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fandomhigh2006-11-14 11:09 pm
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Heroism, Humanism & Hijinks: Literature in Action, Week 10, Period 5
The classroom was sadly lacking fictional characters today. Thursday was there though. "My son has seen fit to pass on his cold to me, so don't get too close today unless you want a sudden abundance of mucus. If I've done my job right so far, I'm sure your imaginations kicked in and you had a rather unpleasant mental image just now.
On a completely unrelated note, today's class is on the detective novel. There are nuances to the genre, which I'm sure you can pick up on by reading any decent detective novel. The Maltese Falcon was on the reading list, but I also recommend A Study in Scarlet for a general feel of the detective genre and any of the Perkins and Snell series for your typical hard-boiled noir detectives.
Detective fiction is an intellectual game. It's sport for the mind. The struggle is between the author and the reader. Can the author outsmart the reader? Can the reader unravel the mystery? If both fulfil their roles correctly, the answer is yes. What you should take away from this class today is an understanding that detective novels require two important things - an engaging lead detective and a mystery that readers can struggle with."
Thursday passed around two handouts. "The first is a blank dossier. You have the opportunity to create your own detective. The second has a mystery for you to solve. Feel free to give it a shot."
On a completely unrelated note, today's class is on the detective novel. There are nuances to the genre, which I'm sure you can pick up on by reading any decent detective novel. The Maltese Falcon was on the reading list, but I also recommend A Study in Scarlet for a general feel of the detective genre and any of the Perkins and Snell series for your typical hard-boiled noir detectives.
Detective fiction is an intellectual game. It's sport for the mind. The struggle is between the author and the reader. Can the author outsmart the reader? Can the reader unravel the mystery? If both fulfil their roles correctly, the answer is yes. What you should take away from this class today is an understanding that detective novels require two important things - an engaging lead detective and a mystery that readers can struggle with."
Thursday passed around two handouts. "The first is a blank dossier. You have the opportunity to create your own detective. The second has a mystery for you to solve. Feel free to give it a shot."
Re: Make Your Own Detective
Occupation: (police officer? Private investigator? Unassuming grandmotherly type?) High School Student
Distinguishing physical features: (clothing style, scars, tattoos, other identifying marks or quirks) Goth fashion sense, but in a cute way; Brown hair; Brown eyes; Average appearance
Favourite hat: A baseball cap that she stole from her brother
Investigating style: Ask a lot of nosy questions and eavesdrop constantly. Basic Google-fu.
Partners/sidekicks/mentors: Danny Blake, the ten-year-old boy she babysits after school
"The Big Case" that puts them on the map: Her father was fired due to budget cuts. With the help of her accounting teacher, she found a discrepancy in the budget, discovered the school board president was embezzelling, and got her father rehired once the money was found.
Arch-Nemesis: Holly Newcombe, Cheerleader and Honor Roll student.
Throwaway line that becomes a catchphrase sensation: "It's all in how you do your homework."