Evaluating Little Scarlet

     Just as an exercise, and to keep the discussion varied, I'll try evaluating Little Scarlet from the "pleasure" perspective. There's not a lot of it in the novel, I think we'd all agree. The setting is fairly grim, Watts in the aftermath of racial tensions and rioting, and the main character Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins is reluctant to even get involved in the murder investigation. The reasons that the police want it resolved are more about keeping control over a tense environment than any real concern for the dead black girl, and Easy sees that ugly truth. He finally decides that he will get involved, for the sake of "his people." You could say he sees the prospect of some pleasure there, some pride in doing a noble deed.

     There was some pleasure in reading the story for me, although I'm with the side of the class that enjoyed The Murder of Roger Ackroyd more. I enjoyed the main character, Easy, and his way of handling the various conflicts he encountered. He took some joy in taunting the white policemen and detectives that gave him a hard time. He had the smoking vice, a presumably healthy sex life with his wife (along with an eye for other ladies such as Juanda), children at home that he loved. All in all, a believable character, with some admitted flaws, that takes what joy he can day to day.

     Notably absent is the (over-used anyway) happy ending. It's more bittersweet, but that's a realistic reflection of the story's overall setting and plot. As Easy notes, in the final chapter. "There was no coverage of the nearly forty funerals held in memory of those who died" (321). The news had moved on to other topics. His last bit of pleasure, even though denying himself a more sensual one available, is his gift of money to Juanda to help better her life.

A Postmodern Work

     As a semi-professional guitarist I have to offer an example of postmodern music. Not necessarily a modern band, but one of my favorites, and their work was fairly intellectual for the era, and even in retrospect- The Police. (Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland).

     Using the characteristics from our module lesson on postmodernism (which was one of the better concise definitions I've seen), here's how they qualify in my opinion.

1. Reference, either direct or implicit, to some earlier version or style.

     The Police referenced two distinct earlier styles of music when they first emerged: punk and reggae. "Roxanne" is a good example of both; the verses have a reggae feel and then the chorus is more "punk" and rough-edged. Those same qualities are present in most of their early compositions.

2. Commentary on that style, often ironic or playful—sometimes critical.

     Unlike roots-reggae, (Bob Marley for example) which focused on mostly spiritual and social issues; or punk which had a great disdain for anything "establishment" (including excessive talent in music) The Police paid tribute to the forms of these music genres but substituted their own lyrical messages. "Don't Stand So Close to Me" has about the same mix of reggae and punk influences as "Roxanne". But the lyrics are about a tempting but forbidden underage female student in a male teacher's class. (Based somewhat on Sting's real-life experiences as a teacher). It even references Lolita, "that book by Nabokov." The musicianship is excellent, totally unlike punk.

3. Critique rather than assertion; that is, the postmodern move is often to offer criticism and less often to suggest solutions.

     This is a little harder to apply to music, but I think their big hit "Every Breath You Take" fooled many people on first listen- it sounded like a heartfelt love song. It was, in fact, a song expressing bitter revenge over a failed romantic relationship. The "I'll be watching you" is from the perspective of a stalker, not a lover. A postmodern critique of love songs? Yes, I think it is.

4. Playful, or ironic, relationship with audiences or viewers.

     The Police (and Sting was their mastermind) demanded a little more of their audience, I think, or at least offered multiple layers of meaning for those who could discern them. Their huge album Synchronicity was based on a concept of psychologist Carl Jung's; "Wrapped Around Your Finger" references Homer's The Odyssey; and this was the norm of their lyrics (and album titles) rather than the exception. Rock/pop music was never known for being very intellectual, and The Police challenged that stereotype.

Narrator's Use of Humor

     P.D. James uses a very understated humor, which I think is a "British thing"; like some of the classic BBC sitcoms (As Time Goes By or Are You Being Served?). It's a little too subtle probably for most Americans, myself included. I think a good example is Bernie Pryde's final postscript in his suicide note: "If you find me alive, for God's sake wait before calling help" (16). It's dry- even a little morbid, but there is some humor in those being his choice of final words.

     In fact it is this death which James uses again in a deadpan (sorry) sort of way, when the secretary Mrs. Sparshott (and there's a funny name) leaves the scene. "Mrs. Sparshott had gone for good, violent death being a worse insult than a typewriter which a trained typist ought not to be expected to use or lavatory accommodation which was not at all what she had been accustomed to" (23). This is a bit of wry humor; a dig actually at a woman who would equate Pryde's suicide as just another inconvenience like the other two mentioned.

     You could say that finding the humor in this mystery takes a little detective work in itself. But it is there. When the client Elizabeth Leaming comes by, asking to see Mr. Pryde, Cordelia informs her that he is dead. The response is "Our information was that he was alive ten days ago. He must have died with remarkable speed and discretion" (31). No, it's not overtly funny; just a fairly light treatment of such a serious subject. That seems to be the gimmick in the three examples I found.

Final Subterfuge