Define the “Golden Age” of Detective Fiction (literary and historical context)

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1. Define
the “Golden Age” of Detective Fiction (literary and historical context) Also if
your author is earlier, like Poe or Collins, define Classic Det Fic. Can also
refer to “American Hard-Boiled” det. Fic.
2. Brief
summary of biographic subject which includes mention of important books.
(USUALLY in INTRODUCTION)
3. Contributions
of subject to the world (to the literary genre and historical context). In
Agatha’s case spend time on 1) pharmacology and 2) archaeology.
4. Birth/death
dates and locations (USUALLY ALSO IN INTRODUCTION) Agatha Christie, (1890-1976),
was born in Torquay, England to a family of …. She died in 1976, Winterbrook,
England, having become the greatest detection fiction novelist of her time, her
last novel, Postern of Fate, published in 1973 ….
5. Major
achievements of the person (in the genre) and any awards given to her,
titles/nicknames (informal or formal), any educational, founding of
organizations
6. Education
of the person
7. Scandal/Major
Personal Problem: Example, in Christie’s case- her disappearance of 11 days in
1926
8. Relationships
with others – spouse(s), children (child), parents & siblings, friends,
enemies, readers/fans
9. Work
record: institutions or places that they worked and what they did. Paid &
volunteer.
10. Religion/spirituality:
institution? Personal ties? Advocacy for or against a particular religious
belief/religion.
11. Causes/missions/interests:
(cause celebre) Example for Agatha
Christies: Archaeology for Agatha in Iraq with her husband Max Mallowan near
Baghdad and Pharmacology (her World War
1 work)
12. Legacy
of someone/ (In popular culture)—what someone influenced, how the future
generations perceive a person (for some
subjects, adaptations of literary works in TV and film are important).
Definition of the Golden Age of Detective
Fiction
A. Discuss
the name of the time period: Golden Age of Detection Fiction
n
John Strachey called the time period this in a
1939 article published in The Saturday
Review.
n
USE AWESOME SECONDARY SOURCE QUOTATION: “most
innovative and ingenious work in the field of the classic, cerebral detective
story.” (Martin Edwards, The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, page 35. CITE
SOURCE) classic, cerebral detective story = Poe Edwards is differentiating the Golden Age
from Hard-boiled detective fiction (American[MPSHK1] ).
B. Chronology:
1920s-1930s (Interwar Years)
C. Historical
context of the genre (What historical events or issues were happening at the
same time). This is the time period
between the two World Wars, World War I and World War II.
What historical events/issues led to this genre emerging? (i.e. led to a
differentiation between what came before) Is there a causal relationship?
Level 1: About the world in
general or Europe in general
Aftermath of World War 1- Lots of ruins, cities, governmental change
(Weimar republic in Germany), Labour Government in Britain, (LOOK IT UP)
Aftermath of WWI – bloodshed/horror
— shell shock (PTSD of soldiers and civillians) – terror — the duties
of inviduals (what did individual peoples do in the war)
Aftermath of WWI – Four imperial governments collapsed. Versailles
Treaty.
Rise of Mussolini.
Rise of Nazism and Hitler.
British Labour Strike 1926
Great Depression in 1930s (Stock Market Crash of 1929)
RISE OF THE NEW WOMAN, SUFFRAGE, WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, ETC.
Level 2: About the literary
world/genre
This genre?
Do these events/people or issues influence the literary genre of Golden
Age?
Yes. 1. One way was the need for escapism and entertainment, both for the
authors and the readers, after horrors of World War I. (EXPLAIN WHY. LOOK UP
WHAT PD JAMES AND SYMONS SAY ABOUT THIS.)
2. A second way was in the change from a genre mostly of short stories to
full-length novels. (EXPLAIN WHY. LOOK UP WHAT PD JAMES page 49-50 AND SYMONS
SAY ABOUT THIS.)
3. KEY FEATURE: A third way
was in the sheer amount of novels written BY WOMEN (instead of men, which
characterized the 19th and early 20th century. And the
amount of women detective CHARACTERS also INCREASED (MISS MAUD SILVER, MISS
MARPLE, ARIADNE OLIVER, ETC). (EXPLAIN WHY. LOOK UP WHAT PD JAMES AND SYMONS
SAY ABOUT THIS. HINT ONE REASON IS THE RISE OF THE NEW WOMAN, I.E. THE CHANGES
TO WOMEN’S LEGAL AND SOCIAL STATUS, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, SUFFRAGE, WHICH WAS
HAPPENING IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IN THE UNITED STATES AND ALL OVER EUROPE AND
LATIN AMERICA.) WOMEN WROTE BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO (CHRISTIE) AND THEY HAD TO
(TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES WHICH HAD CHANGED BECAUSE OF WWI) (CHRISTIE)
(SAYERS) OR BECAUSE THEY WERE MORE EDUCATED (LIKE SAYERS) AND WANTED TO CHANGE
THE GENRE TO SERIOUS LITERATURE (SAYERS).
This is the rise of the QUEENS OF CRIME; CHRISTIE, SAYERS, ALLINGHAM,
MARSH, TEY, GLADYS MITCHELL, PATRICIA WENTWORTH (wrote character Miss Maud
Silver).
Why did the inter-war years “see the most innovative and ingenious work”
(you are asking a causal relationship)
D. What
are these constellations of characteristics of the genre?
– Culture/historical
context: BRITISH: British subgenre as opposed the American hard-boiled subgenre
(culturally locates)
– FAIRPLAY:
PD James says: “an outburst of creative energy” “emergence of new talented
writers” “new public which greeted their efforts with an avid enthusiasm which
contemporary cartoons suggest amounted to a craze.” (49-50) Entertainment / escapism of author and reader. (Hinting at the new idea of having a
relationship between reader and author – Fairplay
concept) the Novel as a GAME
– Setting:
RURAL/SMALL VILLAGE: as opposed to Classic 19th/early 20th
det. Fic like Poe, Collins, Dickens, Doyle, in which cities were the usual
setting, Paris, London, New York City. ALSO as opposed to American Hard-Boiled
Det. Fic, which takes place in urban setting, cities like San Francisco,
Chicago, etc.
– Premise:
People are good to begin with. Law is good. Uphold the law. Most people are
good and uphold the Law. We are surprised when murder happens and need the
detective to fix society. VS American Hard-boiled People are corrupted and
corruptible. Urban jungle. Hero (always male) proves they are not corrupted.
Original Sin of St. Augustine. Premise is shown in setting.
[MPSHK1]Spend
two sentences defining Hard-boiled det fiction in order to contrast my
definition of the Golden Age. What it is, what it is not. GO LOOK IT UP.

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