Detective denouement
Encyclopedia
The detective dénouement is a variant on the literary
dénouement common to mystery
stories. It was first popularised by the Sherlock Holmes
novels, but is present in many stories, such as the works of Agatha Christie
or in Ellen Raskin
's young adult novel The Westing Game
.
In detective stories, the dénouement is the segment of a mystery novel in which the protagonist
of the story, or a character serving in his or her stead, reveals all of the clues and lays out the conclusion for the other characters. This is usually in an attempt to show the readers how the character came to the conclusion and figured out the mystery. Some readers enjoy the detective dénouement while others find it annoying, claiming that it makes them feel that the author has belittled their ability to figure out the mystery on their own. One famous example of the detective dénouement is the explanatory speech given by a forensic pyschologist
after the climax
of the 1960 film Psycho
.
In the TV show Monk
, Adrian Monk
often uses this method with the words "here's what happened." A black-and-white
montage of the events prior to the murder accompanies his narration.
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
dénouement common to mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
stories. It was first popularised by the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
novels, but is present in many stories, such as the works of Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
or in Ellen Raskin
Ellen Raskin
Ellen Ermingard Raskin was an American writer, illustrator and fashion designer. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up during the Great Depression. She was educated at the University of Wisconsin at Madison...
's young adult novel The Westing Game
The Westing Game
The Westing Game is a 1979 Newbery Medal winning novel by Ellen Raskin. It has been adapted into a movie, released under both the names The Westing Game and Get a Clue...
.
In detective stories, the dénouement is the segment of a mystery novel in which the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story, or a character serving in his or her stead, reveals all of the clues and lays out the conclusion for the other characters. This is usually in an attempt to show the readers how the character came to the conclusion and figured out the mystery. Some readers enjoy the detective dénouement while others find it annoying, claiming that it makes them feel that the author has belittled their ability to figure out the mystery on their own. One famous example of the detective dénouement is the explanatory speech given by a forensic pyschologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
after the climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
of the 1960 film Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
.
In the TV show Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, Adrian Monk
Adrian Monk
Adrian Monk is a fictional character portrayed by Tony Shalhoub and the protagonist of the USA Network television series Monk. He is a renowned former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department...
often uses this method with the words "here's what happened." A black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
montage of the events prior to the murder accompanies his narration.