The Classical Origins of Detective Fiction: Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Ross Macdonald’s The Goodbye Look

Kifah (Moh’d Khair) Al Umari, Fahd A. Salameh, Qusai A. al-Thebyan, Nazmi al-Shalabi

Abstract


Macdonald’s presentation of the crime and its detection in The Goodbye Look shows how he finds in detective fiction a logical genre that will enable him to study human motivations and actions in general. Instead of imitating the hard-boiled detective writers who precede him, Macdonald uses the Oedipus theme in this novel to explore the American psyche and to transform detective fiction into a new kind of fiction which is not only about exposing criminals but also about redeeming the innocent.
Key words: Classical literature; American literature; American society; American family; Detective fiction; Literature; Fiction; Culture; Psychology

Résumé
Cet article discute la présentation de Macdonald de l'infraction et sa détection dans The Look Goodbye, montre comment il trouve dans le roman policier un genre logiques qui vont lui permettre d'étudier les motivations et des actions humaines en général. Au lieu d'imiter les auteurs de détective durs qui le précèdent, Macdonald utilise le thème d'Oedipe dans ce roman pour explorer la psyché américaine et à transformer la fiction policière dans un nouveau genre de fiction qui n'est pas seulement d'exposer des criminels, mais aussi sur l'échange de l'innocence.
Mots clés: Littérature classique; Littérature américaine; La société Américaine; Famille américaine; Detective de fiction; Littérature, Fiction; Culture; Psychologie

Keywords


Classical literature; American literature; American society; American family; Detective fiction; Literature; Fiction; Culture; Psychology; Littérature classique; Littérature américaine; La société Américaine



DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020110703.430

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Copyright (c) 2011 Kifah (Moh’d Khair) Al Umari, Fahd A. Salameh, Qusai A. al-Thebyan, Nazmi al-Shalabi

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