LS 715 - Detective Fiction and the Quest Romance

(3.00 cr.)

Students examine the unique appeal of the detective story. Students are urged to reflect on what the detective story reveals about the culture of the intended audience. They also examine the theories developed to discover to what psychological and cultural needs the fantasy of the detective-hero responds. Readings and film adaptations include stories or novels by Poe, Doyle, Hammett, Chandler, Parker, Grafton, Lippman, and others.