The Burning Girl - Mark Billingham (2004) ; The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1926) ; The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie (1916) - Detective stories

Thèmes abordés

CAPES Certificat d'Aptitude au Professorat de l'Enseignement du Second degré, CAPES anglais, anglais, detective stories, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Mark Billingham

Résumé du document

Le document est une épreuve écrite d'admissibilité au CAPES d'anglais. Il s'agit d'un commentaire comparé de trois documents sur le thème des détectives :
- The Burning Girl - Mark Billingham (2004)
- The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1926)
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie (1916)

Extraits

[...] On the contrary, in document we have barely any description of the characters in the scene. However, the great description and details about characters, actions, scenes, landscapes, emotions?allows the reader to fell emotions and, therefore, to identify to the characters in the novel. Moreover, it allows the reader to play the game and become a detective, trying to determine who is the murderer, why he did it and how. These details cause emotions like suspense, interrogation, surprise, sadness or joy to the reader. [...]

[...] Documents A and C are characterized by a lot of dialogue. In document the dialogue takes place between the duo, Hendricks and Thorne, while in document C another character, Mr. Inglethorp, is involved. On the contrary, document B is a lot more narrative and a dialogue just occurs at the end of the extract, between Holmes and Mr. James M. Dodd. Document A is generally characterized by a dramatic tone, but also, to a lesser extent, a lyrical tone. Verbs like ?waiting? and ?put on? (line but also ?stood up? [...]

[...] The author also uses a metaphor when he says about the dead that they "whispered their secrets" (line 10). Similarly, document B is also mainly characterized by a dramatic and lyrical tone as Holmes is narrating his meeting with Mr. James M. Dodd, but also his personal thoughts as he uses a lot of personal pronouns, mainly Document C is also characterized by a dramatic tone, as actions are succeeding: first, Hastings run into Mr. Inglethorp, talks with him then goes to Leastways Cottage to meet Hercule Poirot and explains him the details about the tragedy of the death of Mrs. [...]

[...] Similarly, in document Holmes teams up with Watson and, in document Hastings is working with detective Hercule Poirot. But, while in document A and the duos are together as they are discussing, in document B Watson is not ?physically? there. Holmes thinks about the visit he had from another character, Mr. James M. Dodd, in the past was in January that I had my visit from Mr. James M. Dodd??, line 15-16) and is referring to his acolyte Watson as he is writing (??having taken my pen in my hand??, line 5-6). [...]

[...] The introduction of duos resolving a "puzzle-like" investigation has been made popular by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie in the twentieth century. Mark Billingham follows the steps of his predecessors by using the same techniques: using a duo, providing a lot of details, provoking emotions to the reader so he or she can identify to characters. The three documents come from different periods of time, but the basic ingredients for a good detective novel remain similar. [...]