Images of Detective Heroes in F. Scheunemann’s Novel “The Mystery of the Running Safe”

Abstract

The article analyzes the images of detective heroes presented in the novel by F. Scheunemann “The Mystery of the Runaway Safe.” By using the method of holistic analysis of a work of fiction, it was established that these characters in the novel are divided into two groups: amateur detectives and professional detectives. The first category is represented by the images of teenagers Kira, Tom and Paulie, the British breed cat Winston Churchill and the yard cats Odette, Chups, Spike and Francesco, the second – by the image of a criminal police officer Bange. The main means of representing these characters are speech characteristics and expressive artistic details. By initiating their own investigation into the mysterious thefts of safes from Hamburg schools, cat heroes and teenagers get an additional opportunity to demonstrate their best qualities, such as responsibility, diligence, seriousness, and thoroughness. As a result, this detective “union” of teenagers and cats contributes to the successful solving of a crime. Such an “intersection” of two storylines not only increases the level of reader interest in this work, but also reminds young readers of the importance of friendship, mutual assistance, and the need for a careful and caring attitude towards animals. The image of the professional detective Bange in the novel is presented schematically. Using an expressive detail – the absence of a police uniform – F. Scheunemann emphasizes the exclusivity of this character, and also focuses on the key features of the latter – seriousness, thoughtfulness, the ability to correctly and quickly assess the situation. The image of this hero, on the one hand, is subordinated to the goal of enhancing the didactic pathos of the work, on the other hand, his assessment of the activities of Tom and his team allows the reader to understand the true significance of the images of amateur detectives in the artistic world of this work.