How Crime Fiction Explores Human Nature Without Preaching

Crime fiction For Entertainment

Entertainment is exactly what a lot of People say when asked to describe their favourite form of Crime fiction. And that's true. At the very least, you've got a mystery. A body appears. Suspects start gathering. Secrets come out. The truth finally emerges. That's all fine. Of course, with each twist, clue, motive, and plot surprise, there is a lot more going on here than just entertainment. There is an opportunity to think through the basic premise of human nature without being preached to.

Good mysteries don't shout down the reader telling them what is right or wrong. Rather, they put normal People through extreme pressures and pose the rather straightforward but powerful question: "what would somebody do if they had nothing left?"

Crime fiction reveals human nature at its most vulnerable

An investigation into murder takes everything that individuals may present themselves as (i.e., respectable neighbors, devoted partners, successful entrepreneurs, faithful friends, grieving relatives) and lays bare the facade.

Crime fiction works so well precisely because it reveals what People tend to hide. Emotions like jealousy, guilt, greed, shame, fear, pride and resentment are common emotions. While few Readers have ever committed a murder; most recognize these feelings as being possible reasons for committing a Crime.

Therefore this genre is so popular. It doesn't have to preach about ethics. The story itself demonstrates the results of individual choices.

In some stories, a killer may merely be portrayed as evil. However, in stronger versions of Crime fiction, the killer typically has a reason that seems disturbingly relatable (even though he/she commits an un-forgiveable act).

For example, a person may kill to keep a secret. Kill for money. Kill to avoid embarrassment. Kill to punish someone for betraying him/her. Kill to shut up someone who knew too much. All of these reasons encourage Readers to see the emotion leading up to the act of violence.

It does not imply that the story condones the killer. Quite the opposite. Crime fiction usually emphasizes the importance of the truth coming to light and that Justice needs to prevail. However, it also acknowledges that humans are complex beings. Someone can be charming and vicious. Someone can love someone else and be selfish. Someone can be afraid and deadly. Someone can be wounded and still accountable for causing harm to others.

Secrets define character.

Secrets drive mystery fiction and Secrets are perhaps one of the best tools available to authors wishing to expose aspects of human nature. What a person conceals frequently says as much about him/her as what he/she discloses.

Some People conceal past failures. Other People conceal taboo relationships, financial difficulties, family shame, etc... Not every secret causes a person to become a murderer; however, every secret creates a different picture in the eyes of the reader.

This is where Crime fiction is particularly effective. It reminds Readers that individuals are rarely what they appear to be. The friendliest person in the village may be hiding a lie. The most suspicious person may be innocent. The deceased may not have been as harmless as initially thought.

Without offering a lecture on judgment, the genre quietly educates Readers to dig deeper."Justice without preaching.

Almost all Crime fiction fans want answers. They desire to find out who committed the Crime, why they committed it and how they will be apprehended. However, the pursuit of Justice is also the pursuit of meaning.

A superior investigator – regardless of whether they are a professional or amateur – accomplishes far more than solving a riddle. He/she restores order. She listens to those who are overlooked. He/she challenges deception. He/she refuses to permit the memory of victims to fade away.

This provides Crime fiction with its moral center without converting the story into a homily. The investigator does not require a declaration from the reader stating that murder is wrong and/or that lying destroys lives. The investigation establishes both.

Why fans return again & again.

Crime fiction enables Readers to travel into unsafe areas safely. We can examine various forms of destructive behavior (betrayal, obsession, revenge, corruption, grief, shame) using books as our safe haven. We can confront the darkest aspects of humanity while knowing that by the last page of the book we'll know the truth.

And that is why the genre remains relevant today. It entertains us — but it also understands us.

Crime fiction cannot teach morals — since it does not need to. It simply presents humans as they are — imperfect, secretive, emotionally driven; capable of poor decision-making; but still having potential for revealing truths and finding Justice and forgiveness