The Hardy Boys as Data Gatherers

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138268.post-1102371077027158472004-12-06T16:09:00.000-08:002004-12-06T14:28:41.126-08:00The Hardy Boys as Data Gatherersby Brandon Booth In Franklin W. Dixon's fourth tome, The Missing Chums, Dixon sets an example of young cross-cultural data gatherers to fulfill a purpose. The book begins with middle-aged Chief Collig calling the Hardy boys to his cozy office because he has a case for these young detectives. Chief Collig tells them that there is something funny going on in the squatter colony at the end of the bay. (Dixon, 2). The Hardys bypass Collig's sugarcoating of the situation by quickly referring the place to what it is really known as to the quick-to-judge common people--Shantytown. Dixon describes the community as a settlement of shacks on the ocean shore...composed mostly of men who had seasonal or temporary jobs and some who did not work at all. From the prototype missionaries' perspective, what does the situation there really look like? The mere name of the squatter colony does justice. Dixon uses Shantytown to illustrate the unexaggerated picture of over two-thirds of the human race...They live in darkness and ignorance, steeped in idolatry, in degradation and corruption. (John Mott, 1901). As the police chief adds, "The men there seem to be in an ugly mood--violence and fighting at night." (Dixon, 2) As data gatherers the first step involves more than the gathering of data and then reporting it to the police who sits behind the desk. The Hardys know just gathering data would only treat the symptom and not heal the disease. After they get the data they need they must act on it to find Chet and Biff. The pressure is on, especially when remnants of their costumes are found in the bay near Shantytown. How will they gather data? Just asking questions point blank and spying may work in Bayport but not in Shantytown. We will see later that this technique almost cost the boys their lives. First of all, the label given to the squatter colony by the young detectives highlights the difference between the two environments and cultures--Bayport and Shantytown. To bridge the gap, Collig assigned the boys to blend in by putting on old clothes, mussing up their hair, and hanging out to see what is causing trouble. The Hardys know their sphere of contact with these people in Shantytown is not the same as people in their own circle. Although they speak the same language they face social barriers. But the boys being the same race and gender as the majority gives them an advantage. (Imagine how much greater the sphere of contact would be greater for Nancy Drew). We know these committed data gatherers did what hardly any young people did in the preceding generations: they put on make-up. Joe's normal suntan had been made even darker by the use of make-up. (Dixon, 53). Apart from appearance, the Hardys are careful about the way they enter Shantytown. They take the same method as they would had the sphere of contact with this people group been distant (speak different language and practice different customs). They hide the Sleuth in a cove a mile away and unhurriedly approach the colony by foot pretending to be beachcombing. After not finding visible signs of Chet and Biff and the reason for the fighting, they take the direct route and felt led to walk up to a shack--to meet up with a rough character, Sutton. Sutton takes a lunge at them with a blackjack. In perfect timing a tall Swedish man named Alf Lundborg saves them from their doom. Alf seems to have good relations with the squatters. Though not officially a squatter himself, Alf has been in contact with the squatters for a long time and comes out a lot on his hours off. (Dixon, 56) The book does not say if he was once a squatter himself nor if he was sent, but he knows the way of the people. He keeps appointments. (Dixon, 57). He meets the felt needs of the squatters. For example, if they are looking for trouble he gives it to them. That is exactly what Alf told Sutton in response to Sutton about to swing a blackjack at the Hardys. Alf organizes collective dinners and makes sure the participants pitch in with their respective chores, like tending cooking fires. He does not force all the squatters to come, just the ones who will help out. (Sutton doesn't show up). The Hardys helped meet the felt needs of the men by contributing food they had brought with them. By then the men were willing to answer questions about Shantytown. They promised to look out for their missing friends. Their dependence on Alf, the expert, pays off. Although the Hardys did not get the data they were looking for right away, they developed the resources that would help them solve their case. There is no way the Hardys could have solved this case single-handedly in Shantytown. They latched onto the work already started. After they rescue Chet and Biff they round up the bank robbers who used Shantytown as a base. The fights were caused by money being the root of all evil. HBLSnoreply@blogger.com