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Student LastName
ENG 102
Prof. Bolton
Due Date Comment [A1]: The heading
includes all the required information
for MLA format (student’s name,
Philip Marlowe: A Knight in the City
class information, professor’s name,
and due date of essay). Notice also
Set in Los Angeles in the 1930s, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep chronicles the life that the page numbers are the same
font as the rest of the essay. The
of Philip Marlowe, a private detective, as he tries to solve the mystery he has stumbled into. entire document is double-spaced,
with no extra spacing between
Marlowe is hired by General Sternwood to locate and handle the man who is blackmailing the paragraphs, and the title is centered
with proper capitalization.
Sternwood family; however, the mystery turns out to be more complicated, with multiple crimes Comment [BA2]: The title is
original and interesting!
(and criminals). The Sternwood daughters, Carmen and Vivian, both lead lives unknown to their
Comment [A3]: Notice that the
first few sentences here offer a brief
father, lives that involve shady characters and confusing situations. Marlowe tracks down the plot summary with a mention of the
time period (the 1930s). More plot
blackmailer, Geiger, but learns information that leads him to additional crimes and criminals. points will come later, but this gives
the reader an idea of some relevant
According to Edward Margolies, “While trying to [expose an unknown blackmailer], Marlowe events that will be discussed.
Comment [A4]: The quote is
discovers venality, guilt, and shame wherever he turns” (42). Los Angeles, home to the properly introduced (highlighted in
blue here), correctly cited—placed in
characters in the novel, is a busy city whose residents have, unfortunately, turned to crime to quotation marks, with the page
number in parentheses at the end—
survive. Though the novel appears to be a typical detective story, Chandler has purposely set and effectively discussed (highlighted
in yellow). Notice how the discussion
The Big Sleep in the time period immediately after the Great Depression in order to accurately of the quote summarizes what was
cited and indicates why it is relevant.
portray the increasing corruption during that time. According to “Organized Crime,” when Comment [A5]: This clearly states
the connection from the time period to
Mussolini cracked down on the mafia in Italy, many mafia members were forced to flee the the literature.
Comment [A6]: Since this is a
country, and a good number ended up in the United States (331). Furthermore, in the early paraphrase, no quotation marks are
needed, but a parenthetical citation is
1930s, the homicide rate “reached a high point for the entire century” (Phillips-Fein 217). Most still required. Here, the author’s name
is included because the information
believe the increased crime rate was a consequence of prohibition (Phillips-Fein 217). In the wasn’t introduced with the author.
Comment [A7]: In addition to the
United States, crime was rampant during the 1930s, and Chandler’s novel reveals that nobody plot summary, necessary historical
information is also included in the
introduction.

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was exempt from corruption at the time. In Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, the knight, the
orchids, and the weather all symbolize the corruption that prevailed in the United States during
the 1930s. Comment [A8]: This thesis
statement is effective because it
Throughout the novel, knights are a subtle part of Marlowe’s thoughts and interactions  Restates the author and title of the
work
and are used to symbolize his “goodness” in a world full of corruption. In the beginning of the  Offers three reasons (the
symbols—note that you are not
book, when he arrives at the Sternwood house to meet his future employer, he notices a stained- required to include literary elements
in your reading; sometimes you
glass panel featuring “a knight in dark armor rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn’t’ might just want to discuss a
character or a work’s theme in
general)
have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair. The knight had pushed the visor of  Emphasizes what is revealed about
the time period (the
his helmet back to be sociable, and he was fiddling with the knots on the ropes that tied the lady corruption/crime that prevailed)
to the tree and not getting anywhere” (3). Marlowe decides that if he lived there, he would Comment [A9]: This is an
effective topic sentence because it
restates the symbol of the knight
eventually have to “climb up there and help him. He didn’t really seem to be trying” (4). (which was listed first in the thesis)
and it also states what the knight
Immediately, Marlowe sets himself apart from the rest of society as he suggests he would help symbolizes
rescue the lady when nobody else—not even the knight—would. Marlowe, as we later learn, is Comment [A10]: Here, the
symbolism is explained in more detail
arguable the only honorable character in the novel, a “knight errant in a nonchivalric world” using the lines that were just cited.
(Margolies 42). The stained-glass panel represents this characterization and foreshadows the Comment [A11]: Here is a quote
that is not about the historical time
instance later in the novel when Marlowe, our knight, must “rescue” a naked Carmen Sternwood period, but about the character; the
writer makes the connection to the
from Geiger’s house. As corruption persists around him, Marlowe’s chivalry is surprising, time period.
which demonstrates how persistent the crime was during the time—in a setting with multiple
characters, we can only see one, Marlowe, who is uninvolved in crime.
The knight image arises again later, when Marlowe returns home to find Carmen
undressed in his bed. As he enters his bedroom, he absentmindedly moves a piece on his
chessboard: the knight. He has a conversation with Carmen in which she repeatedly calls him
“cute” and insists that he join her in bed (155). After he turns her down (like the knight he is), he

