"Attracted by Aberration: Why Deviance in Crime Fiction Captivates the Reader"There are many reasons why crime fiction appeals to those who read it. One of these key motifs is the deviance of a character in a crime novel. A deviant character is someone who does a certain thing against the standards of his society. Therefore, “deviance” does not necessarily mean good or bad behavior, it all depends on the particular norm of a society. The short fiction novels "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury, "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates all contain a deviant character. Additionally, the short nonfiction articles “A Taste for Murder: The Curious Case of Crime Fiction” by Rachel Franks and “Why Crime-Thriller Fiction?” by Mark Rubinstein explain why those who read detective novels like them. Deviant characters in crime fiction fascinate the reader because they challenge the norms of a society, give the reader suspense about what they will do next, face a negative consequence that they probably deserved, and do certain things that probably could happen in reality. lead readers to wonder why these things were done. These concepts are supported by these crime fiction articles and non-fiction articles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It is compelling for a character to take a stand for what they believe is immoral. This grabs the reader's attention because this type of deviance in a character makes them stand out and gives the reader something to look forward to in the story. In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s "Harrison Bergeron" the deviant character, Harrison, went against the norms of society by taking off the handicapped helmet he was supposed to wear at all times under the control of Diana Moon Glampers, the General Handicapper of the United States . Harrison Bergeron had lived in a society where all were equal in the face of the forces of anarchy in which they lived. As the author said: “No one was smarter than anyone else. Nobody is more beautiful than anyone else. No one was stronger or faster than anyone else. (Vonnegut Jr.)” Unfortunately, Harrison was killed by the same handicapped general for attempting to challenge his authority. Similarly, in Ray Bradbury's “The Pedestrian”, the deviant character, Leonard Mead, loves to take long walks at night, which is considered deviant in the society he lives in as everyone is expected to be in their homes at night . The voice of a police car, which stopped Leonard on the street, considered his activity suspicious and abnormal. The voice asked Leonard questions like "Why are you walking?" and “Walk where? For that? (Bradbury)” After the police voice told him to get into the car, Mead initially resisted, claiming he had done nothing wrong. This is clear evidence of Leonard challenging the norms of his society because he believes that what he did is harmless although it is seen as a crime in his society. Overall, the reader will anticipate the actions of a deviant character who struggles against the norms of an adverse society. Second, the reader will develop a sense of uncertainty about future actions that a deviant character will take. In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, the most deviant character in the story, Arnold Friend, was trying to lure the protagonist, Connie, out of the house and into his car. As Connie resisted, Arnold began to seem threatening to her and Connie began to feel nervous. The tensionof the passage and the reader's suspense is increased during the conversation between the frightened Connie and the menacing Arnold. Evidence of this growing tension can be seen especially after Arnold tells Connie: “As soon as you touch the phone I no longer need to keep my promise and I can come in. You won't want that. (Oates)” This leads the reader to anticipate what Arnold will do or say next. This short fictional story, as Rachel Franks said in “A Taste for Murder: The Curious Case of Crime Fiction” is one that “will make us hold our breath until the last page. (Franks)” In general, the reader feels suspense about what a deviant character will do in the future in relation to what the character is doing in the present. Furthermore, the reader anticipates a misfortune of a deviant character. In the crime genre article, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, consists of Bailey and his deviant mother, who is referred to as "Grandma." The grandmother displays very persistent and racist behavior, behavior unlike that of an older woman. For example, he vulgarly refers to a black child as a “nigger boy” when telling a story to his family on a family trip (O'Connor). A racist grandmother is a deviant grandmother, who expresses anomalous and unusual behavior. He also has his son drive to a house he assumes is in Georgia but is actually in Tennessee and doesn't inform those who were in the car. Shortly after, Bailey crashes the car and during the aftermath of the crash, Grandma sees a passing car and successfully attracts the attention of those in it. Earlier, after the incident, it is revealed that the grandmother “was hoping to be hurt so that Bailey's wrath wouldn't suddenly come upon her. (O'Connor)” This shows the grandmother's deviance because she would rather feel physical pain than have her son be angry with her. It turns out that in the car were an escaped killer, known as "The Misfit", and his two henchmen who ended up killing all the family members, including the grandmother. In short, the grandmother was the cause of the death of her family. With a deviant character like the grandmother, the reader would expect something unfortunate to happen to her, just because that's what she probably deserved. Overall, the reader anticipates the misfortune of a deviant character, the one the grandmother encountered. Finally, deviant characters in crime novels commit crimes that are common in reality, ones that are often reported by news stations and that are likely to attract the attention of those who report on them. to hear about it, especially because these potential viewers want to know more about why a crime was committed. Often there are stories and reports of murders, similar to those committed by the Misfit as his two henchmen in "A Good Man is Hard to Find". and the reader learns about the deviant Misfit and why he chooses to commit murder. After reading this story, the reader learns that The Misfit is stubborn and peevish, especially from the final quote: “Shut up, Bobby Lee, there's no real pleasure in life. (O'Connor)” The things he used to do before his murderous life are also revealed to the reader. Shortly thereafter, the reader learns about The Misfit's thought process after he states, “I've discovered that crime doesn't matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you will forget what you did and you will be punished for it. (O'Connor)” The reader understands why The Misfit commits crimes without remorse, similar to how people want to understand more about why real-life criminals commit the murders they do. Furthermore,.