Preview

Crime Fiction Literary Analysis

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1187 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Crime Fiction Literary Analysis
Murder Will Out
Crime Fiction - Literary Analysis

“It is said that there is a potencial murderer in all of us, that if the pressures are great enough anybody can be driven to the ultimate act of violence”. (Crime Never Pays, OXFORD BOOKWORMS COLLECTION) This statement is reflected on most of the crime fiction stories. This genre of fiction deals with crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It has several sub-genders in which different well known writers concentrate on.

Each writer has a specific literary style. In the case of Grahame Greene, an English author, “playwright and literary critic, his works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world” . In the story “The Case for The Defence” (Crime Never Pays, OXFORD BOOKWORMS COLLECTION), a trial of the “Peckham murder” is being held. The accused will be sentenced to death by hanging if the jury finds him guilty. A witness testifing against him can’t be sure of whom she saw the night of the murderer, when the prisioner’s ideantical twin brother appears in court. The case for the defence rests only on the fact that both brothers can’t have commited the crime, it is not disputed that one of them did the murder.
During the time of this story, a convinction for murder was punished with a death-sentence, Grahame Greene tries to show his opposition to capital punishment and that it should be abolished. His novels also have religious themes at the centre. This characteristic becomes particularly clear when one of the twin brothers is run over by a bus: “the crowd moved and somehow one of the twins got pushed on to the road right in front of a bus. He gave a squeal like a rabbit and that was all; he was dead, his skull smashed just as Mrs Parker’s had been. Divine vengeance? I wish I knew” (Crime Never Pays, “The Case for the Defence” OXFORD BOOKWORMS COLLECTION). By writing this Graham Greene is evidently saying that human beings do not have the right to judge other people,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    I’m Stefan Rebello. The book I chose was “Murder as a Fine Art” written by David Morrell.…

    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is inevitable that the jurors own personal experiences affect their opinion on the innocence of the defendant. It is these personal experiences, which threaten the defendants right to ‘a fair trial’ at the danger of a juror’s personal bias ‘obscur[ing] the truth.’ Juror 3 is depicted as the juror with the most prejudice throughout the play, consistent with the vote of ‘guilty’ as he relates the defendant to his own son who he describes as a ‘rotten kid.’ This illustrates the danger that personal bias has on the justice system, as the defendant is being adjudicated by juror 3 on his age and gender rather than the merits of the case. Prejudice is also displayed by juror 10 who see’s the accused as ‘trash’ due to his ‘slums’ background, this…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Literary Analysis

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    At the Gym, written by Mark Doty; has no relation with being at the gym at all; metaphorically speaking it pertains to attending church. The narrative provided is from the author's observation of other people in the church. The primary metaphor of this poem is religiously based in the sense people have determination to release their burdens with the desire of overcoming tribulations through prayer. Many smaller metaphors inside the poem leading the reader to believe there is faith veiled throughout. This metaphor is explained in this essay by many other small metaphors; Salt-stain is really tears, the vinyl is from the pews/benches in the church. How this metaphor references something manmade, the association of grief emotions in this poem such as hopelessness and despair. While more positive emotions of relief and hope are set forth; leading one to happiness. Many hidden religious aspects contained throughout the poem are brought to light.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The trial draws on a rather bleak image of humanity the crime in question is first degree murder most serious charge tried in our courtroom’ the victim is not portrayed as innocent but as a ‘tough, cruel, primitive kind of man’ the lawyers on the case too are described as not doing their job properly and lacking the motivation to investigate the possibilities…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Undoubtedly these two trials have many similarities despite one of the trials being mainly a focal point for achievement in the literary world. An identical example between these trials are the historical culture in abundance with many of the families included in the trial, an example being the Ewells compare to be utterly consistent with the two young prosecutors in the way they live their life. Another of these many similarities includes the bizarre assumption by the jury that the accused were already virtually guilty before the trial had even begun due to the mainstream’s coarse view of African Americans and how African Americans are nothing better than a common house animal, punished at the dominant being’s will. This point is shown, beyond doubt, when one of the women prosecuting the Scottsboro Boys, Ruby Bates admits that neither herself nor her friend Victoria Price were every raped in anyway by any of the nine accused African Americans. Even after this incriminating confession, the series of trials continue .…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Literary Analysis

