Essay \"The big sleep\" - grade A PDF

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[Last Name] 1 English 111 01/24/2016 The Big Sleep In the book, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, he writes about a rich family that faces a blackmailer. The Sternwood family lives in a two story home in Los Angeles around the time of 1930’s. The family consists of the General, a dying father, and two young, good looking daughters: Vivian and Carmen. The General neglects his daughters which contributes to the several problems the Sternwood family faces. He also uses his wealth to avoid publicity and keep his careless daughters out of trouble. However, his wealth and power doesn’t protect him and his family from everyone. Their lives are disrupted by a blackmailer who knows information about the family that could expose them and their secrets. The General decides to get outside help by hiring a private detective, Marlowe, to figure out who the blackmailer is and stop them. Looking at the four main characters in the book: Marlowe, Carmen, Vivian, and the General, we will analyze and the determine their character type and means of characterization. “I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.” Marlowe describes direct characterization to be wearing very clean, well dress and mostly dark-blue clothing, color blue could mean he is a honest and trust worthy person, or might be his favorite color. From the quote, “calling on four million dollars” an economic class of the Sternwood’s. Next in the book Marlowe says which indicates indirect characterization, “knight in dark armor rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn’t have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair.” This describes how Marlowe is a heroic person that rescues a woman. The section of the quote “tied to a tree” could

[Last Name] 2 be an implication of the family tree and being exposed of her secrets. The character type for Marlowe is static and flat which is shown in this quote: “The client comes first, unless he’s crooked.” In this quote it shows how Marlowe stays royal to his clients and honest, and fights for justice, he keeps this attitude throughout the book. He shows that he likes seeking good justice. “She came over near me and smiled with her mouth and she had little sharp predatory teeth, as white as fresh orange pith and as shiny as porcelain.” In the text, Marlowe describes Carmen as dangerous person she could, but still shines like a princess. This uses indirect characterization. Next quote,” “You’re cute,” she giggled. “I’m cute too.””, In a direct characterization Carmen flirts with Marlowe. As she describes herself as “cute”, Marlowe does not give her much attention since he is type of person and not seeking a for a relationship that is intelligence and likes to do his work well. This next quote describes static and round “I haven’t asked her. I don’t intend to. If I did, she would suck her thumb and look coy.” Throughout the book Carmen is described as she sucks her thumb all the time, showing that Carmen is character with child personality, and likes to have what she wants. “Mrs. Regan. She was worth a stare. She was trouble.”, in this quote Marlowe describes indirect characterization of Vivian Regan, who she was married to Mr. Rusty Regan a very dear person to the General who enjoyed his company. Vivian Regan shows her indirect characterization by the way Marlowe describes her when he goes to see her in her room, he describes her as, “She was stretched out on a modernistic chaise-longue with her slippers off, so I stared at her legs in the sheerest silk stockings.” She knows that she has pretty legs, that she shows off while she sits in the bed, she kind of shows that she has the behavior of a prostitute. Vivian is static and round because in the text, Vivian shows that all along she holds very complicated personality and like to play games with detective Marlowe. All along she knew

[Last Name] 3 everything that Carmen her little sister likes to get what she wants and if she doesn’t she seems to be violent. She liked Rusty the same way she feels about Marlowe, but Rusty, similar to Marlowe, were not attracted to her. One day when Rusty took Carmen to practice shooting a gun she shot him. When Carmen told her sister, Vivian, they went and got help from a gentleman, Eddie Mars, to hide Rusty’s body. General uses direct characterization to describe himself as, an old paralyzed person who still has a fight left in him. “You are looking at a very dull survival of a rather gaudy life, a cripple paralyzed in both legs and with only half of his lower belly.” Marlowe describes the General as a person who doesn’t look like his age, this would be using indirect characterization, “I thought this might be General Sternwood’s grandfather.”. The general wanted always to find his friend, Mr. Rusty Regan who enjoyed his company, the General was worried about Mr. Rusty because he left without saying good to anyone but Vivian, Carmen, and Marlowe knew that wasn’t the case, as far as the General knew that Mr. Rusty might be missing, but the truth would make the General very sad. I believe Static and flat Chandler constructs the characters in a way to hide underlying themes throughout the book. One of the first themes that is consistent throughout the book is the concept of justice. There is a difference between what the law entails and the justice that comes from those who break the law. This is shown through the troubles of the Sternwood family, the personalities of the two daughters, and eventually the murder of Rusty. Another theme that emerges throughout the book is principles. Marlowe through his behaviors and the way he composes himself, reflects this theme. He is a difficult, stubborn gentleman but he has a set of values that he sticks by. A time during the book he even refers himself as a knight, which is a figure that obliges by a code. Lastly, the book shows the theme of corruption. Corruption of the legal system and police work

[Last Name] 4 throughout the series of events. Using the characters and the description of characters Chandler expresses deeper themes.

(1) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 1). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (2) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 1). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (3) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 2). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (4) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 158). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (5) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 3). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (6) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 8). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[Last Name] 5 (7) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 11). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (8) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 11). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (9) Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 5). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (10)

Chandler, Raymond; Amsel Movie Tie-In Cover, Richard (2002-06-11). The Big

Sleep: A Novel (Philip Marlowe series Book 1) (p. 2). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition....