Harry Lavender Essay Example For Students

Harry Lavender Essay The Life and Times of Harry Lavender – Related Text Bill Simon – Subverting the Popular Culture Genre Marele Day: â€Å"it allowed a greater questioning of traditional roles† – On Writing a Feminist Detective Novel †¢Representation of female roles in our society is an important issue in this text †¢Use of this genre accommodates the visualisation of the city of Sydney †¢Day’s feminist concerns are expressed through her subversion of the male dominated hard boiled detective genre †¢Popular culture tends to walk a very fine line between invention and convention and this is perhaps the reason why a genre can be successful in conveying an author’s message †¢Valentine proves through her actions alone that she is as good a conventional (‘male’) private eye †¢Claudia contends with murder, violence and guns – the bread and butter of the genre, and traditionally male domains †¢The hero must conven tionally prove his/her worth and be seen as morally fit to be a heroic figure †¢The narrative convention of the detective genre focuses on the protagonist and her/his actions so there is little reprieve from the violent world †¢Other conventions – fast pace, sexual liaisons and escapades †¢Hard boiled detective genre is strongly connected to sexuality, where the gun becomes a powerful extension of the phallus, and the power and motivation of the detective is his physical strength and power †¢Claudia does not carry a gun with her at all times, but is perfectly capable of using one if the situation arises. Is this a conscious decision on the author’s behalf to deprive her detective of the masculinist phallic accessory that the genre demands? Or, is it Claudia’s physical fitness, wit and cunning can outsmart most of her opponents without resorting to physical violence? Claudia does battle with the ‘gun’ in the climatic sauna scene, with both women naked, signifying that both women are stripped of their status, relying instead on cunning and pure strength. Curiously, Sally (Harry’s illegitimate daughter) introduces the gun into this scene, and she is a beautiful model – an object of male fantasy. Claudia strikes her on the face to attack the superficial reality so valued by Sally and her cohorts. On a literal level, this scene is a test of the heroine, and she succeeds in conquering the villain. On a more significant level, the participants in the scene, the setting and the symbolism imbued within the characters make this scene powerful. †¢Multiculturalism – all the good guys are ‘real’ Aussies, whilst all the ad guys are from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds †¢The context of the setting – Australia’s colonial past – is represented by Claudia and her band of idiosyncratic mates, who win over the newcomers. This theme connects the novel with tradit ional Australian literature †¢The city of Sydney is represented as a place of corruption and violence, and only in the outback is it possible to find solace and a Utopia of sorts – another common trait of traditional Australian literature †¢Claudia is a role model of a person; a woman who can look after herself and others, and is tough, sexy and sleazy. †¢Carol Rawlins is parallel character to Claudia – two powerful female role models – unique in CF texts †¢Popular culture is very powerful presence in forming our identity both as individuals and as a society. Ms Day realised the importance of not being didactic or serious in her attempt to communicate with a mass audience, so therefore the use of a popular culture genre and its very subversion has served her well Juliana Gallagher – What do you think is the role of Claudia Valentine in The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender? †¢As the protagonist, Claudia is the detective responsible for solving the mystery of Mark Bannister’s death †¢She is distinguished from the conventional detective by her gender, and the fact that no concessions are made for it †¢Claudia is the main vehicle for conveying Marele Day’s feminist ideals to the modern reader †¢The novel’s first person narrative structure (? ) conforms to the conventions of the genre. Through this device, Claudia Valentine is responsible for making the city of Sydney such a focal point in the novel †¢Claudia Valentine – smart, sexy and sassy – originally assigned to investigate a death surrounded by mysterious circumstances. Marilyn Bannister, the dead man’s sister; suspects foul play in the death of her brother after receiving a note hinting at â€Å"Terminal Illness†. In her pursuit of the perpetrator, she relies on her wit, quick repartee, intelligence, but never on her looks, as she is not expecting any concessions due to her femininity – â€Å"The crims don’t discriminate, they’ll blow away a woman on their trail just as readily as a man†. She eventually uncovers the felonious plan of the infamous Sydney underworld crime boss Harry Lavender (corrupt, cancer-riddled) †¢City of Sydney: â€Å"Her far horizons, her jewelled sea, her beauty and her terror† – novel †¢Claudia – desired by men – â€Å"You’ll look like the kind of woman who would enjoy a glass of champagne at two in the morning†. Such personal insights into Claudia’s private life and her mind are made possible through her first person narration (? ), inviting the reader to play the part of detective alongside Claudia. The success of the novel depends on the narrator (Claudia) gaining our trust. The reader is also encouraged to think for themselves, since they are presented with clues, such as the extracts from Harry’s book, which are not accessed by Claudia. Day creates a flawed heroine, which a careful audience can detect, and hence red herrings are used – e. g. nfounded suspicions involv ing Steve and Carol – a convention of the genre †¢Day appropriates the traditionally male dominated detective genre and expands its borders to be inclusive of women as opposed to having the female characters as mere accessories or sexual objects. Hence, the novel can be read as a feminine treatise, especially since no concessions are given to her gender. †¢Conforms to the conventions of the genre; †¢1) Fast and relentless narration – â€Å"Accelerate! Down the car park ramp! † †¢2) Witty, sexually liberated style – â€Å"I’ll slip into something more comfortable, like your bed† †¢3) Tough, concise PI – â€Å"I leapt airborne into space† †¢4) Cynical and hyperbolic PI – â€Å"as long as I didn’t start haemorrhaging from the eyeballs, things would be all right! †¢Opening segment of novel is subverts the conventions of the genre – â€Å"I woke up feeling like death. The blo nde slept on. Thank god the black suit was hanging in the wardrobe†. By using no specific gender, the reader is coaxed into assuming the protagonist is a male, like all conventional hard boiled detectives. This is intentional, with Day questioning traditional constructions and perceptions of gender roles both within and outside the conventions of the genre. †¢Claudia serves as a feminist ideal, whilst not preaching or acting as a politically correct prototype. We become aware of Claudia’s sexuality and vulnerability through her relationship with Steve. †¢The pop culture genre allows Day to physically map the city of Sydney. The Radio Makes My Ears Bleed EssayShe is the heart of the city Valentine †¢Sally – opposite of Claudia – all surface, no heart, selfish, morally weak, alcoholic and emotionally weak. She exhibits fake grief at the funeral, but wasn’t too distraught to administer heroin to his dead body. She is the femme fatale of the traditional CF novel – the woman who first attracts the male hero, but turns out to be involved in the crime †¢Harry – villain. We learn about his motives through the extracts from Mark’s book. He is unrepentant, believes that posterity will revere him. He is at the centre of a web of corruption. His childhood was deprived. He delights in murder. He is a much more sophisticated and interesting ‘baddie’ than the racial stereotypes portrayed in Fleming’s 007 series; he alludes to Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Steve Angell plays the role usually allocated to the ‘good woman’ – he does n’t interfere, offers help when needed, is a agreeably supportive, intelligent, witty, romantic and sexy – he even cooks! †¢Claudia’s style predominates as she is the protagonist, and this domination of the narrative foreshadows her eventual domination of Lavender. †¢Day uses wordplays, allusions, puns. Claudia uses smart one-liners, metaphors and similes. †¢Symbolism – Harry having cancer is a metaphor for the corruption he has engendered in the city. His corruption eats away at the city, just as the cancer eats through his body, as his narrative eats into the novel, as the lavender crabs – the star sign for cancer – eats into the heart (representative of Valentine) on the computer screen