From Sherlock Holmes to C.S.I., mystery stories have been popular and enduring forms of entertainment. In addition to exploring the world of crime, mysteries can offer insight into the nature of good and evil, raise questions about the human condition, and reveal truths about history and culture. This class will use mystery stories, novels, and films that range from the classic to the contemporary.
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:
- Demonstrate higher order critical thinking skills by comparing/contrasting, analyzing, and critiquing a variety of texts, styles, and authors in the mystery genre.
- Define and articulate in written and oral form the major themes, periods, and writers of the mystery/detective genre.
- Define and articulate in written and oral form the cultural and/or historical influences and connections associated with these themes, periods, and writers.
- Define and articulate in written and oral form an understanding of the mystery genre’s literary merits.
Institutional Outcomes
IO1 Communication: Students will be able to communicate clearly and effectively.
Course Content Outline
- Mystery’s Roots in Literature
- Early Detective Fiction (i.e., Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle)
- Golden Age/Cozies (i.e., Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh)
- Hard-boiled Fiction (i.e., Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, JimThompson, James Ellroy) and Film Noir
- Contemporary Literary Mysteries, such as those that incorporate the following themes:
- Diversity Issues (i.e., Walter Mosley, Tony Hillerman, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie)
- Literary (i.e., David Means, Joyce Carol Oates, William Gay, Gillian Flynn, Tana French)
- Unconventional detectives (i.e., Jonathon Lethem, Mark Haddon, Donna Tartt)
- Existential (i.e., Paul Auster, Orhan Pamuk, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Roberto Bolano)
Department Guidelines
- Individual authors and texts will be determined by the Instructor, but they should include representative novels and/or stories from the Traditional period, the Golden Age, The Hardboiled Age, and Contemporary Literary mysteries.
- Instructors may also use films as secondary examples of mystery genre texts.
- Students should be held accountable for completing their reading, such as through quizzes or participation points.
PO4 should be assessed: Students will be able to recognize or articulate personal/interpersonal aspects of, or connections between, diverse cultural, social, or political contexts.
PO5 should be assessed: Students will be able to solve problems by gathering, interpreting, combining and/or applying information from multiple sources.