In life, we often find ourselves being confronted by our past events and choices. Circumstances may force us to tackle with issues that test our love and loyalty for both our family members and friends. This paper seeks to compare two American detective novels. The two novels are The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy and Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.
Through the comparison, the paper will illustrate the similarities between the two novels and highlight on how everything returned to where they started. The article will pinpoint that in The Black Dahlia even as time passes crime continues to be resolved where it began. In Mystic River, even after 25 years the story unravels right where it began.
A major similarity between the two novels is that everything returns to where they started. In The Black Dahlia, even as time passes crime continues to be resolved where it began. During the introductory part of this book, the author introduced two police officers trapped in the Zoot Suit Riots (Ellroy 12). Bleichert was on a mission to save Lee Blanchad.
Later, the two police officers managed to arrest a wanted criminal and sought asylum in an abandoned residence as the riots escalated. At the onset of the novel, the two officers were not working for the same department. As such, Blanchad was a sergeant while Bleichert was a road patrol officer. Some few years later, Bleichert was transferred to work together with Blanchad at the homicide warrant department. While working together, Bleichert met with Kay who leaved with his friend. Later, Kay and Bleichert were engaged.
In the year 1947, the two officers were appointed to investigate on a murder case of Elizabeth Short. During this investigation, Bleichert met with a young girl who looked alike with Elizabeth Short.
It was not long before the two had an affair. While Bleichert was having an affair with the mistress, his relationship with Lee and Kay deteriorated. It was not long before Lee began consuming Benzedrine, which made him to behave unpredictably. Later, Lee confronted with his bosses and disappeared. On the same period, Bleichert did not only break up with her mistress and Kay but also messed up with his assignment.
Because of this, he was demoted from the department. After being demoted, Bleichert embarked on a mission to trace Lee. When he later learned of Lee’s fate, he returned to the town to restore the deteriorating relationship with Kay. It was during this period that he was transferred to work as a lab technician. As a lab technician, he was able to unravel the mysteries of the death of Elizabeth Short and disappearance of Lee.
As the novel ends, the author notes that Bleichert had gotten back with Kay who was by then pregnant. Through the above illustrations, it is apparent that as time passed the crime was eventually resolved where it began. Equally, through the above illustrations we note that everything returned to its original state. As such, Bleichert broke up with his mistress and got back to her wife. In the same way, the murderer of Elizabeth Short was traced back to Los Angeles.
In the novel Mystic River, even after 25 years, the story unravels right where it began. At the onset of the book, the author introduces to the readers three little boys (Lehane 9).
The boys are later separated after Sean Divine was abducted and raped by pedophiles. Twenty-five years after the incident, Divine had become a homicide detective. On the other hand, Jimmy was an ex-convict who operated a store in the town. The third person by the name Dave was already married and exhibited physiological challenges. The three people were finally united after the murder of Jimmy’s daughter.
Following the death, Divine was appointed to investigate on the murder case. Later, Divine and Jimmy engaged in a disagreement because of the investigations. On the night of the murder, the author notes that Dave arrived home covered in human blood. Through the above illustrations, it is apparent how things returned to their original state. The three friends were united back in Boston through the date of Jimmy’s daughter.
Another similarity between the two books is that the two books focus on the lives of police detectives. As such, in the novels the main characters are police officers who are after resolving mysteries about some crimes in their towns. In the book The Black Dahlia, Ellroy narrates a thrilling story about a constable who has been assigned to investigate the murder of a young girl. With time, the constable becomes so eager to unravel the facts of the young girl’s short life and the causes of her murder.
Through this, the constable is forced to tackle with hard truths about the girl’s relationship. In the book Mystic River, Lehane narrates a fascinating story about a detective who has been assigned to investigate the murder of the death of Jimmy Marcus’ daughter. Just like the detective in the novel The Black Dahlia, Sean Devine investigations untie some facts that force the investigator to face up to his past.
Another similarity that exists between the two books is that they lead to frustrating conclusions. During the introductory parts of these books, the authors illustrate the main characters living together in harmony. Since the two books revolve around detectives, readers will expect the detectives in the two books to solve their cases successfully.
Similarly, the readers expect that at the end of the novels the detectives will be satisfied with their investigations. In contracts, the two novels conclude while the detectives are yet to find themselves in agreement with their hardest realities. The Black Dahlia, concludes while Bleichert’s life was in a complete mess.
He had not only been obsessed with his investigations but also with the beauty of the murder victim. In the final chapter, the author notes that Bleichert kept wondering how Elizabeth murder had disrupted their lives. This implies that the novel ended on a sad note. In the novel Mystic River, Devine tries to enforce law and order in his town in vain.
Instead, his ambitions push him to unravel some mysteries from the past. Through these mysteries, Divine loyalty and trust for the family is tested. Just as in the other novel, readers would expect the novel to end on a happy note after the case has been solved and the suspects apprehended. However, the book ends on a sad note. In the last chapter, readers will note that each revelation in the case has been destructive. Notably, the book ended while Divine was more confused than at the beginning of the investigations.
Works Cited
Ellroy, James. The black dahlia. New York: Mysterious Press, 1987. Print.
Lehane, Dennis. Mystic River. New York: William Morrow, 2001. Print.