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looks again at his chessboard and realizes, “The move with the knight was wrong… Knights had
no meaning in this game. It wasn’t a game for knights” (156). To Marlowe, the chessboard is Comment [BA12]: Whenever you
cite from a short story or book, a page
the world, and he is the knight; just as chess is not a game for a night, the world is not a place for number is used. The same will be true
when you cite a play for your essay
him. Around him, corruption prevails, as it did in reality during the time. For example, the because you are citing it from an
anthology. (If you had the play by
kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby in 1932 was “one of the most famous cases of the twentieth itself—and not within a collection of
other works—you would cite
differently.) Since you are using an
century” (“Lindbergh” 261). Additional notorious criminals of the time included Bonnie and anthology, you use the page number
as well, just like this essay does.
Clyde, who performed a string of bank robberies, and Al Capone, who was responsible for
operating gangs and gang murders (Phillips-Fein 218-219). In the novel, as Marlowe is the only Comment [A13]: Here is historical
information to support the author’s
one who makes respectable moral and ethical decisions, the rest of society appears even more claim and demonstrate how corruption
prevailed.
fraudulent. According to John Irwin, “Marlowe’s sense of honor in professional dealings is very
much a matter of pride with him” (226). When contrasted against the upstanding citizen
Marlowe, it becomes clear that the residents in the country have stepped far beyond the normal Comment [A14]: Another quote
about Marlowe is included, and the
amount of dishonesty. explanation connects it to the time
period; the historical information
Immediately after the first image of the knight, we are introduced to another symbol that before this explained how criminals
were prominent, and this shows how
prevails throughout the novel and also serves to portray the abundant corruption in society: we see it in the novel
orchids. Marlowe’s initial meeting with General Sternwood takes places in a greenhouse filled
with orchids, plants that appear beautiful but release a strange odor. Upon entering the
greenhouse, Marlowe describes the atmosphere:
The air was thick, wet, steam, and larded with the cloying smell of tropical orchids in
Comment [A15]: An ellipsis is
bloom. The glass walls and roof were heavily misted and big drops of moisture splashed included because the author left out a
sentence (from the quoted part) that
down on the plants… The plants filled the place, a forest of them, with nasty meat leaves was irrelevant to the essay
Comment [A16]: Note the block
like the newly washed fingers of dead men. They smelled as overpowering as boiling quote format. There are no quotation
marks, and the period goes before the
alcohol under a blanket. (Chandler 7) parentheses. Also, when the quote is
discussed, a new paragraph isn’t
started.

