A Case of Mistaken Identity Vol. 9Detective Undercurrents in Recent African American Fiction |
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| Author:
| Lock, Helen |
| Series title: | Studies on Themes and Motifs in Literature Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-8204-2382-1 |
| Publication Date: | Oct 1994 |
| Publisher: | Peter Lang Publishing, Incorporated
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| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | USD $35.95 |
Book Description:
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The detective story, staple of Western popular culture, has undergone a transformation in recent African American fiction. In the work of Ishmael Reed, Toni Morrison, and Ralph Ellison, among others, a pattern of detection emerges which has its roots in African mythology and aesthetics. The traditionally marginal figure of the victim here takes center stage, and the investigation focuses not on «whodunit?» but on how to undo it: how to invalidate the victimization by resurrecting the...
More DescriptionThe detective story, staple of Western popular culture, has undergone a transformation in recent African American fiction. In the work of Ishmael Reed, Toni Morrison, and Ralph Ellison, among others, a pattern of detection emerges which has its roots in African mythology and aesthetics. The traditionally marginal figure of the victim here takes center stage, and the investigation focuses not on «whodunit?» but on how to undo it: how to invalidate the victimization by resurrecting the victim as a fully autonomous, de-marginalized figure.