Distinctive Voices Essay Harry Lavender free essay sample

All texts present distinctive voices, no matter what form of text or who the composer is. Distinctive voices, when studied, can assist with understanding society’s values and beliefs which are being presented within texts. The novel â€Å"The life and crimes of Harry Lavender† composed by Marele Day, creates the distinctive voice of a â€Å"hard-boiled† detective. This is achieved by commencing the novel with the disreputable image of a hangover and intercourse with a stranger. Much of the audience would mindlessly assume that the detective’s gender is male due to the hangover scene which has been set, it’s not until the third page has been read that the audience realises that the â€Å"hard-boiled† detective is actually a female by the name of Claudia Valentine. This is effective because it challenges the audience’s knowledge of stereotypes and mystery/crime texts, this assists with gaining the readers interest pursuing them to read on. We will write a custom essay sample on Distinctive Voices Essay Harry Lavender or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Claudia Valentine, the protagonist within the text â€Å"The life and crimes of Harry Lavender†, is a intelligent female detective who always has her mind set on the mystery, she lives in a room above a bar in a sordid area of Sydney. The drunken image which is presented in the introduction of the novel shows that Claudia Valentine is self depreciating and constantly on the go, this is proven by having the messy apartment and the cramming of vitamins down her throat. Claudia Valentine possess many masculine traits of a â€Å"hard-boiled† private eye detective, she’s constantly curious, a good example of this is when she continuously notices the BMW and feels as if she’s being followed. Claudia has many contacts, without any contacts a private eye is hopeless, a good example of this is Bernie, Bernie assists with identifying the BMW which is following Claudia. She is also not afraid of seeking information from or confronting others when necessary, Claudia is also not afraid of defending herself from her enemies, this is presented within the novel where Claudia seeks out information from Mr and Mrs Levack who live in an apartment across from Mark who is the murder suspect within the novel, and also when Claudia states â€Å"My legs are my best weapon. If I’m close enough I can do a karate kick that knocks them flat. If I’m far enough away I run. Claudia Valentine creates the distinctive voice of a â€Å"hard-boiled† female detective which is vital towards the storyline of the novel, without the concept of distinctive voice as a â€Å"hard-boiled† detective the novel would become tedious and disengage the audience’s interest. Claudia Valentine, overall suits the rotagonist of the novel â€Å"The life and crimes of Harry Lavender† by Marele Day, since she is a character which establishes the distinct voice of a â€Å"hard-boiled’ detective and possess all the right traits a private eye detective should have but with a twist since she is a female and not a male, this gains the audiences interest making Claudia Valentine a ideal protagonist for the plot of the novel.