Saida Ammani
ENG 112B
12-3-08
W (4:30)
Annotated
Bibliography:
Poe and His Off-spring
in Mystery
Mystery fiction has been one of my favorite genres since I was a teenager. I have always been drawn into this type of fiction, first because of its mystery, second it is like a riddle that it waiting to be solved. In Literature for Today's Young Adults, mystery is similar to a game, it says, "Mysteries are mere games, but we love games. Some of us claim that we want to beat the detective to the murderer, but we rarely do, and when we succeed, we feel cheated" (200, this and all following quotations are taken from Literature for Today's Young Adults by Allen Pace Nilson/ Kenneth L. Donelson.) This is true, most teenagers enjoy mystery because it allows them to think critically and they become detectives themselves. Mystery is like a game because it is challenging; moreover, because of our human nature we tend to challenge ourselves and we try to guess the killer before the protagonist or the detective finds out. Some of my favorite mystery authors are Edgar Allen Poe and Agatha Christie. I have been a fan of both for quite sometime, especially Poe; his work is fascinating. He is the focus of my annotated bibliography because Critics agree that "the modern mystery begins with Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murder in the Rue Morgue" (200). Therefore, Poe is also considered the father of the detective story. In my annotated bibliography, I'm going to explore some of Poe's work along with other authors who are winners of the Edgar Allen Poe award.
Poe is known for his short stories and his poems; he got a huge collection which is often used by teachers in their classes. I can't remember a time when my teachers didn't assign some of his work or at least not mentioned his name; his work is one of the classics of all time. Some of his famous works are, "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Black Cat," "The Cask of Amontillado" and many more. Poe's work is not hard to read because of his style; he is very creative with words and the details of the story or poem. Poe is knows for his ambiguity, he doesn't give much details about his characters, he leaves up to the reader to speculate; leaving the door open for analyzing. The first story that I have read by Poe was "The Cask of Amontillado," which is about this guy who takes revenge on this merchant, Furtunado and he buries him alive in his cellar. In the story we are never told the reason why the antagonist kills the Merchant. All we know is that he hates him for something he has done in the past. Moreover, the ambiguity of the information is what makes this mystery piece fun to read.
Another important thing about Poe's work; a lots of the narrators of the stories are the murderers themselves. For example in the beginning of "The Tell-Tale Heart," we are introduced to the narrator, also the killer, protesting for his sanity. This introduction is very important because as readers we begin to wonder about his state of mind as well. Another example is in "The Black Cat," the narrator, which is the murderer himself confesses his crime after he was caught, but he claims that what triggers his horrible deeds is alcohol. Moreover, both narrators have some kind of excuses on why they committed murder. This point brings us to the type of mysteries, according to Literature for Today's Young Adults, "A mystery short story may settle for theft, but a novel, of course demands murder" (200) This information is partially true because a lots of Poe's short stories such as the ones that I mentioned earlier contain murder.
Lots of teenagers are most likely to read or prefer mystery fiction because of the thriller; I know I did. Mystery books are easy to read because they are filled with excitement and suspense. The words in the mystery story are like an energy drink the more you read the more you want to find out what happens next. Most of young adult mysteries are shorter than the mysteries for adults and according to Literature to Today's Young Adults, "instead of professional detectives, the protagonist are likely to be bright and energetic people, not yet cynical about the world" (205). The violence in the young adult mystery book is mild compare to an adult mystery book, this way the young adults wouldn't get exposed to any bad ideas. Most of the protagonists are young adults themselves, they get put in difficult situations and through the story they overcome many of the obstacles that are presented before them. As an example, in Toughing It by Nancy Springer, Tuff, the protagonist loses his brother in a murder, and he suffers this lost greatly for he vows to take revenge. His father in the story helps him get through this lost and he also convinces him not to take revenge; moreover, his father was there for him by being a great friend.
I have selected a list of books that deal with teenage struggles and also where the young protagonists are the ones who act as detectives. In this selection, the teenage reader will have issues that he or she can relate too; also, the books are very exciting and filled with thrill. I recommend this genre because every young adult needs to read something scary or filled with suspense because life is not always happy and peachy. I also recommend that they should at least have read one of Poe's works because he is amazing and his work is fun for analyzing or critical thinking.
Some of Poe's quotes from his short stories:
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
"TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
"The Black
Cat"
"One night, returning home, much intoxicated [�] I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflected a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I know myself no longer"
These were taken from this website: http://www.pambytes.com/poe/stories/heart.html
Short Animated film: "The Tell-Tale Heart."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c
"The Raven," read by Christopher Walken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLSmhpwLdEQ
Annotated Bibliography:
Poe, Allen Edgar. Major Tales and Poems. Anne Arbor: Borders Group, Inc., 2006.
This book contains a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's major tales and poems. Among which are "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Black Cat," "The Murder in the Rue Morgue," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and his famous poem, "The Raven." These short stories and poems are filled with suspense and keep the reader on the edge of their seats. Poe's short stories and poems are always fun to read; he is considered the father of the detective story and this book has a fantastic collection, enough to keep you entertained. Young Adults need to read Poe's collection because first, it's a classic, second, his stories deal with real important issues such as insanity, alcoholism, and death. Most of his works are short stories and poems, which are an easy read. Moreover, Poe does a great job with suspense which makes it impossible to put the book down.
