Analyzing "Larson and the Pill Bust"

My classmate’s detective story, “Larson and the Pill Bust” shares elements in common with Poe’s “Murders in Rue Morgue” but also deviates from that tradition.
Larson, like Poe’s Dupin, is a person possessing above average determination and intellect, which seems to be a staple for detective stories. The crime in both stories is coined a “locked room mystery,” which means that since there is no forced entry, suicide, or way to enter or leave without being privy to access, the crime is an inside job. In Poe’s “Murders in Rue Morgue” the murders are committed by an animal that is able to enter the room unlike humans. In “Larson and the Pill Bust,” a hospital staff member perpetrates the theft, as evidenced by glass being broken from the inside instead of the outside.

While “Larson and the Pill Bust” includes elements that suggest inspiration from Poe, certain elements deviate from the tradition. For example, Poe began a tradition of using a close friend, confidant, or even assistant to the detective to serve as the story’s narrator. In “Murders in Rue Morgue,” the narrator is Dupin’s roommate and friend. Later detective stories often follow this model. In fact, Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes’ stories were almost entirely narrated by Watson, Holmes’ friend and confidant. “Larson and the Pill Bust” does not specify the point of view, but no friend or sidekick privy to the detective’s analysis and thought process is mentioned, and third person is assumed.

Another deviation is that the detective seeks glory and recognition rather than the intellectual pleasure of solving the crime and the moral satisfaction. Readers receive a glimpse into the detective's personal life. We read that Larson is trying to prove herself in light of her father's successful career. In Law and Order SVU, audiences are privy to Detective Stabler's crumbling marriage and shaky Catholicism. Yet another deviation in "Larson and the Pill Bust"is that the detective is actually a member of the police force. Poe and other early detective writers often portrayed the detective as more brilliant than the police who are unable to solve the crime. However, the shift in the modern detective genre that “Larson and the Pill Bust” more closely classifies is to portray the police as heroes. This is evident in popular detective genre shows on television, such as Law and Order. Perhaps this faith in law enforcement is part hope and part salute in a post September 11th world, but Holmes, Dupin, and Nancy Drew did not seem to need the police’s assistance, much less seek involvement in any organized detective forces.