In her introduction to the The Floating Admiral, which Dorothy L. Sayers and other members of the Detection Club wrote collaboratively, Sayers set out the rules that the mystery writers were bound to follow: “Put briefly, it amounts to this: that the author pledges himself to play the game with the public . . ….
Tag: Dorothy L. Sayers
Suspicion by Dorothy L. Sayers – Setting
The British Economy The Great Depression devastated the United Kingdom along with the rest of the industrialized world. In the 1930s, Britain’s traditional industrial base began to decline. Coal, shipping, and cotton production were all down significantly from preWorld War I levels. Throughout the inter-war period, unemployment never fell below one million, or one worker…
Suspicion by Dorothy L. Sayers – Literary Devices
Narration and Point of View The narration of the story is straightforward. It is told chronologically and easily moves in sequence from one event to the next. It does not rely on flashbacks or any other literary devices to add necessary details to the story or to flesh out the characters. The story is told…
Suspicion by Dorothy L. Sayers – Themes
Appearances and Reality The difference between appearances and reality is an important theme in “Suspicion.” Mr. Mummery and his wife both have not been feeling well lately. He has been suffering from stomach problems, and she is often tired and sluggish. When Mr. Mummery finds certain suspicious clues, he begins to wonder if their new…
Suspicion by Dorothy L. Sayers – Characters
Ethel Mummery Ethel Mummery is Mr. Mummery’s wife. She is younger than her husband, and her actions make her seem childlike and incapable of taking care of herself. In reality, she is manipulative and deceitful, both in her affair with Welbeck and in poisoning her husband. Mr. Mummery, however, treats her as a delicate, fragile…
Suspicion by Dorothy L. Sayers – Summary
“Suspicion” opens with Mr. Mummery, who, on his way to work, increasingly feels a stomachache. He tries to ignore it and continues to browse the paper, reading about, among other items, a cook who poisoned a nearby family. At the office, he works with his partner, Mr. Brookes. At one point, Mr. Brookes asks if…