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There are many essentials to surviving in life. After the basic necessities such as water, food, intimacy, and shelter are met, finding your personal identity is the most significant to the dynamics of life. Personal identity can be defined as the distinguishing character by which an individual is infinitively recognizable or known. Personal identity makes a person who he or she is to be defined as. According to Greek philosopher Aristotle, identity is a concept that refers to the aspect of existence; therefore, the aspect of existence is something in particular, with specific characteristics. Finding who we truly are can aid in loving, identifying, and accepting ourselves. Notary short stories, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, “Hollow” by Breece D'J Pancake, and “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane are great exemplifications of how the struggle with identity hurt or harm the develop of an individual’s character.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Gentleman of the jury, be merciful. For God’s sake, be merciful. He is innocent of all charges brought against him. But let us say he was not. Let us say for a moment he was not. What justice would there be to take this life? Justice gentleman? Why I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this”. (Chap. 1, pg. 8) My analysis of this story weighs on multiple dynamics:…

    • 1514 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In his novel, The Secret Agent, Joseph Conrad uses strong imagery to fully describe the characters and the relationships they have with one another. Throughout the story the pattern of imagery used by Joseph Conrad would be seen in the early twentieth century of the corrupted London society. The story written by Conrad can be related back to the time error it was written in. This novel was written in an error where terrorist threats were becoming increasingly more popular. Joseph Conrad would commonly use two men as his main characters whom were both of the Russian Activist “fan club”. These men would be the focus of Joseph Conrad’s pieces.…

    • 212 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Critique

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cited: Tangney, June. “Condemn the Crime, Not the Person.” Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition Tenth Edition. Eds. Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 566-568. Print.…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The occasion of this story is to be a part of the non-fiction novel. It describes the setting of the town in which the murder of a family takes place. This essay uses the appeal of pathos. It makes the reader feel empathy towards anyone that was close to them or knew them in anyway.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    1950s America saw the nation fall into a period of national tension and idealogical turmoil following the McCarthy Trials and the Cold War, which produced a flourish of works such as Regnald Rose’s ‘Twelve Angry Men.’ Using a jury of twelve anonymous men, the play scrutinizes both the strengths and flaws of the American judicial system. The case of a fictional “delinquent” who faces capitol punishment under charges of patricide acts as a vehicle to examine the moral dilemma of prejudice and judgement, and its importance, underpinning American jury rooms in a time of profound social division. Through his structuring and characterizations, Rose does not merely attack the system, but contends is functionality stems from the very individuals within it, and their ability to see with objectivity and compassion.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Frankenstein

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “There had never been a death more foretold,” the narrator asserts, repeating the truth that haunts the entire town. Dismissing their superficial reactions—”most of the townspeople consoled themselves with the pretext that affairs of honor are sacred monopolies”—he finds the murder has in fact created “a single anxiety which had made of the town an open wound.”…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his play Twelve Angry Men, Reginald Rose demonstrates the importance of judicial integrity in determining whether justice will be found through the truth. Separated by the breach of individual agendas, Rose perceives a contrast between individual subjectivity and the objective foundations of society. Upon pursuing their own understanding of justice, thus, Rose shows how conflict can undermine the integrity of a democracy, fulfilling ulterior truths above the judicial grounds of reason. As such, Roses jurors learn to reconcile both truth and justice through means of a ‘reasonable doubt’, empowering both the judicial process and unification of moral empathy.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1957 classic film, ’12 Angry Men’, the writer, Reginald Rose, portrays the antagonist, Juror #7, as a Christ figure. The writer’s use of a few conspicuous similarities made making the initial connection simple. However, the writer’s brilliant use of inconspicuous similarities made researching this paper very enjoyable. It amazes me that a writer takes the time to tuck little morsels of meaning just under the surface of his work. Let’s take a deeper look at ’12 Angry Men’.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    12 Angry Men - 1

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prejudice is seen as one crucial issue in constituting a verdict for the jury, as two of the jurors are biased against the suspect of the murder. Language and characterisation of the jurors is crucial techniques in which Reginald uses to convey the bitterness of one of the jurors, Juror #10. In the play, he states “Look, you know how these people lie! It's born in them!” halfway through the play, displaying his racial prejudice towards the suspect of murder; generalising slum people as those who “…you cannot trust”. The use of characterisation and speech, allows the audience to recognise the prejudice in the jury some that is justifiable. Tension is also another dramatic technique used to convey the Juror #3 bias against the boy because of his own relationship with his son who “…didn’t know how to fight”. This technique shows the conflicts between him and Juror #8; every time Juror #8 brings up an argument, Juror #3 always rebuts with biased statements, bringing the tension up. However, this tension is always brought down by some a change in stage direction. Shown in ACT II, Juror #2 “moves to the window” after arguing with Juror #8; allowing the play’s audience to perceive Juror #8 as someone who is not biased against the murder suspect, displaying him as someone who was doing the right thing.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays