Reading Response: 'It Had to Be Murder'

After reading "It Had to Be Murder" the question of "Is this considered literature?" was proposed in class, & a few of us were puzzled when attempting to answer. We all assume, "well if its being read in an atmosphere of learning- well then why wouldn't it be literature",  right?
But literature doesn't consist of just words on a paper. Literature in the context of this college level English course is defined as written works, especially those of superior or lasting merit, that include the prominent literally elements and devices.

In my opinion, "In Had to Be Murder" is indeed literature due to the fact that the story posses a few key literary devices. Through these literary devices and tools the story is easy for the reader to follow, and even more tempting for the reader to dive into.

A few literary devices used by;
Satire: The story has a slight satirical element to it. Its overall surface read portrays a man who is basically a peeping tom, but could the nuclear objective of the piece be to really bring awareness to how much we assume when watching others? Could it be a poke at the idea of peeping? What was Whoolwrich trying to tell us is the real question! Either way the story invites you to even consider the possibilities- that's literature.
Situational Irony: The casual tone of the narrative leads the reader to believe that this is a mundane story about a man watching people and then suddenly you can see that Jeff was consistently poking fun at the way in which Mr. T was assumably  killing his wife all while he himself was in an unfortunate space in his life as well(not able to be mobile)
 Description: so eloquently provided examples of writing for literature through short story. One example is the way in which woolwrich is able to deliver descriptive suspenseful sentences. Each line of description invites the reader deeper and deeper in to the story. The scene when Jeff describes pulling the dresses and packing his wife's clothes so much descriptions is provided. Even the "heaping" of Mr. T He gives notice to placement as well, while telling the story he also reminds the reader of his own presence and location in the situation.- that's good descriptive literature, I was there.

All and all the ending was a tad bit corny, but when reading this piece through a lens of literary knowledge it is clear to see that its make up is an example of literature. A writer can learn from the way in which Whoolwrich structures his story and that I feel is the craft of literature. Is it possible this piece is a nontraditional one, yes- but literature non the less.

It Had to be Murder

"It Had To Be Murder" was fairly interesting. Although it was somewhat confusing at times, I don't to discredit it by saying it was not written well. Similar to Mr. Kane, the protagonist has more to him than what's on the surface. People tend to be obsessed with watching other people.  For example "reality tv" has taken over television these days.  This seems to be all in his head but I'm not sure what to believe.  This reminds me of an episode of Law and Order.  Did he really kill her for the insurance money?  Did any of this really happen?  These are the questions I kept asking myself as I read this.  I don't want to say that this isn't a true literary work because in my opinion, literature can be many things.  Literature is generally used to inform people of things but I feel like this author made me really think while I was reading this so I'm not going to say that this isn't literature.

It Had To Be Murder

The short story "It Had To Be Murder" was an interesting read. I think it was written well--it was very suspenseful throughout due to the mood Woolrich set and the descriptions. The protagonist was a well-written character. We get the sense that there is more to him than meets the eye, but we get enough information about him from the story and can make a few inferences from his emotional connections with some of the people he watches. Due to his apparent expertise in this area and his amazing descriptions, everything he knows we know, which lends us to trust him somewhat, even to the point where we're willing to dismiss him people-watching in the first place.  I believe that the inferences he made from watching the man was logical--had I been in the same situation I might have done the same. However, I can see how this could all be in his head. People watch others and make up stories about their lives, which is what Jefferies was doing at the end of the story. He was trying to figure out why he killed his wife. I don't agree with the conclusion he made about the mistress and him killing her for the insurance money. In the beginning, he noticed that the wife had been sick for a while. I think that Lars Thornwald killed her because she had been suffering from her sickness for a long time. He had a mistress because, in situations where spouses have an incurable disease or a disease that prevents them from doing ordinary things, it's a normal circumstance. It's not excusable, but understandable in a sense.
I don't believe that this story was literature. Literature means that there is something important about the work, something that can influence people's lives or change the world in some way. Jane Austen's works gives an insight to how life was during her time and how people were during her day. Langston Hughes poems brings us to into the Harlem Renaissance and being black in America. This story is an interesting and fun read and Woolrich is definitely talented, but I would not consider it to be literature.