THE ROLE OF THE DETECTIVE IN CRIME FICTION

Generally speaking, a detective is a person, especially a police officer, whose job is to examine crimes and catch criminals or a person employed by somebody to find out information about somebody/something (Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary). But, what is the role of the detective in crime fiction? In this essay, it will be shown that his role is simply to solve the crime. This will be proven by analyzing the process by which the detective achieves his goal: the process of detection. As it is known, Poe is the one who creates the figure of the Genius Detective, later borrowed by Doyle in the creation of his brainy, eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes. The Genius often refers to a person with distinguished mental abilities. The genius detective is depicted as a reasoning and observing machine. Being wellorganized, the detective does not overlook the details. First, from observing meticulously the insignificant details, the detective will gather all the useful elements to construct his deductions. The detective tries to figure things out for himself rather than to ask for help. In the detective we see the superior mental powers of the genius in action. Then, the detective is going to use what it is known as rational deduction. The rational deduction consists of inferring particular instances from general law. Finally, as he is the ideal reasoner, he will use his mathematicians intelligence to apply it to the logic of the events. But, as he is also a refined poet, he will include the sensitivity and the artists perception to fathom the secrets of the case. So, he is going to interpret physical data by means of his knowledge of the human nature and his intuition. The decisions he makes are based on past experience. By analyzing and carefully weighing out all the feasible options, the detective will make decisions. The detective continually

reconstructs the background in which mysterious events occurred in order to establish what caused the crime. Take The Science of Deduction chapter, which appears in some of Doyles novels, for instance. In this chapter, Holmes shows his analytic and deductive abilities. He highlights also the two main elements of Holmess method: a scientific approach based on the accumulation and cataloguing of data, and rational and logical analysis. Such reasoning has normally been termed rational deduction. Stephen Knight (19511985), a British author best remembered by his books The Brotherhood and Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution says: If Holmes really were finding patterns in facts he would be practicing induction; that is, the inferring of general law from particular instances. In fact, what the stories repeatedly demonstrate is that Holmes already knows what certain phenomena will mean in advance, and that by inferring particular instances from general law, he is actually practicing deduction. The deductive method clearly makes reference to a sense of order. This is the reason why the detective is wellorganized, meticulous and cautious, among other things. Holmess method is basically based on observation and deduction; that is, crime scene investigation and deductive reasoning. The way in which he analyzes and collects evidence is detailed and scientific. He first pays attention to insignificant clues as well as the more obvious ones; then, he meticulously analyzes the evidence he finds; and finally, he uses his enormous knowledge to recognize clues that other dont bear in mind. Holmess use of observation and deduction is also very important. Collecting and interpreting the material evidence do not always bring victory to the detective. His reasoning ability is usually the key to solving the mystery or catching the criminal.

Holmess method, then, is indeed very simple. He would draw inferences from his careful study of the material evidences. In the end, he would choose one of the several possible theories that had been coming up during this process. We balance probabilities and choose the most likely. It is a scientific use of the imagination, says Holmes in chapter 4 of The Hound of Baskervilles. The Hound of the Baskervilles begins with a display of Sherlockian deductive reasoning; a demonstration of Holmess method. By examining the marks and inscriptions on a walking stick that was left behind by a client when Holmes and Watson were not there, Holmes deduces that the owner was amiable, unambitious, and absent-minded. And all that he says is of course true. Following the analyzing of Holmess method, we conclude that the detective is a man of science. As has been proven, the detective collects and analyzes the data, interpreting them, in order to solve the crime. Therefore, the two key elements in the process of detection are: observing and deduction.
References: Crime Fiction (The New Critical Idiom), John Scaggs (Routledge, 2005) Mystery, Violence, and Popular Culture, John G. Cawelti (Popular Press 3, 2004) Twelve Englishmen of Mystery, edited by Earl F. Bargainnier (Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1984) Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card (Writers Digest Books, 1999) An Introduction to the Detective Story, Leory Lad Panek (Bowling Green State University Popular Press, c1987.) Cuentos con Detectives y Comisarios, Antologa (ed. Colihue, 1996) Teora y Didctica de los Gneros Aventuras y Policaco, Jaime Ricardo Reyes Caldern (ed. Cooperativa Editorial Magisterio, 2003) www.ehow.com/how_5486233_write-crime-fiction-stories.html www.writersvillage.com/character/Detective.html