The Gutting Of Couffignal Analysis

The Gutting of Couffignal written by Dashiell Hammett is a crime fiction short story. It follows a nameless Private Investigator, the continental Op, as he experiences and solves a robbery in the small island of Couffignal. Throughout the story the Op’s mannerisms show he is a sensitive person not only a hardened investigator. The Op is cynical because being a detective has forced him to see the bad in the world. This has caused him to mistrust peOple on first contact and also a defense mechanism, so he does not get tricked and can solve a case to the best of one’s ability. The Op also distances himself from peOple so he can do his job. He does this to avoid being tricked into doing something that hinders his progress. Lastly, the Op fits …show more content…
Whether it be because they think they are better than a certain person or they are suspicious, the PI trust no one but himself. At first it seems like the Op does not trust peOple because he considers them inherently evil, when in fact, it is in a response to his duties as a detective and to cover up a fear of not being able to solve a case. The Op also shows cynicism when he reveals that he notices the group of Russians being “especially nice to me, the general even spending and hour with me at the reception this afternoon.”(Kelly, 248) This shows he does not trust anyone being kind towards him because he is suspicious that they may plot something and do not want him to suspect anything. Another time he shows cynicism is when he is talking with the Princess in the beginning of the story. Later he that he suspects her of helping in the robbery and this shows why he wanted her out of the way when going to investigate the crime scene. Despite this he wants to protect her; he does so by getting between her and any potential danger. When they hear nearby gunshots he pushes her into a door and when Ignati meets them in the alley Op steps between Princess and him because he does not want her to get hurt. This shows he cares about peOple him regardless if they are involved in a crime. In conclusion his action show he distrusts peOple because of the career path he has not …show more content…
He chooses to not trust anyone, distance himself and act high and mighty so peOple he believes that it, even though he is not. The Op is a caring and protective person. When dealing with the Princess he wants her out of the way but also protects her. He has to keep his distance so he will not fall for her beauty and trickery. However, seeing that, he also wants to show off for her, one can conclude that he feels the need to prove himself which hints that he does not believe in himself. In addition, he has to justify his actions to himself and this proves that he does not know what he is capable of. The Op is strong but also hiding his true self so that it does not interfere with his work. This makes him relatable because everyone is hiding