100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
2022 Unseen Crime Past Paper Extarct Question $5.36   Add to cart

Exam (elaborations)

2022 Unseen Crime Past Paper Extarct Question

 28 views  1 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution

This essay is in response to question 1 on the 2022 paper 2 elements of crime which features a car chase. I obtained an A* for this particular question. The extract itself should be available somewhere.

Preview 1 out of 2  pages

  • February 5, 2024
  • 2
  • 2022/2023
  • Exam (elaborations)
  • Questions & answers
avatar-seller
Explore the significance of elements of crime writing in the extract

The opening of the extract is used to create tension in the way that it plunges the
contemporary reader into the centre of the action in the middle of a chase, creating a sense
of intrigue a mystery. It appears that two characters, Martin and Laura, have stolen a
valuable painting and the seems that they are being pursued by the owner of the painting.
Structurally, it this section could appear near the end of the novel at the climax of the story.

When the extract opens, the reader is positioned to be on side with the criminals and the
use of the first person focalises the attention on Martin and, the pursuer’s wife, Laura.
Perhaps, using the first person pronoun enables the reader to understand the protagonist’s
situation and sympathise with his criminal actions. Whilst they are stealing the picture, it
seems that they are trying to escape. The fast pace of the narrative is characteristic of crime
fiction, and it conveys the excitement of the chase. The fragmented sentences such as ‘no,
not yet’ helps to conveys a sense of desperation. Furthermore, the use of the comparative
adjectives ‘closer’, combined with the adverb ‘rapidly’ heighten the distress and sense of
terror. Moreover, the vivid tense, ‘I look in the mirror again’ cultivates immediacy and
plunges the reader into the criminal act and creates a frantic car chase that thrills the
reader. Akin to crime fiction, at this point, the reader seems to be on the side of the criminal
and wants Martin and Laura to succeed in their criminal act.

The risk and uncertainty of the chase is a classic feature of crime fiction. For example, in Jack
Reacher novels, the main protagonist hunts down criminal in pursuit of justice. In some
cases, agents kill Jack Reacher, as he is perceived a threat to society. In a similar way, the
chase keeps the reader compelled and on edge, akin to the chases in James Bond novels. In
keeping with crimes, and James Bond novels, the car chase is dangerous and life-
threatening. At one point, the cars are ‘running side by side in mad parallel’. The use of the
prepositional phrase ‘mad parallel’ is using to heighten the danger. Plus, the use of dialogue
heightens the danger and terror experienced by those being pursued. ‘Faster!’ cries Laura’.’
The use of the exclamative and the use of the verb ‘cries’ places Laura in a subordinate
position. Whilst she is positioned as an accessory to the crime, she is also placed as the
victim and shown to be subordinate by the fact that she needs to be rescued by men. In
many crime texts, the women are preyed upon as the victims, for example in Oliver Twist, in
the case of Nancy, and in ‘The Lovely Bones’, Susie Salmon is raped and murder by a man.
Critic, Adam LeBor argued that too many women are positioned as victims in crime novels,
reflecting the patriarchal subordination of the past, which still seems to be present in
modern crime fiction.

A common trope of crime fiction the appears in this extract is the way that the criminal is
punished by external forces. As Martin tries to steal the painting and ‘rescue’ a great piece
of artistry, the fire levels the crime and destroys the painting that Martin was ironically
trying to save. In trying to save the artwork, Martin seems to bring about the destruction of
it. Fire seems to be used to destroy in the way that humans are unable to. The final one line
paragraph represents the loss: ‘Man, trees, mountains sky – they’re all vanished into
blackness forever’. The use of the dash heightens the loss that Martin has suffered and
Martin’s psychological obsession with the painting has been purged by the fire. The

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller chocolatedaisy03. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $5.36. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

83637 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
$5.36  1x  sold
  • (0)
  Add to cart