How would you define what a mystery story is?
A mystery story often relates to fiction that can be realistic or made up. The events of a mystery story are usually part of detective or crime stories. This sort of genre presents ideas that are unanswered until a later time and creates suspense for the reader. Mystery can bring about a form of illusion where a reader is misled and is later surprised with an unexpected twist. There are also mysteries that are not fictitious at all but are fully realistic. These can relate to natural occurrences of events or facts presented in such a manner that leaves a person guessing until the very end (Saricks, 2009).
What do you think is the theme of Hunter’s “First Offense?”
The major events of the story take place in a police station where a police detective questions freshly arrested individuals. The story is written in a somewhat comical style, as the offenders know that they must keep their mouths shut and not give any provocative information about themselves. The police are well aware of this knowledge and have a trick of firing a great number of questions towards the suspects. The main character witnesses how the questing goes and is given the advice to say nothing to the police. When people are questioned they try to act stupid and unknowing of why they are at the police station. They present themselves as being decent citizens who are blamed for crimes they have not committed. Even though they have a criminal history, they still try to make an appearance of wrongfully accused. The theme is that there is no escaping the law, as the people who hold it in their hands are professionals and will get the information in the most intricate and skillful ways.
What do you think made Steinbeck’s “The Murder” a mystery story?
The mystery is in the fact that two people being together lead separate lives where a husband cheats on his wife and is unaware of her actions while the wife knows where her husband goes and has an affair of her own. Jelka is an attentive wife and this deceives Jim into believing that she is sitting at home alone, without the slightest idea where he is and what he is doing. Their characters are much different and while Jelka is able to see through her husband, he is unaware of her personality and what she is capable of. The reader is surprised when Jim admits to his murder and expects some form of punishment, but the story ends with an indefinite conclusion where most likely, the offender will be left unpunished.
What is the theme of MacDonald’s “Gone Girl?”
The story centers on a private detective who is intelligent and appears in the wrong place at the right time. The reader is presented with a lot of confusing information, so the suspicion in the murder case falls on several different people. Many things that could have been avoided take place, only because the characters are unsure what to do and cannot reasonably analyze the situation. The theme is that there are moments when it is better to be honest and trusting, as doing the opposite can bring problems to the individual and others. Only because something seems horrible, does not mean that the person involved is directly responsible. Very often, life presents situations when people are made victims of the circumstances and their belief in their own innocence is the only thing that should be held firm.
Reference
Saricks, J. (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.