Panel Title
Finding a Factual Victim in Funny Fiction
Location
DIGS 221
Discussant
Casey Cothran
Panel
Skinny Dip: Carl Hiassen, Detective Fiction and the Murder of the Florida Everglades
Category
Arts & Literature
Start Date
7-11-2015 1:00 PM
End Date
7-11-2015 2:00 PM
Description
Carl Hiaasen’s 2004 novel, Skinny Dip, reworks the typical structures and tropes of detective fiction to argue that the most significant “murder” in this text is the large-scale destruction of the Florida Everglades. Using farce and humor to explore the ridiculous circumstances surrounding Charles Perrone’s failed attempts to kill both his wife and girlfriend, Hiassen quietly draws the reader’s attention to the ways that humans both ignorantly and willfully destroy wild spaces. In the novel, both individual persons and multi-million dollar corporations misuse water, water systems, and reptiles because of their failure to understand or value the natural world around them.
This novel was discussed in Professor Cothran’s Spring 2015 course, ENGL 200: Mystery and Detective Fiction. Dr. Cothran will introduce the author, his novel, the work’s popular and critical reception, and briefly discuss how it was incorporated into the classroom. Then three Winthrop undergraduates will share their papers on the book’s themes, using ecocriticism to illustrate its exciting, evocative form and message.
In Jennifer Oliver’s piece, “Finding a Factual Victim in Funny Fiction,” she claims that “Hiaasen skillfully draws the attention of his audience to a critical matter while concurrently providing entertainment. Even persons who may seek an easy read of amusing prose find themselves exposed to heartrending truths about the environment, which are key components of the plot.” Her piece explores the how an artist can simultaneously entertain and enlighten readers.
Finding a Factual Victim in Funny Fiction
DIGS 221
Carl Hiaasen’s 2004 novel, Skinny Dip, reworks the typical structures and tropes of detective fiction to argue that the most significant “murder” in this text is the large-scale destruction of the Florida Everglades. Using farce and humor to explore the ridiculous circumstances surrounding Charles Perrone’s failed attempts to kill both his wife and girlfriend, Hiassen quietly draws the reader’s attention to the ways that humans both ignorantly and willfully destroy wild spaces. In the novel, both individual persons and multi-million dollar corporations misuse water, water systems, and reptiles because of their failure to understand or value the natural world around them.
This novel was discussed in Professor Cothran’s Spring 2015 course, ENGL 200: Mystery and Detective Fiction. Dr. Cothran will introduce the author, his novel, the work’s popular and critical reception, and briefly discuss how it was incorporated into the classroom. Then three Winthrop undergraduates will share their papers on the book’s themes, using ecocriticism to illustrate its exciting, evocative form and message.
In Jennifer Oliver’s piece, “Finding a Factual Victim in Funny Fiction,” she claims that “Hiaasen skillfully draws the attention of his audience to a critical matter while concurrently providing entertainment. Even persons who may seek an easy read of amusing prose find themselves exposed to heartrending truths about the environment, which are key components of the plot.” Her piece explores the how an artist can simultaneously entertain and enlighten readers.