The Real Inspector Hound!! (1 Viewer)

[jwss]

So for english extension we have to write an essay on last year's crime fiction question: "Crime fiction locates us in places of mystery and discovery." WITH The Real Inspector Hound only.

And so far I've got a few ideas on how to tackle it by mentioning 'discovery' as the values and attitudes of the audience in discovering the crime fiction conventions and the resolution.

'mystery' on how it's created in The Real Inspector Hound through subversion of the Golden Age crime fiction genre; The Mouse Trap and it's unsettling denouement.

Is there anything else I could add or improve? I'm finding it very difficult to link it back to The Real Inspector Hound XD Any ideas would be great because I'm confused about the statement itself =/

Thx.

 

[elle148]

I don't know if this helps... but just do a whole load of stuff on techniques??

 

[loveforever]

We're still working on The Real Inspector Hound. Yay! Last text!
I'm actually enjoying it, which is a suprise considering how much I couldn't stand TSBTS and therefore crime fiction in general.
We had to make notes on some theatre terms. I thought they might be useful to someone.
So how is everyone else finding the play?

 

[mac744]

loveforever is exactly right, skull was terribly boring, i'm afraid that at 9 days from starting my hsc i haven't read it still. Hound was excellent, i loved it and it's what i'm best at considering it was a school play for us this year, and i played moon so i'm quite comfortabe quote wise and everything. to anyone who reads this, GOOD LUCK!!! not long til it's all over!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[historykidd]

So for english extension we have to write an essay on last year's crime fiction question: "Crime fiction locates us in places of mystery and discovery." WITH The Real Inspector Hound only.

And so far I've got a few ideas on how to tackle it by mentioning 'discovery' as the values and attitudes of the audience in discovering the crime fiction conventions and the resolution.

'mystery' on how it's created in The Real Inspector Hound through subversion of the Golden Age crime fiction genre; The Mouse Trap and it's unsettling denouement.

Is there anything else I could add or improve? I'm finding it very difficult to link it back to The Real Inspector Hound XD Any ideas would be great because I'm confused about the statement itself =/

Thx.

The relationship between mystery and discovery in TRIH is very, very interesting I think.

Essentially, Stoppard suppresses a real denouement, mystery is sustained as we as the audience do not really understand or comprehend who killed Birdboot. Mystery is created in the traditional aesthetic sense through the house that "rained pins and needles" and the farcical dialogue of the maid. The alternating voices between Moon, Birdboot and the actual play on stage sustain a very rudimentary form of mystery (purely for the purpose of satirizing the genre) as it switches between who could have possibly killed who - only to be subverted, frustratingly, by ridiculous dialogue "I think we are entitled to ask: Where is god?". I'm sure you can find similar examples but the main thing to emphasise is that, unlike most other texts, Stoppard doesn't maintain an equilibrium between mystery and discovery but rather seeks to lessen the first for the purpose of satire, whilst emphasising the latter in an ironic way - providing a platform for discovery about the nature of genre, crime fiction and the fact that the familiars of life cannot be coupled to his chaotic context.

Essentially you can view his process of "discovery" in your own way and make your own decisions since the play itself is deliberately open and ambiguous to allow for the responder to interject their own thoughts / ideas.

Its quite hard to pull off for this question I agree but it can also be very satisfying if done correctly since it is one of the more complex relationships between mystery and discovery in the texts available to us.