last updated: 22 January 2019 (approximate reading time: 2 minutes; 261 words)
Devil in a Blue Dress was the first novel by Walter Mosley. Set in 1948, it features Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, an African American World War II veteran who has just lost his job and needs money to pay his mortgage.
There are five questions that I routinely ask to help me get to the heart of any story that I’m writing. These same questions can be asked to analyze other works.
As an aside, there are differences between the film and the book. The film more tightly focuses some of the motivations making this analysis more straightforward.
question one: Who is the Protagonist?
Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins.
question two: What Does Rawlins Want?
To find who killed Coretta James.
The police arrest Rawlins on suspicion of Coretta’s murder. Unless Rawlins can find a reason for the police not to—for instance, by pointing to the actual murderer—they will charge him with the murder.
question three: What is Keeping Rawlins From Getting What He Wants?
Rawlins doesn’t know who killed Coretta, and (obviously) the murderer (and his associates) have every incentive to keep the truth of her death hidden.
question four: What Must Rawlins Sacrifice to Get What He Wants?
First, Rawlins must lie to his friends, hiding his motives for seeking Coretta’s murderer. Later he shares some element of the blame for the death of his friend Joppy.
question five: What is At Stake?
If Rawlins fails, he will go to jail for the murder of Coretta and the police will also likely frame him for the murder of Richard McGee (a blackmailer).
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