In 1927, a woman named Ruth Snyder and a man named Judd Gray were sentenced to death by the electric chair, because they murdered the husband of Ruth, Albert Snyder. They murdered him for a 48,000$ life insurance with a double indemnity clause in it. Both of them also had an affair before they decided to murder Ruth's husband. Judd Gray was a corset salesman. Present to the trial was James M. Cain, at that time working as a reporter. Many believe that this case gave Cain the idea for one of his most famous novels, Double Indemnity. Several signs lead to that conclusion. First of all Ruth was unhappily married and began an affair with a salesman. Secondly her husband had already been married once, before he married Ruth, but his first wife died of pneumonia. Furthermore, the two of them had a daughter named Lorraine, who shares the same first two letters in her name with the Lola in Double Indemnity, daughter of Mr. and Ms. Nirdlinger. Moreover Ruth's husband was killed for the money of his life insurance, which contained a double indemnity clause. And last but not least they tried to disguise the murder as an accident, to collect on the double indemnity (see www.examiner.com).
Many say that Double Indemnity was one of Cain's masterpieces, and it was made into a movie, which was named after the novel. It is even said, by some, to have heavily influenced the roman noir genre, as the movie is said to have had a great impact on the film noir genre (see Skenazy, 34/134; Marling, 263). The aim of this term paper is not to give an overview of what is roman, or film noir. It is just going to point out one specific feature of both of the genres, and will try to give an explanation what makes this feature so special. The feature spoken of is the point of view (or perspective, or focalisation).
First, there will be the chapters two and three concerning the theoretical background of point of view in novels and screenplays. This will be done rather briefly and roughly, because this term paper is focused more on the effect of the point of view than the way it is structured. Chapters four and five then go into detail on the point of view in Double Indemnity, novel and screenplay. Over the course of these two chapters, two special effects will be highlighted, the 'Foreshadowing' and the way in which the reader's, or the audience's estimation of the characters is influenced. This is followed in the last chapter by a conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The point of view in novels
3. The point of view in screenplays
4. The effect of the point of view in the novel “Double Indemnity”
4.1 Foreshadowing
4.2 Guiding the affection of the reader
5. The effect of the point of view in the screenplay “Double Indemnity”
5.1 Foreshadowing
5.2 Guiding the affection of the audience
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how the narrative point of view influences the reader's or audience's perception of the characters and the plot in James M. Cain's novel "Double Indemnity" and its subsequent film adaptation by Billy Wilder. The primary research goal is to demonstrate how specific narrative techniques—such as foreshadowing and focalization—shape the emotional bond and moral assessment the audience forms toward the criminal protagonists.
- Narrative theory in literature versus film
- Application of focalization and I-narrator perspectives
- Comparative analysis of "Foreshadowing" as a suspense-building tool
- Methods of influencing audience empathy in noir narratives
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Guiding the affection of the reader
This is a very important feature of this type of narration, because normally nobody would admit to sympathy for the murderer in a novel, or any other text. But in “Double Indemnity” the reader gets to a certain extent reconciled with Huff, even though he murdered a man. This is due to several narrative techniques, that are used to establish Huff as a misunderstood, misguided, pitiful human, who just kind of happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
First of all, the story is told as a confession, that means the story seems to be told on oath, and therefore has to be true. Furthermore the reader is in general bound to Huff's point of view, and hence to Huff's opinion on the events. Without any other narrative entity in the story, the reader has to believe Huff. All the other characters that appear only participate as dialogue partners. The reader gets at no point of the story an insight into the inner world of the other characters. The only insight – although even here very seldom and sporadic – the reader gets, is into Huff's mind. It is this rather plain kind of narration, that to a certain extent ensures Huff the affection of the reader, rather than takes it away from him. Huff, at no point of the story, tries to whitewash himself, or tries to make obvious excuses. Even as he explains how he came to think of such criminal acts – when he compares his job to that of a croupier in a casino (see Cain, 129f) – the reader doesn't get the impression that this is some kind of excuse, because it is written in a very prosaic way, just as giving a description of his work.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the historical background of the Double Indemnity case and outlines the paper's goal to analyze the effects of point of view in both the novel and the film.
2. The point of view in novels: Explores theoretical narratology, specifically the works of F. K. Stanzel and Gerard Genette, regarding narrator types and focalization.
3. The point of view in screenplays: Applies literary narratology models to film, focusing on Markus Kuhn’s approach to visual and verbal narration in cinema.
4. The effect of the point of view in the novel “Double Indemnity”: Analyzes how the I-narrator perspective creates a specific bond between the protagonist Walter Huff and the reader.
4.1 Foreshadowing: Discusses how the novel uses chronological cues to imply the inevitability of the crime and its consequences.
4.2 Guiding the affection of the reader: Examines techniques used to make the reader sympathize with a criminal protagonist through confession and lack of alternative viewpoints.
5. The effect of the point of view in the screenplay “Double Indemnity”: Compares the film's narrative shifts and the visual impact on the audience's perception compared to the written text.
5.1 Foreshadowing: Details how the film adaptation utilizes narration to intensify suspense while keeping the audience aware of the ultimate outcome.
5.2 Guiding the affection of the audience: Analyzes how character portrayal and interpersonal dynamics on screen shift audience sympathy.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how both versions successfully utilize their respective narrative structures to engage the audience.
7. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary literature used for the analysis.
Keywords
Double Indemnity, Point of View, Narratology, Film Noir, James M. Cain, Billy Wilder, Focalization, Foreshadowing, I-Narrator, Screenplay, Adaptation, Narrative Theory, Character Perception, Crime Fiction, Confession
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on the narrative technique of "point of view" and its impact on how an audience or reader perceives characters and moral situations in crime fiction.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in the study?
The study covers literary and film narratology, the psychological impact of first-person narration, and the comparative analysis of storytelling devices in novels versus motion pictures.
What is the central research question?
The central research question investigates how specific narrative perspectives, like focalization, are used to manipulate the audience's emotional response toward criminal protagonists.
Which scientific methods are employed for the analysis?
The author employs comparative narrative analysis, drawing upon established theories from F. K. Stanzel and Gerard Genette for the literature part and Markus Kuhn’s model for the cinematic analysis.
What content is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the theoretical foundations of point of view and then conducts a detailed case study of both the original novel and the 1944 film adaptation of "Double Indemnity".
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Point of View, Film Noir, Narratology, Adaptation, Focalization, and Foreshadowing.
How does the role of the narrator differ between the novel and the film?
In the novel, the reader is restricted to the subjective I-narrator perspective of Walter Huff, whereas the film incorporates third-person visual perspectives that allow the audience to maintain a greater distance from the protagonist.
Why is the "Hays Code" mentioned in the context of the screenplay?
The Hays Code serves as a contextual factor that influenced the film's conclusion, as it required that criminal actions must ultimately result in the death or punishment of the perpetrators to be cleared for cinema screening.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Kay Scheffler (Autor:in), 2012, The Effect of the Point of View in "Double Indemnity", Novel and Screenplay, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/198587
