The Corpse of Gordon Way
Title
The Corpse of Gordon Way
Subject
Detective Fiction: Genre Elements
Description
Within the first few chapters of the novel, the owner of WayForward Technologies II, Gordon Way, is shot mysteriously for no reason. However, his death fulfills an enormous portion of the story's structure: it is the crime that brings the main client, Richard MacDuff, to the peculiar character of Dirk Gently. At first, it seems that their meeting too is just a strange coincidence, but is actually part of the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.
Although the death of Gordon Way is not the main focal point of crime in Adams's story, it is still an important component. In fact, the main problem in this story is much more complex, including a time machine, old Romantic poetry, and missing cats. Plus, Gordon becomes a ghost, and plays a larger role in the story -- he is a major catalyst of the conflict in the narrative.
"He put the telephone down on the seat beside him, pulled over to the grass verge and got out. As he went to the boot, it opened, a figure rose out of it, shot him through the chest with both barrels of a shotgun and then went about its business."
Although the death of Gordon Way is not the main focal point of crime in Adams's story, it is still an important component. In fact, the main problem in this story is much more complex, including a time machine, old Romantic poetry, and missing cats. Plus, Gordon becomes a ghost, and plays a larger role in the story -- he is a major catalyst of the conflict in the narrative.
"He put the telephone down on the seat beside him, pulled over to the grass verge and got out. As he went to the boot, it opened, a figure rose out of it, shot him through the chest with both barrels of a shotgun and then went about its business."
Source
Adams, Douglas. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Pocket Books, 1987. Print.
Publisher
Douglas Adams
Date
Unknown
Contributor
Kaitlin Schneider
Format
Online Image. JPEG.
Type
Person
Birth Date
Unknown
Occupation
CEO of WayForward Technologies II
Files
Citation
“The Corpse of Gordon Way,” The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts, accessed April 26, 2024, https://mfla.omeka.net/items/show/310.