Werlin, Nancy. The Killer's Cousin. New York: Laurel-Leaf
Books, 2000.
The 17
year old boy, David accidentally kills his girl friend. Recently acquitted, the
young protagonist receives an invitation from his uncle and aunt to stay with
them and to finish his senior year in high school as well as to escape the
media. His 11 years old cousin, Lily plays a major role in this book for she is
a mystery to David. Also, there is something about Lily that keeps reminding
him of his own past. This book is great because it is about guilt similar to
one of "The Tell-Tale Heart" themes. It would be a great book to teach with
Poe's collection.
This Summary is based on the review in this following website:
http://www.nancywerlin.com/tkc.htm
Roberts, Willo Davis. Twisted Summer. New York, N.Y.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers,
c1996.
This book
is about a 14 year old girl, Cici who plays detective and tries to prove
Brody's innocent. Brody is accused of murdering this girl, Zoe, and serves 25
years in Prison for it. Cici is convinced that Brody is innocent and she
believes that she can find the true killer. This book is great because the
detective of the story is a young protagonist; and as readers, we also tend to do
the same, solving the mystery of the book.
Hobbs, Will. Ghost Canoe. New York: Avon Camelot Book, 1998, c1997.
After a
Ship wreck, a 14 year old boy, Nathan
MacAllister and a fisherman, Lighthouse George, both hunt for clues to unveil
the mystery of the unexplained foot prints they found on the beach; although,
they were informed by the authorities that there were no survivors from the
accident. This book is a mix of both mystery and adventure which makes it
enjoyable to read, especially for young adults.
This summary is based on the
review in this following website: http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/bookspages/ghostcanoepage.html
Nixon, Joan Lowery. The Name of the Game was Murder. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1993.
The story
is a about a 15 year old girl, Samantha who visits her aunt Thea and her
husband Sam, a famous Novelist. Samantha admires her uncle's work and she hopes
to gain knowledge from him regarding her writing. Instead, she gets involved in
a nasty game, a game that her uncle Sam was trying to play on his guests but
leads to his dead. This book is one of those books that you can't put down
because it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Once again and in most young
adult mystery books; the young protagonist, Samantha play detective to uncover
the mystery of her uncle's murder.
Reaver, Chap. A Little Bit
Dead. New York: Delacorte
Press, 1992.
This book is about an 18 year old, Native American who "tries to do what is right by saving a Yahi brave from being hanged by some renegade lawmen." The young protagonist's heroic actions cause him trouble and "take him down a complicated road, leading to grave danger" (this review is by the Chicago Public Library). In an Amazon review, Kathy Fritts explains that this book is worth reading not just because it is full of suspense, but because "The plot is highly melodramatic," and "there is more than enough action to satisfy any reader." This book is also great because it takes young adults in an adventure and gives them a chance to explore the Yahi world.
Kid's Catalog: Chicago Public
Library. A little Bit Dead.http://www.chipublib.org
Fritts, Kathy. Review. http://www.amazon.com
Springer, Nancy. Toughing It. New York: Harcourt Childrens Books,
1994.
Tuff is a 16 year old boy who vows to avenge his brother, Dillon after witnessing his murder. Tuff comes from a poor, dysfunctional family. His mother is an alcoholic who is married to a violent man. The murder of Dillon affects him greatly for he feels lost without his brother. Tuff's mother finally reveals the identity of his father, who becomes his friend and helps his son beat his anger. This is a great book because it is not just about murder, it is about friendship. Tuff loses his brother and his friend, but gains a new friend, his father. This book is great for teenager because it tells a story of a young protagonist who struggles to find himself while dealing with death or the lost of his loved one.
This summary is based on the Amazon reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Toughing-Nancy-Springer/
Reaver, Chap. Mote. New York: Random
House Children's Books, 1990.
Chris and Billy are two young teenagers who will do everything they can to help their friend, Mote, a Vietnam veteran and a murder suspect. Mote is accused of murdering a school teacher. This book is good for teenagers because it is about friendship and working together, in the book we are also faced with race tension.
Levitin, Sonia. Incident at Loring Groves. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1990.
The Book is about a group of teenage girls who accidentally found a dead body of another teenager. The terror gets the best out of them, preventing them to report the incident. However, two of the girls couldn't live up with this secret; their conscience would not allow it. This book is great for teenagers because it shows what typical teenagers go through; especially when they are faced with peer pressure.
This summary is based on Amazon.com Review.
Taylor, Theodore. The Weirdo. Harcourt Trade, 2006.
This book is about a 17 year old boy, who got burned in an airplane crush. The accident left scarred. The teenage boy assets a graduate student who observes bears; this action left the local haunters angry, and got the protagonist involved in a big mess. This book is great because it is important because it talks about animal rights and the importance of preserving life and taking care of nature.
This summary is based on a review in: www.amazon.com