Criminal Deviance Essay

FINAL VENGEANCE is a classic revenge crime, thriller. The goal is clear and the stakes are life and death. The tone is dramatic, consistent with the story type. There are solid themes about revenge and forgiveness that clearly drive the plot.

While serial killer and detective, crime stories are not new to the industry; they are considered tried and true. Everyone loves a good mystery. Thus, the idea of taking revenge on the person who harmed you resonates with the mainstream audience. The story offers a solid moral dilemma and choice for the protagonist. Making the protagonist a former cop elevates the emotional dilemma. He’s worked all his life for justice, and now has the chance to put justice into his own hands. Hence, his inner struggle

Sams’ is goal-driven and the plot is mainly goal-focused with the exception of the flashbacks.

In other words, the structure isn’t the best story choice. The idea of the “dreams” which are really flashbacks and they make for a disjointed or fragmented structure. The first dream/flashback that begins on page 16 is really the backstory about the first murder. The flashback feels much too long. It doesn’t end until page 26. This takes the audience out of the main plotline. Perhaps a better structure would be to open with the first murder and then transition to the present day storyline.

The second “dream,” which is again a flashback, showcases the molestation of Sams. This makes the story even darker. It should be noted that stories about child killers could be considered taboo. So adding a subplot about sexual abuse may not be the best story choice. It actually doesn’t really add to the plot. Granted, Sams feels that he has an obligation to protect children, especially being a victim, but just the idea that he wasn’t able to solve the Copeland case, gives him enough of a motivation to seek revenge. It’s a creative choice to include the sexual abuse