SAMPLE CRIME FICTION ESSAY
WHAT DOES IT ACHIEVE?
INTRODUCTION:
Crime ction is one of the most popular genres in the world, yet it is
the most dif cult to de ne. This is due to the vast amounts of subgenres and conventions that exist within it. One of the most popular
crime ction sub-genres is the police procedural, which allows the
audience to explore ne thrilling danger crime brings without direct
repercussions. A famous example of the police procedural is "The
Does it de ne the genre?
Is it detailed and clear?
Wire" (2002) by David Simon. "The Wire" is set in Baltimore and
revolves around Detective McNulty and his team as they investigate
crimes and solve the link between the drug kingpins and law
enforcement agencies. It explores the criminals, the police force and
manner?
the politics that shape the investigation, drawing the audience into
an exploration of America's urban reality through its setting, effective
story-telling and lm techniques.
Does it have a thesis statement?
BODY PARAGRAPH ONE:
Setting is an essential component of establishing a text's conventions to
set audience expectations about the text's genre. "The Wire" is set in
Baltimore, a city well known in the US as being the most dangerous city in
the country. This fact is established through the opening sequence. The
show begins with a close-up shot of blood as it drips into the ground. In the
background, we hear police sirens and radio chatter. This creates a sombre
tone to the show, reinforcing the danger of the city. The camera then pans
over to the corpse before cutting over to a police of cer collecting bullet
casings in an extreme close-up shot. The extreme close-up of the police
of cers' hands picking up the bullets draws the audience's attention to a
potential piece of evidence the police will eventually use. The anonymous
image of the hands also highlights the ordinary nature of this scene in
Baltimore. This is further reinforced by a mid-shot of three young girls
dressed in winter clothing, sitting on steps. They watch but do not seem to
be very surprised. The juxtaposition of the innocent girls to the crime
scene heightens the tension of the opening and establishes the danger of
the city. The audience comes to realise those three girls will also be drawn
into the dangers of the city, and comes to truly understand the danger
Baltimore presents to the protagonists, where even young girls are no
longer innocent to vicious crimes. Through the opening scene, "The Wire"
effectively utilises the conventions of the crime genre and draws us into
the mystery of the police procedural as it unravels America's urban reality.
Does it introduce the text in a clear
POINT
highlight in
EXAMPLE= HIGHLIGHT IN
TECHNQUE = HIGHLIGHT IN
ANALYSIS= HIGHLIGHT IN
LINK= HIGHLIGHT IN
How does the point link back to the
introduction?
How does the writer include examples
and techniques?
How do they analyse it?
How do they link this back to the
introduction?
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"The Wire"alsoexploresAmerica'surbanreality throug...