Chandler’s Influence
Influence can be defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself” (Google). In other words, influence is the overall effect one thing has on another. Raymond Chandler’s use of influence within his work is prominent and abundant. The novel, Farewell, my Lovely, displays connections between Raymond Chandler’s life as well as innovations of technology and societal differences from the 1940s which have a major influence on the evolution of crime writing.
Many factors within Chandler’s time influenced his writing and the crime writing genre, including technology and the society which he grew up in. Chandler made a very important step by turning …show more content…
The society which he grew up in played a major role in his work. Chandler lived through the Great Depression, a time which led to corruption and separation of class (Wilson). Farewell, my Lovely expressed the corruption of Los Angeles and the division between rich and poor that was created by the Great Depression. The corruption of Los Angeles, the setting, is expressed in an abundance of different ways throughout the novel and becomes a common theme (MacShane). For example, thieves steal Helen Grayle’s necklace and use it as blackmail for money (Chandler 126), Mrs. Florian refuses to tell Detective Marlowe any information regarding a murder until she is bribed with alcohol (Chandler 25), and the Bay City Chief only begins to believe and treat Marlowe with respect when he learns that Marlowe is associated with rich Helen Grayle (Chandler 211). These examples support the idea of corruption because they demonstrate people in higher power using unethical and dishonest ways of retrieving what is desired. Chandler also incorporates two extreme classes into Farewell, my Lovely: very rich and very poor (Wilson). An illustration of the very poor side of society is Mrs. Florian’s “ dried-out brown yard” (Chandler 24). This is being compared to the very rich Mrs. Grayle who has “…a Jap gardener at work weeding a huge lawn” (Chandler 114). The extent to these two extremes are used to display the overall …show more content…
An example of this admirable work is the novel Farewell, my Lovely which was written in 1940. In this novel Philip Marlowe, a private detective and the protagonist, accidentally encounters Moose Malloy, who has just been released from jail and is on a mission to find his ex-girlfriend Velma. Marlowe witnesses Malloy kill the manager at a negro bar and calls the police. Officer Nulty is given the case; however, Marlowe decides to look for Malloy himself. He understands that to find Malloy he must find Velma. Therefore, he goes to speak to Mrs. Florian because her husband owned Florian’s when it was a white joint. Mrs. Florian is old, cranky, and stubborn; therefore, Marlowe must bribe her with gin to get her to speak. Mrs. Florian gives Marlowe a picture of Velma and says she is dead, both false pieces of information. Marlowe gets a call from Marriott, a rich man who want Marlowe’s help in delivering a large sum of money to blackmailers who stole a jade necklace from his friend. Marlowe goes to help Marriot, but plans are ruined whenever Marlowe is knocked out by the blackmailer and Marriott is killed in the exchange. During this event, Marlowe meets Anne Riordan, who finds out the missing jade necklace belongs to Helen Gayle. Marlowe meets with the beautiful, rich Helen Gayle to discuss the case and they end up kissing and making plans to meet
Influence can be defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself” (Google). In other words, influence is the overall effect one thing has on another. Raymond Chandler’s use of influence within his work is prominent and abundant. The novel, Farewell, my Lovely, displays connections between Raymond Chandler’s life as well as innovations of technology and societal differences from the 1940s which have a major influence on the evolution of crime writing.
Many factors within Chandler’s time influenced his writing and the crime writing genre, including technology and the society which he grew up in. Chandler made a very important step by turning …show more content…
The society which he grew up in played a major role in his work. Chandler lived through the Great Depression, a time which led to corruption and separation of class (Wilson). Farewell, my Lovely expressed the corruption of Los Angeles and the division between rich and poor that was created by the Great Depression. The corruption of Los Angeles, the setting, is expressed in an abundance of different ways throughout the novel and becomes a common theme (MacShane). For example, thieves steal Helen Grayle’s necklace and use it as blackmail for money (Chandler 126), Mrs. Florian refuses to tell Detective Marlowe any information regarding a murder until she is bribed with alcohol (Chandler 25), and the Bay City Chief only begins to believe and treat Marlowe with respect when he learns that Marlowe is associated with rich Helen Grayle (Chandler 211). These examples support the idea of corruption because they demonstrate people in higher power using unethical and dishonest ways of retrieving what is desired. Chandler also incorporates two extreme classes into Farewell, my Lovely: very rich and very poor (Wilson). An illustration of the very poor side of society is Mrs. Florian’s “ dried-out brown yard” (Chandler 24). This is being compared to the very rich Mrs. Grayle who has “…a Jap gardener at work weeding a huge lawn” (Chandler 114). The extent to these two extremes are used to display the overall …show more content…
An example of this admirable work is the novel Farewell, my Lovely which was written in 1940. In this novel Philip Marlowe, a private detective and the protagonist, accidentally encounters Moose Malloy, who has just been released from jail and is on a mission to find his ex-girlfriend Velma. Marlowe witnesses Malloy kill the manager at a negro bar and calls the police. Officer Nulty is given the case; however, Marlowe decides to look for Malloy himself. He understands that to find Malloy he must find Velma. Therefore, he goes to speak to Mrs. Florian because her husband owned Florian’s when it was a white joint. Mrs. Florian is old, cranky, and stubborn; therefore, Marlowe must bribe her with gin to get her to speak. Mrs. Florian gives Marlowe a picture of Velma and says she is dead, both false pieces of information. Marlowe gets a call from Marriott, a rich man who want Marlowe’s help in delivering a large sum of money to blackmailers who stole a jade necklace from his friend. Marlowe goes to help Marriot, but plans are ruined whenever Marlowe is knocked out by the blackmailer and Marriott is killed in the exchange. During this event, Marlowe meets Anne Riordan, who finds out the missing jade necklace belongs to Helen Gayle. Marlowe meets with the beautiful, rich Helen Gayle to discuss the case and they end up kissing and making plans to meet