The Inaccuracy of Appearances

Throughout the narrative, the author uses the murder mystery, spy, and suspense plot structure to depict the inaccuracy of appearances. For example, Nima’s death does not initially appear to be due to foul play to the police. The officers who arrive on the scene do not think that “the incident had crime ‘written all over it’” (17). Since they do not find evidence of a crime such as traces of “violence” (17), they decide not to treat his death as suspicious as shown by their decision “not to cordon off the site” (17). However, the “half-bottle of alcohol” (17) and the “thick drool which had trailed from his mouth” (17) are clues that somebody murdered Nima. Even when the police consider that he was murdered, it appears to them that he obtained the spiked bottle from a source that sells drugs and alcohol. In reality, everything that...