Phoenix_Research_Power_Point

By Gabriel Phoenix

For ENG 1102

Raymond Chandler and Law Enforcement

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Raymond Chandler

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"Police business is a hell of a problem. It's a good deal like politics. It asks for the highest type of men, and there's nothing in it to attract the highest type of men. So we have to work with what we get." 

-Capt. Webber of the Bay City Police Department(Lady in the Lake, pg. 155 )

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Los Angeles County circa 1940’s to 1950’s.

The men are tough, the women even tougher.

Gangsters are the enforcers for larger, more sinister individuals pulling the strings from behind closed doors.

The Rough, Hard World of Phillip Marlowe

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Many police officers are used as enforcers and fixers for the underworld.

Honest police officers have trouble attaining rank, left in jobs of little power and influence.

Honest police officers that attempt to remove the corruptive element are killed.

The Life and Trials of Police Officers in Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles

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The Relationship Between Law Enforcement Personnel and Private Investigators

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A natural animosity between Law Enforcement and Private Investigators is utilized throughout the Pulp Fiction genre.

Often the story’s Private Investigator was once a former member of the police force.

Many motivations are created to justify the Private Detectives departure from the police force.

The Private Investigator’s previous history within law enforcement creates a plausible animosity.

The story’s author typically utilizes the animosity to contrast their protagonist with their opposite counterpart.

Animosity as a Staple of Pulp Fiction

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Raymond Chandler initially creates animosity between Phillip Marlowe and law enforcement by giving Marlowe a history in law enforcement.

• Marlowe is a Former investigator for the District Attorney

• Marlowe is fired for insubordination

“I test very high on insubordination, General”

-Phillip Marlowe to General Sternwood (The Big Sleep, pg. 9)

Example:Phillip Marlowe’s Law Enforcement

History

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Marlowe attempts to avoid the police as much as possible.

Marlowe attempts to hide evidence and doesn't immediately inform police of murders and other crimes.

A common reason for Marlowe’s lack of compliance with the law is stated in numerous Raymond Chandler novels.

• Marlowe believes that most cops are either incompetent or they are corrupt.

Marlowe’s lack of compliance further exacerbates the animosity between himself and official law enforcement personnel.

Consequence of Animosity

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Law Enforcement Personnel as Plot Devices.

When in Doubt, Have a Man With a Gun.

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Often, Chandler would combine a series of short stories into a single story.

This would create inconsistencies and plot holes.

• The Big Sleep and The Lady in the Lake are infamous for their convoluted and confusing plots.

While combining multiple short stories, Chandler would write himself into a corner.

Unable to move the plot forward, Chandler would utilize a plot device known as, “Enter the Man with a Gun”.

Raymond Chandler and Convoluted Storylines

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"Undoubtedly the stories about them [hard-boiled detectives] had a fantastic element. Such things happened, but not so rapidly, nor to so close-knit a group of people, nor within so narrow a frame of logic. This was inevitable because the demand was for constant action; if you stopped to think you were lost. When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand."

-Raymond Chandler (The Simple Art of Murder)

“Enter the Man with a Gun”

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The Animosity between law enforcement and private investigators made crooked cops and incompetent thugs perfect for this role.

The antagonist would invariably give Phillip Marlowe an idea as to where to look next.

This would allow Chandler to combine various loose plot threads together to create a cohesive story.

“Enter the Man with a Gun”

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Various types of police officers exist in Phillip Marlowe’s universe.

Many law enforcement personnel are corrupt.

However, a story where all police officers are moral would create a dull story.

Many variety of officers need to exist to create friction with the protagonist.

Corrupt officers also allow Raymond Chandler to move the plot forward.

In the Final Analysis…

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Baker, Robert A., and Michael T. Nietzel. Private Eyes: One Hundred and One Knights: A Survey of American Detective Fiction, 1922-1984. Bowling Green: Popular Press, 1985. Print.

Chandler, Raymond. Everyman’s Library: The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, The High Window . New York: Knopf. 2002. Print.

Chandler, Raymond. Everyman’s Library: The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, Playback. New York: Knopf. 2002. Print.

Chandler, Raymond. Trouble is My Business. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Print.

Chandler, Raymond. “The Simple Art of Murder.” The University of Texas. University of Texas. Web. n.d. 19 Feb. 2012. http://www.en.utexas.edu/amlit/amlitprivate/scans/chandlerart.html

Chapman, Ellenore. “If You Can Get Them to Think: An Ethical Defence of Crime Fiction.” Crimeculture. Crimeculture.com. Web. n.d. 3 Feb. 2012.

Griggers, Cody. “Into the Heart of Marlowe: Masculinity and Romance in Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely.” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012

Marling,William Ph.D. “Major Works: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.” Detnovel. Detnovel.com. Web. 12 Apr. 2009. 23 Jan. 2012

Moss, Robert F. “An Introduction to The Big Sleep” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web 21 Feb. 2012

Moss, Robert F. “Raymond Chandler and the Pulps.” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012

Works Cited