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Adrian Latosquin
Professor Hass
Writing 37
3 November 2014
The Familiarities of the Detective Genre
The successful transition of the detective genre after continuous decades has attracted an
abundance of readers and scholars, who had their own perspectives on what theyve
acknowledged. Scholars such as George Dove, LeRoy Panek, Conan Doyle, and Jerome
Delamater had debated on how the detective genre thrived during the Victorian Era. They had
generated their viewpoints on the genre, which includes what captivated the readers, the interest
of crime and criminals, and how the middle class during that time relates to its huge uprising.
How the detective genre flourished so well as time passed, was hugely influenced by how
entertained the audience was through its gripping content, and how minimal reading it was for an
easy comprehension. According to Dove, the detective story is transitory, without long-range
goals or purposes; it is fundamentally an intellectual undertaking (Different Story 2). Dove
and Panek would both agree about the topic of detective stories connecting with readers
logically, as Panek stated that literature impacts our human culture, while Dove said that those
stories have a purpose of gaining knowledge. Delamater and Dove share the same perspective of
the importance of the content within detective stories, as it was a major objective of grasping the
readers attention. Delamater has stated, The unique formal pattern of the detective story genre
lies in its double and duplicitous plot. The plot is double because the story is first narrated as it
appears to the bewildered bystanders who observe the crime and are to some extent threatened
by it but who cannot arrive at its solution.. Dove has specified that what makes the genre

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unique in its own way, is the relationship it has with its readers, by making them read differently
through the detective story plot. Doyle had conveyed in The Hound of Baskervilles that Sherlock
Holmes draws in readers with his unique characteristics such as, his eccentricity, his emotionless
personality, and cold logic. Doyles work eventually created an interest towards the genre, which
resulted in a triumph of fans and contributed to the overall popularity of the detective genre.
The middle class during the Victoria Era played a major role on the uprising of the
detective genre, due to the circumstances they faced during that time period. The reasons why
they were such an impact to the genre because the middle class had more leisure time to read
short stories (such as detective stories), and books were more accessible to buy thanks to the
printing press. In addition, the middle class was then getting educated, which allowed them to
read in the right manner. Delamater and Panek would have the same agreement towards the
influence that the middle class created, as Panek has stated People read detective fiction for
recreation, but they also read it for intellectual stimulation (Beginnings 5). Delamater had said
in Theory and Practice of Classic Detective Fiction that detective stories helped reassured
everyone that everything that occurs in the universe is sensible. Doyle had shaped Watson to be
an educated person in The Hound of Baskervilles, as he was put under the middle class in
society. The middle class had aspiration towards the detective genre from what messages they
can perceive, and guidance they have retained form the detective genre stories.
When crime and criminals became more prevalent and well-known to the public during
the mid-nineteenth century, it created a new perspective that people were beginning to be
familiar with. The Industrial Revolution brought in an influx of poverty for much of Englands
lower-class population. Higher crime rates resulted from the lower class trying to make a living,
and the common people were given greater exposure to crime. People were fascinated by how

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detectives such as Sherlock Holmes were able to solve a mystery every time as a prediction, and
that a reoccurring plot through different detective stories always conveys the same idea. Holmes
had mentioned in The Final Problem written by Doyle, that various crime cases such as
robberies and murders, has given him a sort of obligation to be involved in each one, that he tries
to consults in. Panek and Dove would both agree of the significance of the crime and criminals
concept, as Panek stated This great mass of material about crime and criminals had a specific
impact on the modern development of the detective story (Beginnings 10). Dove had
mentioned a connection of crime and the detective genre, as they contain similar relations such
as a mystery, science fiction, and suspense. Views on the crime and criminal concept has
attracted a great amount of recognition from the public back then have the Victoria Era, and to
this modern day.
The popularity of the detective genre had greatly increased during the Victorian Era by
receiving a plentiful amount of gratitude from the general public and scholars. Dove said one of
the reasons that the genre became such a hit was how detective stories were short, with an overall
educational purpose. Also, Delamater mentioned that the persuading plot of the detective stories
was a main objective of how the genre became very well known, due to how unique it was when
people first caught glimpse of it, and is still able to appeal to modern readers of this decade. The
detective genre developed after Conan Doyle as various authors had created their own detective
stories, as they were inspired by his work and the stereotype of Sherlock Holmes that he created.
Its still one of the most popular genres today as there have been many well-known
interpretations that appeal to the modern day society such as amusing movies, compelling TV
shows, and updated versions of original detective stories such as Sherlock Holmes.

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Works Cited

Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Hound of the Baskervilles. Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2013.
Kindle eBook. Online.
Dove, George N. The Reader and the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green
StateUniversity Popular Press, 1997. Print.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press, 1987. Print.
Delamater, Jerome and Ruth Prigozy, eds. Theory and Practice of Classic Detective
Fiction. New York: Praeger, 1997. Print.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "Adventure 1: The Final Problem." The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes. Lit2Go Edition. 1892. Web.
<http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/32/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes/345/adventure-1-the-finalproblem//>. November 06, 2014.