The Innocence of Amma Crellin that Transformed the Mystery Genre
Session Title
Social Media, Online Spaces and Literature
Faculty Mentor
Casey Cothran, Ph.D
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Abstract
Sharp Objects, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, is an HBO television miniseries that follows a reserved and heavy-drinking journalist named Camilla Parker returning home to Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate the second disappearance of a young girl. The series premiered in 2018 and consists of eight episodes that explores themes such as abuse and mother-daughter relationships. But what makes Sharp Objects so different and compelling from other mysteries is their use of innocence. Amma Crellin, Camilla’s younger half-sister, is a pristine, perfect daughter, but this is just a disguise to cover up her obsessive desire for control and love. In this essay, I argue that Amma’s character transformed the mystery genre because she doesn’t allow herself to fall into the set characteristics that being innocent usually has and instead uses it as a tool to get what she wants. Through characterization, it becomes evident that Amma is not who she says she is, especially towards her mother, and is putting up a front so she can get one step closer to what she wants. But what both Amma’s mother and half-sister fail to see is that, through the perfection and obsession, Amma is simply just a girl who wants to be seen.
Course Assignment
ENGL 311 – Cothran
Previously Presented/Performed?
Movement(s) in a Dynamic World: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Conference, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, February, 2023 | Winthrop University Showcase of Winthrop University Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
The Innocence of Amma Crellin that Transformed the Mystery Genre
Sharp Objects, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, is an HBO television miniseries that follows a reserved and heavy-drinking journalist named Camilla Parker returning home to Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate the second disappearance of a young girl. The series premiered in 2018 and consists of eight episodes that explores themes such as abuse and mother-daughter relationships. But what makes Sharp Objects so different and compelling from other mysteries is their use of innocence. Amma Crellin, Camilla’s younger half-sister, is a pristine, perfect daughter, but this is just a disguise to cover up her obsessive desire for control and love. In this essay, I argue that Amma’s character transformed the mystery genre because she doesn’t allow herself to fall into the set characteristics that being innocent usually has and instead uses it as a tool to get what she wants. Through characterization, it becomes evident that Amma is not who she says she is, especially towards her mother, and is putting up a front so she can get one step closer to what she wants. But what both Amma’s mother and half-sister fail to see is that, through the perfection and obsession, Amma is simply just a girl who wants to be seen.
