“It’s not what you have it’s what you don’t have that counts.” (Raskin p.43) Mysteries go out to find a way to trick the reader. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, is a story of all sorts of Mysteries. For two months students have tried to figure out who the murderer is.…
What makes a good mystery? A good example of a mystery would be The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Over the past two months, GLMS 6th grade students have watched and read The Westing Game. At some points in the movie, the class wondered why so many good parts of the book were missing from the movie? The Westing Game book contains book contains many similarities and differences that are worth explaining.…
The detective of the story, Hercule Poirot, obtains the mysterious ABC letters. Using the clues from the letter and his wits, he jumps from city to city to search for the mysterious man. After a few murders, the murderer slips up with more clues behind. Manipulating the platform, he checks around for clues and finds one. The red herring unknowingly lead him and his group to the true murderer, solving the ABC Mystery.…
Mystery novels always make the reader solve a puzzle alongside the main character/detective. “Stolen is a moody psychological novel with a series of finely drawn characters.”(Chudley 293) Ron Chudley the author of Stolen creates a mystery, where he introduces the crime in the first few chapters and then injects many literary techniques to generate a sequence of suspenseful events. In Stolen, Ron Chudley incorporates narration, imagery, and diction to generate suspense rendering the novel an effective mystery. Ultimately, this story portrays a father losing his beloved son to strangers who are obsessed with obtaining the innocent child Nate.…
Murder, crime, suspense, secrets; what else can you ask for in a mystery novel? The Westing Game by Milwaukee native Ellen Raskin is a great read due to its constant mysteries, incorporation of thematic subjects, and attention to detail. It is hard to understand however, so a computer may be needed to keep from getting lost.…
In “The Most Dangerous Game” suspense and uncertainty are what the author uses to keep people interested and reading. In this paragraph you will read about three of the most suspenseful moments in the story. Richard Connell begins the story with “Off there to the right-somewhere-is a large island, It’s rather a mystery-” getting the readers hooked instantly. It makes the reader wonder why this island is a mystery and how it connects to the world's most dangerous game.…
Suspense is a necessity for any story, facilitating a reason for readers to continue flipping the pages. A powerful literary device indeed, but it is exceptionally hard to master. However, noted author Richard Connell is one of the exceptions. In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Connell, the nigh palpable conflict between the characters is certainly a key reason to turn the pages. Through the utilization of foreshadowing and foreboding words, Connell constructs a rock-solid sense of suspense.…
The short stories, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” and “The Blanched Soldier,” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are filled with adventurous investigations featuring the genius detective Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes and is his trustworthy assistant, Dr. Watson, investigate the problems that are brought to them by clients, Helen Stoner and Mr. James M. Dodd, whom both seek their help in coming up with solutions to their cases. In “the Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Helen Stoner, a desperate young woman, is in need of Holmes assistance to solve her sister’s murder case, as she believes her life may be in great danger with her stepfather being around. While in “The Blanched Soldier,” Mr. Dodd brings a case in which his good friend, Godfrey…
In the making of the story “The Most Dangerous Game” it is evident that the author, Richard Connell, spent a great deal of time formulating the characters and how they would affect the story. The way the characters act also builds on the theme of the story.…
Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window continues and expands on traditional themes of the Detective Fiction Genre. In 1841, Murder in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe broke the traditional character constraints of the Crime Fiction Genre, by introducing a new type of lead detective figure. The ideal detective figure encompassed traits of superiority, intelligence, wit and a keen sense for observation. The lead detective figure is a sophisticated character that is not bound to the constrictions and limitations of the Law and the exploration of this figure through the use of visual aid and techniques, provides contrast and variation on the common themes within the genre. Hitchcock provides an alternative approach through a new medium carving way for varied interpretations of the Crime Fiction genre.…
People have always sought to escape their mundane realities through fantastic stories. Richard Connell “The most dangerous game” provides this type of reprieve from reality. Through hyperbolic, stock protagonist and antagonist, a simplistic conflict, and a happy end “The most dangerous game” presents itself to be purely commercial fiction.…
Maurice LeBlanc, a French 19th Century mystery writer, has been a catalyst for the mystery genre! Maurice LeBlanc was born on November 11, 1864, in Rouen France. As a maturing adolescent, he was recognized as an especially reticent boy who excelled in his scholar achievements. He spent ample time utilizing his imagination which would later be used to conceive his prominent detective stories. As a result of his creativity, Maurice LeBlanc often wrote fictional stories during his time of leisure. Additionally, he enjoyed reading the intriguing works of writers such as Balzac and Poe. The author encountered a few difficulties during his juvenility. Furthermore, Maurice LeBlanc had been rescued from a burning building at the young age of four. Despite the stressful event, his family recovered. Not only did Maurice LeBlanc suffer from the physical travesty of the devastation, but grew up in the time of war. As the son of a wealthy shipping owner, Maurice LeBlanc was raised quite lavishly. His family consisted of his mother, father, and two sisters, Johanna and Georgette. These women, notably Georgette, were thought to be influences to his writing. As well as academics, the author sought pleasure in chess. Maurice LeBlanc’s upbringing molded him to develop into the captivating novelist we know today.…
Have you ever heard of Sherlock Holmes? Have you ever read one of his books? Sir Author Conon Doyle wrote one of Sherlock’s famous stories, “The Speckled Band.” Doyle likes to write detective stories. This essay will be explaining how “The Speckled Band” is considered a detective story.…
Authors use a number of different tones, settings, themes, characterizations, and points of view in order to create a fictional world inside the readers head. We see these tools used in contrasting ways in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. The distinctive techniques used in these short stories leave you feeling uneasy once you finish them. Using different methods, both authors create a story of horror for their readers.…
This is the second short story I picked for the reading logs, and I openly declare that this is the best short story because it is shortest one, beating Short Story by Vikram Karkev by 1 page. The real reason for loving the story is the title itself is so appealing. The title is short and simple, yet it made me wonder how a simple board game could be so murderous. The second reason for labeling this story is the best because Scrabble used to be my favourite board game when I was in primary school. It brings back memories of building the longest words with highest marks (with help from mini Oxford Dictionary), and of course the winning strategy which is by popping some tiles, especially the blank tiles in my pocket. The third reason is the…