After the Great Depression period, people needed a new beginning. The United States experienced a rise of prosperity where big cities such as Los Angeles were in the center. The American Dream was revitalized. In the late 1930s, the hard-boiled novel became increasingly popular, but when hard-boiled novels were later adapted as films, the films were regarded as works of Noir. The term Noir was adapted by French critics because the films featured techniques such as black and white coloring and peculiar camera angles. The Noir genre depicts a dark and hostile nature, and it has several genre conventions such as the anti-hero and the femme fatale. Since the Noir genre depicts a dark and hostile atmosphere, the prosperity experienced ambiguity.
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Cain portrays the ongoing perceived corruption in his work: Double Indemnity. The corruption is interpreted through the perspective of the novels’ anti-hero: Walter Huff. Double Indemnity begins with Walter Huff trying to convince Mr. Nirdlinger, a wealthy oil man, to purchase an insurance policy from his company. Throughout Double Indemnity, the reader gains a perspective on the corrupt environment through either the anti-heroes actions or through the actions they witness. Upon these events, the anti-hero experiences a revelation that everyone, including himself, is grappling with their survival. Although the anti-hero tries to live a noble life, he finds it impossible to accomplish. In Double Indemnity, James M. Cain uses the Noir genre convention of the anti-hero to illuminate the idea that a noble figure cannot exist in the corrupt environment because the environment forces one to commit ignoble acts for their …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Phyllis, the femme fatale, plays a factor in Huff’s actions. According to Michael Mills, a 21st century writer for Modern Times, displays the characteristics of a femme fatale by explaining “an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into danger or disaster.” However, even though it may appear that Phyllis may be the reason why Huff is in such a predicament, as he explicitly states to Phyllis that the reason he chose to commit such acts was because of her, that is not the case. When Keyes realizes that Phyllis may be the murder of Mr. Nirdlinger, Huff takes precautions by coming up with a scheme to murder Phyllis as he states “it seemed to me ever since that night, somewhere in the back of my head I had known I would have to kill her, for what she knew about me, and because the world isn’t big enough for two people once they’ve got something like that on each other” (86). Cain’s choice of Huff deciding to murder Phyllis appeals to the reader’s instinct of survival. Huff cannot remain a noble figure because he is willing to commit another murder to unsure that he may not be associated with his initial murder of Mr. Nirdlinger. He did not murder Mr. Nirdlinger because he was manipulated by Phyllis, but rather because he felt it vital for his pursuit of money. Huff’s internal dialogue portrays language of personal assurance further conveying
Cain portrays the ongoing perceived corruption in his work: Double Indemnity. The corruption is interpreted through the perspective of the novels’ anti-hero: Walter Huff. Double Indemnity begins with Walter Huff trying to convince Mr. Nirdlinger, a wealthy oil man, to purchase an insurance policy from his company. Throughout Double Indemnity, the reader gains a perspective on the corrupt environment through either the anti-heroes actions or through the actions they witness. Upon these events, the anti-hero experiences a revelation that everyone, including himself, is grappling with their survival. Although the anti-hero tries to live a noble life, he finds it impossible to accomplish. In Double Indemnity, James M. Cain uses the Noir genre convention of the anti-hero to illuminate the idea that a noble figure cannot exist in the corrupt environment because the environment forces one to commit ignoble acts for their …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Phyllis, the femme fatale, plays a factor in Huff’s actions. According to Michael Mills, a 21st century writer for Modern Times, displays the characteristics of a femme fatale by explaining “an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into danger or disaster.” However, even though it may appear that Phyllis may be the reason why Huff is in such a predicament, as he explicitly states to Phyllis that the reason he chose to commit such acts was because of her, that is not the case. When Keyes realizes that Phyllis may be the murder of Mr. Nirdlinger, Huff takes precautions by coming up with a scheme to murder Phyllis as he states “it seemed to me ever since that night, somewhere in the back of my head I had known I would have to kill her, for what she knew about me, and because the world isn’t big enough for two people once they’ve got something like that on each other” (86). Cain’s choice of Huff deciding to murder Phyllis appeals to the reader’s instinct of survival. Huff cannot remain a noble figure because he is willing to commit another murder to unsure that he may not be associated with his initial murder of Mr. Nirdlinger. He did not murder Mr. Nirdlinger because he was manipulated by Phyllis, but rather because he felt it vital for his pursuit of money. Huff’s internal dialogue portrays language of personal assurance further conveying