Detective Stories

Detective stories, such as the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Adventures of the Speckled Band," follow a structure and certain formal features that make them successful and satisfy their readers. “The Adventures of the Speckled Band,” has the detective, Sherlock Holmes, investigate and finally solve the crime, usually a murder, in which case it was the murder of Julia Stoner. Like other detective stories, this story lays out clues and uses foreshadowing so the reader, too, along with the detective, can solve the crime. Almost like the game, “Guess Who,” there are interrogations and answers that further help the detective and the reader. The reader tries to look for the clues’ significance and connect them. The featured detective is usually smart, uses logic, and has an almost intuitive sense of who the culprit is. Thus, the detective is never wrong. Detective stories start out by presenting the case, then provides clues, builds suspense, have a climax, and finally, a resolution. In most detective stories, there is more than just one suspect. Also, the author tends to make the reader think that the guilty person is actually innocent. Regardless of whether the reader was right or wrong about his/her guess, the reader is still satisfied due to the fact that the plot kept the reader thinking and analyzing.
I feel like all of the conventions that I expected to find in this Sherlock Holmes’ story were present. I was able to get a clear understanding of what it was the detective was investigating, a fair amount of clues to determine who the murderer was, and a smooth flow throughout the story. This story relates to many of the murder movies out in the market. For example, in the movie, Untraceable, an FBI Agent, Jennifer Marsh, is tasked with hunting down a serial killer who posts live videos of his victims on the internet. As one watches the movie, the plot gives us clues as to who the criminal is. Finally, in the end, the criminal is revealed and the mystery is solved.