History and Genres of Crime Fiction: A Student's Guide
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13 cards
Question: What theme became central to crime fiction during the late 19th century and early 1920s?
Answer: Death (particularly murder) became the central theme.
Question: Why did the novel format push crime fiction toward murder rather than crimes against property?
Answer: The novel format seemed to require a "more serious crime" like murder rather than property crimes to suit its scope.
Question: What cultural shift accompanied the move from property-focused crime stories to death-focused ones?
Answer: A shift from an obsession with property as the core of respectable life toward a focus on the identity of the self and threats against it.
Question: How did Sherlock Holmes’ popularity influence crime fiction themes?
Answer: It inspired writers to create anti-Holmes characters, spoofs, or subgenres that took specific facets of Holmes’ character as central themes.
Question: Give an example of a subgenre built from Holmes’ 'mechanical logician' side.
Answer: Characters like Jacques Futrelle’s “The Thinking Machine,” focusing on logical, puzzle-solving detectives.
Question: How did Holmes’ idiosyncratic nature influence thematic development in crime fiction?
Answer: It led to idiosyncratic detective archetypes such as Father Brown, emphasizing character quirks as a thematic focus.
Question: What thematic element defines the scientific detective story?
Answer: Use of rigorous (pseudo)science and forensic detail as a central method for solving crimes.
Question: Which author is noted for grounding detective stories in scientific method and forensic detail?
Answer: R. Austin Freeman.
Question: What theme do 'lady detectives' bring to crime fiction?
Answer: Female detectives using wit, disguises, and semi-professional or professional methods to solve crimes, highlighting gendered approaches to detection.
Question: What is the thematic appeal of the 'gentleman crook' stories?
Answer: Focus on a refined, charming criminal protagonist who outsmarts authority, shifting sympathy toward the criminal rather than the detective.