Discussing the classic “Whodunnit” or classic murder mystery book.
First date taught: 20 Apr 2023
7C – Whodunnit?
Theme: A murder mystery.
satire – A work that uses ridicule, humor, and wit to criticize and provoke change in human nature and institutions
comedic satire – a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point, or a piece of writing that uses this style
dramatic satire – traditionally satire is comedic, however it can be observed in more serious compositions when used as a means of casting moral judgement on a belief in order to criticize the belief. See more here.
well-read (adj) – Someone who is well read has learned a lot of information on different subjects by reading
trope (n) – something such as an idea, phrase, or image that is often used in a particular artist’s work, in a particular type of art, in the media, etc.
mull it over (ph.v.) – to think carefully about something for a long time
Example: I need a few days to mull things over before I decide if I’m taking the job.
sits with you (ph.v.) – to be considered by someone
Example: Their long conversations didn’t sit well with the boss.
how you support other people (v) [B2] – to agree with and give encouragement to someone or something because you want him, her, or it to succeed
Example: I think it’s important to support local businesses by buying locally.
short in stature (n) – short person (height)
look out for yourself / look out for number one (idiom) – to do what you think is best for yourself and not care about other people, or at least to put your needs ahead of others
books are my passion / passionate about books (a passion for something) [C1] – an extreme interest in or wish for doing something, such as a hobby, activity, etc. (in this case, reading/books)
dialogue (n) [B2] – conversation that is written for a book, play, or film
different format (n) [C1] – a pattern, plan, or arrangement
Example: The meeting will have the usual format – introductory session, group work and then a time for reporting back.
to see yourself in the book – a common expression used when referring to a character, author, book, series, or figure. It refers to making a personal connection in the specific medium and in that way we can learn and connect with the story in a very visceral way
recipes (n) – a set of instructions telling you how to prepare and cook a particular food, including a list of what foods are needed for this
a recipe for smth (idiom) – an idea, situation, or method that is likely to result in something
Example: Treating teenagers like six-year-olds is a recipe for disaster.
heartwarming (adj) – (especially of an event, action, or story) seeming to be something positive and good and therefore causing feelings of pleasure and happiness
deeply empathize with the characters (v) – to be able to understand how someone else feels
Example: It’s very easy to empathize with the characters in her books.
time flies (idiom) – used to mean that time passes surprisingly quickly
Example: Time flies when you’re having fun.
to get lost in smth (idiom) – to become fully and deeply engrossed in something, often to such a degree as to be unaware of or insensitive to the outside world.
Example: I love curling up on the sofa and getting lost in a book.
who was it by? = who was the author?
where was it set (setting)? = where did it take place?
romance (n) – a story about love
theme = what was it about?
theme (n) – the main idea of a work of literature or art
Example: The theme of loss runs through most of his novels.
genre (n) – a style, especially in the arts, that involves a particular set of characteristics
Example: What genre does the book fall into – comedy or tragedy?
wearing the pants (idiom) – (especially of a woman) to be the person in a relationship who is in control and who makes decisions for both people
Example: Brian may seem domineering, but it’s Lisa that really wears the pants in that relationship.
ahead of it’s time (idiom) – having very modern ideas
Example: He was way ahead of his time in realizing the importance of being able to record sound.
empowering (adj) – Something that is empowering makes you more confident and makes you feel that you are in control of your life
symbol of empowerment (n) [B2] – something that is used to represent a quality or idea
Example: Water, a symbol of life, recurs as an image throughout her poems.
representation (n) [C2] – the fact of including different types of people, for example in films, politics, or sport, so that all different groups are represented
Example: There has been a small representation of Latin American players in the NBA for decades.
damsel in distress (idiom) – a young woman who is in trouble and needs a man’s help
turmoil (n) [C2] – a state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author) – a British writer and physician, he created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Agatha Christie (author) – Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her first successful novel, which featured the aforementioned Detective Poirot, was published in 1920.
The Hardy Boys (book series) – The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterparts. (Originally debuted 1927)
Nancy Drew (book series) – a fictional character appearing in several mystery book series, movies, video games, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. (Originally debuted 1930)
timeless (adj) – having a value that is not limited to a particular period but will last for ever
Example: a timeless book/play/film/classic
they stand the test of time (idiom) – If something stands the test of time, it is still popular, strong, etc. after a long time
one-dimensional (adj) – boring or showing few different qualities
relevent (n) [B2] – connected with what is happening or being discussed
demure (adj) – (especially of a woman) quiet and well behaved
the human experience – the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death.
literal (adj) [C2] – having exactly the same meaning as the basic or original meaning of a word or expression
metaphorical (adj) – not having real existence but representing some truth about a situation or other subject
pseudonym (n) – a name someone uses instead of their real name, especially on a written work
first-hand experience (adv) – If you experience something firsthand, you experience it yourself
portray – to represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book, or other artistic work
Example: to accurately portray…
Whodunnit (n) – a story about a crime and the attempt to discover who committed it
Example: It’s one of those whodunits where you don’t find out who the murderer is till the very end.
setup (n) – the introduction in a plot of an element that will be useful to the story only later, when the payoff comes. Most of the important elements that are part of the setup are usually introduced during the exposition, with which it is sometimes confused.
