Malcolm Gladwell was in an interview, and expressed a theory, or mini-theory. He talked about the show Law and Order and how it works, with almost every episode a comforting victory of the system.
From there, he theorized four types of fictional approaches, calling them the Western, the Eastern, the Northern, and the Southern.
It was pretty interesting, so here's how it breaks down:
Western
There is no law and order, and a man shows up to impose law and order on the community. (Roadhouse, Jack Reacher, Tombstone)
Eastern
There IS law and order, but they are corrupt or have been subverted. If it is reformed, it is reformed from within (Serpico, Clear and Present Danger).
Northern
The institution of justice, law and order works. The system is solid and functions properly. (The various Law and Order series, Murder She Wrote, Sherlock Holmes).
Southern
The entire apparatus is corrupt, and the reformer is an outsider (The Firm, and many John Grisham novels, Unforgiven).
I don't know how useful this would be for writing a novel, movie, series or comic, but like I said, I did find it interesting and I like pondering these structural things.
This would not apply to all genres, but to the Crime genre it does, and maybe to some other types of stories as well.
Have a Good One!
-Directionless Banes
Crime, Law and Fiction based on the Four Directions
Banes at 12:00AM, Sept. 23, 2021
4 likes!
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hushicho at 8:05PM, Sept. 23, 2021
Interesting, but I don't think they're accurate, really. Part of what was interesting about Holmes was that he was an outstanding element in a system that didn't work very well, in a society that was basically playing pretend on its face and wholly corrupt just underneath...but it's very improper to peek under the mask, for example, and few have the detachment from the culture or society to actually do it. If anything, I'd say the "Northern" style as presented is more like an outsider who IS an insider, achieving his own ends often in spite of a system that does not serve him or any like him at all.
PaulEberhardt at 1:40PM, Sept. 23, 2021
That's a really interesting way of looking at it. For "Northern" I'd have thought the emphasis would be the gloomy, gritty bleakness that's so popular with Scandinavian writers (even if it's not too popular with me, mind you) - but thinking about it, Nordic noir actually fits neatly into the category along with the others, the way Mr Gladwell defines it. ... I don't know either how useful this would be for your own writing, but I agree it's a cool thing to ponder.
Banes at 7:50AM, Sept. 23, 2021
@bravo - that's really cool!
bravo1102 at 12:35AM, Sept. 23, 2021
Interesting how the directions are indictitive of setting and in a way a genre. Western refers to naturally a Western, out west with the classic trope of the lawman taming the town. Eastern-- Eastern and Northern two facets of the US like New York City where the Law and Order series started or you have the Godfather and the trope of the One Good Cop. Then Southern where it's the old South and Mr. Tibbs has to come from the North to reform to system, or Mississippi Burning with the FBI agents from outside and the whole racist "Good Old Boy" south also the Burt Reynolds "Gator" movies.