Power of Detection & Observation Through Zadig
POWER OF DETECTION & OBSERVATION THROUGH ZADIG
SHANKHA SHUBHRA DUTTA
DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
ZADIG AS A DETECTIVE FICTION
If history is to be believed, the 1748 novel by Voltaire established a new genre and style within the prevailing literary arena what we know today as the detective fictions. Taking as a sub-genre of crime or mystery fictions it is a style where an investigator or a detective investigates a crime. What we cherish today through Sherlock Holmes in western literary canons or Feluda or Byomkesh in vernaculars, its Zadig who is the god-father of this new essence and style of revolving mysteries and fictions that gives us an adrenaline rush just by going through pages of mere words.
Before Zadig there have been many stories from the old testament of Bible like “Susanna and the Elders” or the play of Oedipus by Sophocles that bear some similarities in their nature to what we today call as the detective fiction. Even we find the same in various Arabian or Chinese early novels and plays but what differs them from todays generalized structure of this genre is that in those cases those particular mysteries were not taken as a “case” and thus they had no actual desire to solve the case moreover they even lacked a central character who performs the whole feat of analysis. Voltaire first introduced these characters and styles that concentrate on asserting the truth through complex and mysterious process involving intuitive logic, acute observation and inference and mostly wrapped up under the attire of emotions and philosophies of human life, its deeds, judgments and destiny. These are often referred to by many writers as the “Tales of Ratiocination”.
Now we are always fond of these detective fictions because of their appeal that is formed by the possibilities of the subject. The charm of the unknown and the mysterious, the problem of setting of the powers of observation and reflection against a mystery and the knowledge that
SHANKHA SHUBHRA DUTTA
DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
ZADIG AS A DETECTIVE FICTION
If history is to be believed, the 1748 novel by Voltaire established a new genre and style within the prevailing literary arena what we know today as the detective fictions. Taking as a sub-genre of crime or mystery fictions it is a style where an investigator or a detective investigates a crime. What we cherish today through Sherlock Holmes in western literary canons or Feluda or Byomkesh in vernaculars, its Zadig who is the god-father of this new essence and style of revolving mysteries and fictions that gives us an adrenaline rush just by going through pages of mere words.
Before Zadig there have been many stories from the old testament of Bible like “Susanna and the Elders” or the play of Oedipus by Sophocles that bear some similarities in their nature to what we today call as the detective fiction. Even we find the same in various Arabian or Chinese early novels and plays but what differs them from todays generalized structure of this genre is that in those cases those particular mysteries were not taken as a “case” and thus they had no actual desire to solve the case moreover they even lacked a central character who performs the whole feat of analysis. Voltaire first introduced these characters and styles that concentrate on asserting the truth through complex and mysterious process involving intuitive logic, acute observation and inference and mostly wrapped up under the attire of emotions and philosophies of human life, its deeds, judgments and destiny. These are often referred to by many writers as the “Tales of Ratiocination”.
Now we are always fond of these detective fictions because of their appeal that is formed by the possibilities of the subject. The charm of the unknown and the mysterious, the problem of setting of the powers of observation and reflection against a mystery and the knowledge that
Bibliography: ▪ “THE TECHNIQUE OF MYSTERY STORY” BY CAROLYN WELLS (1913) ▪ “THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE DETECTIVE STORY” BY L.J.HURST