setting the scene (idiom) – to describe a situation where something is about to happen
back story (n) – the things that have happened to someone before you first see or read about that person in a film or story
invested in the characters (idiom) – to have given a lot of time and effort to something and care about it very much
protagonist – the character who drives the action-the character whose fate matters most; The protagonist usually undergoes some significant internal change in a story
antagonist – the power with which the protagonist must contend, whether human, natural, or otherworldly; the opposer or combatant working against the protagonist or leading character and creating the main conflict
committing the crimes (v) [B2] – to do something illegal or something that is considered wrong
Example: He was sent to prison for a crime that he didn’t commit.
criminal (n) [B1] – someone who commits a crime
main character (n) – a reference to the idea of a main (primary) character in a work of fiction that the story centers around.
adjust your expectations – often this phrase refers to the recognition that there will be struggles and things often don’t go as planned, and sometimes you need a different approach (mostly used in reference to life); when using this phrase in reference to literature or film, it might refer to the expectations that are made when processing a storyline and you expect things to go a certain way and you must change your perspective in order to understand the way the story has changed.
plays on your expectations – the idea that the author may write the story in such a way that you will make certain assumptions in one way, and then create some condradicting choices to surprise you.
good guy vs. bad guy
jaded (adj) – not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced something too many times
trope (n) – something such as an idea, phrase, or image that is often used in a particular artist’s work, in a particular type of art, in the media, etc.
Example: Human-like robots are a classic trope of science fiction.
unravel (v) – If a piece of knitted or woven cloth, a knot, or a mass of thread unravels, it separates into a single thread, and if you unravel it, you separate it into a single thread; If you unravel a mysterious, unknown, or complicated subject, you make it known or understood, and if it unravels, it becomes known or understood; to solve a crime or explain a mystery
Example: You will discover what the title means as you unravel the movie’s mysteries.
uncover (v) [C1] – to discover something secret or hidden
Example: The investigation uncovered evidence of a large-scale illegal trade in wild birds.
escapades (n) – an act involving some danger, risk, or excitement, because it is different from usual or expected behaviour
Example: Her latest escapade was to camp outside a department store on the night before the sale.
heroine (n) – the main female character in a book or film, who is usually good
Example: fairy-tale heroines such as Snow White
where the unexpected happens
gritty (adj) – showing the unpleasant or difficult features of something as they really are; having strong qualities of tough uncompromising realism; ourageously persistent
evocative (adj) – evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response
iterations (n) – the action or a process of iterating or repeating: such as. : a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations yields results successively closer to a desired result.
clever (adj) – having or showing a quick intelligence in doing something or in persuading people to do something
repetitive (adj) [C1] – involving doing or saying the same thing several times, especially in a way that is boring
formulaic (adj) – using a standard pattern that has been used many times before and is therefore not interesting or original
same every time, you know what to expect
stereotype (n) [C1] – a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong
Example: The characters in the book are just stereotypes.
- sidekick (n) – a friend, or a person who works with someone more important
- detective (n) [B1] – someone whose job is to discover information about crimes and find out who is responsible for them
- villain (n) – a bad person who harms other people or breaks the law; a character in a book, play, film, etc. who harms other people
- victim (n) [B2] – someone or something that has been hurt, damaged, or killed or has suffered, either because of the actions of someone or something else, or because of illness or chance
Example: victims of crime - someone close to the victim / “damsel in distress” (metaphorical)
- fall guy (n) – a person who is falsely blamed for something that has gone wrong, or for a crime that they have not committed
- suspect (n) [B2] – a person believed to have committed a crime or done something wrong, or something believed to have caused something bad
Example: After the robbery, the usual suspects were rounded up. - witness (n) [B2] – a person who sees an event happening, especially a crime or an accident
- background characters – referring to characters who are additional and not main characters who are not pivotal to the plot, they may just add clues or add filler
red herring (n) – a fact, idea, or subject that takes people’s attention away from the central point being considered
Example: The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings.
filler content (n) – something of lower quality included in a film, broadcast, speech, record, etc. in order to fill all the time or space
tedious (adj) [C1] – boring; boring and tiring, esp. because long or often repeated
Example: Learning a new computer program can be a tedious process.
brutality (n) – behaviour that is very cruel or violent and showing no feelings for others, or an act of this type
Example: the brutalities of murder
butcher (n) – a person whose job is to kill animals for meat or who prepares and sells meat in a store; someone who murders a lot of people, especially in a cruel way
juxtaposition (n) – the fact of putting things that are not similar next to each other (typically in order to compare them to each other)
paint a picture (of smth) (idiom) – to describe or show something in a particular way, as to create an image in your mind
things aren’t the way they seem
placed his bet on the wrong horse (idiom) – someone or something that is not successful —used with choose/pick/back (etc.)
Example: The company has been losing money, and many investors are beginning to feel that they may have backed the wrong horse.
reinforces an idea (v) [C2] – If something reinforces an idea or opinion, it provides more proof or support for it and makes it seem true
Example: His behaviour merely reinforced my dislike of him.
defeated (v) [B1] – to win against someone in a fight, war, or competition
Listening Activities:
Additional Resources:
- https://prowritingaid.com/how-to-write-a-whodunit
- https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-protagonist
- https://tutors.com/lesson/plot-diagram-definition-elements-examples
Attribution: Image by upklyak on Freepik
English With Dixie 