| Devil in a Blue Dress(1990)is one of the masterpieces of the prominent contemporary African American detective novelist Walter Mosley(1952-).The novel breaks the gap between classic and popular fiction.It has attracted widespread attention from scholars since its publication,the entry points of which mainly include multiple themes,creative techniques and comparative studies,with a few scholars studying the characteristics of blues detective fiction in work.Blues detective fiction is distinguished from mainstream detective fiction by its cultural features of the African American black tradition.Starting with the new black detective persona,the choice of black identity and the artistic employment of black vernaculars,the thesis examines the features of blues detective fiction embodied in Devil in a Blue Dress from three aspects:the new black detective persona established by the two detectives,the identity constructed through racial passing,and the free choice of double consciousness,and the artistic use of black English and blues in the text.According to this thesis,Walter Mosley’s portrayal of the new black detective persona aims to defend ethnic dignity,affirm the acceptance of double consciousness by African Americans in contemporary society,and highlight the remarkable ways ethnic identity constructs in black vernaculars. |
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