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The seemingly harmless, but truly rotten, orchids represent society: no matter how innocent a
person appears, there is often malice lying underneath the surface. General Sternwood reaffirms
this idea when he says, “[Orchids] are nasty things. Their flesh is too much like the flesh of men. Comment [A17]: The original
word in the quote was “They,” which
And their perfume has the rotten sweetness of a prostitute” (9). Sternwood concurs with didn’t make sense in the context, so
the author changed it to orchids and
Marlowe as he uses the oxymoronic term “rotten sweetness” to describe the deceptive plants. As put it in square brackets to indicate
something had been changed.
“rotten” as the characters are in The Big Sleep, most of them still appear “sweet.” This is
particularly applicable to the Sternwood sisters. They present themselves as elegant,
sophisticated, and harmless, but are truly deceptive, manipulative, and even responsible for the
murder and disappearance of Rusty Regan. Again, the corruption in society is revealed, as the
citizens are like orchids: seemingly innocent, but always up to something immoral. Comment [A18]: Note that this
paragraph (and a couple of others) do
Furthermore, when describing the orchids, Marlowe’s description of the smell, “as not include a specific example from
history; however, each symbol is
overpowering as boiling alcohol under a blanket” (7), reflects the ban on alcohol, Prohibition, eventually connected to historical
information. This is perfectly
that is considered largely responsible for the rampant crime during the time period. According to acceptable as long as you make the
connection clear throughout.
Kim Phillips-Fein, “In 1925, prohibition agents shut down 172,000 illegal alcohol shops” (218).
The crackdown on alcohol prompted distillers to find more ways to hide their liquor sales, and
Marlowe’s comparison of the orchid smells to the smell of boiling alcohol reminds readers that
Prohibition was the primary reason for the increase in crime (Phillips-Fein 217), especially since
Marlowe mentions it being under a blanket, or hidden from prohibition agents. The fact that
Marlowe knows that “secret” smells indicates how close he has been to the corruption and again
sets him apart from the rest of the corrupt society.
Finally, the weather throughout the novel represents the corruption, as the city of Los Comment [A19]: The transition
word helps with the flow of the essay.
Angeles is caught in a constant spell of rain. Rain is gloomy and shady, as are the characters in
the novel. The weather plays heavily into Marlowe’s life, as it often changes depending on the

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events he has just experienced or witnessed. The novel begins immediately with a description of
the weather, as Marlowe tells us, “It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with
the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills” (Chandler 3).
Chandler continues to use the rain as the primary description of setting, which automatically sets
a gloomy tone for the novel. In chapter six, as the rain “filled the gutters and splashed knee-high
off the sidewalk,” Marlowe notes that “It was too early in the fall for that kind of rain” (30). As
everyone is caught up in corruption of some kind, they are also caught in a spell of rain, which is
abnormal for that time of year. This emphasizes that the crime rate is not something the citizens
are used to but are having to adapt to in the changing times; life hasn’t always been corrupt but is
during the 1930s, when the novel takes place.
The weather fluctuates throughout the novel, but always returns to rain after Marlowe has
an unsettling or negative experience. For example, the day Marlowe returns home to find
Carmen in his bed starts out as a typical day. The city is foggy, but the rain has ceased, and
Marlowe has made progress in solving the mystery. After his unsettling encounter with Carmen
that night, however, the weather suddenly changes. Marlowe tears “the bed to pieces” (159) and
goes to sleep angry with Carmen for insulting him. The next morning, “It was raining again… a
slanting gray rain like a swung curtain of crystal beads” (159). Once something unusual happens
to Marlowe, the weather shifts to accommodate his feelings and, ultimately, the feelings of the
readers. Marlowe remains a “knight” throughout the novel, but his attention to the weather
demonstrates how he too is affected by the corruption. During the time period, despite citizens’
disgust at the rampant crime, they couldn’t help but be intrigued at the same time. For example,
Bonnie and Clyde were finally ambushed and killed in 1934, and according to Kim Phillips-Fein,
“After [Bonnie and Clyde’s] deaths, crowds gathered around the ambush site to seek bits of the

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bullets that had killed them, and their funerals were mass public events” (220). Although society
didn’t necessarily agree with Bonnie and Clyde’s crimes, there was still a level of respect for
them, and we see Marlowe’s fascination with the corruption surrounding him. Although he
doesn’t take part, he still finds himself intrigued by the ongoing crimes.
For example, later in the novel, Harry Jones gives his life in order to protect Agnes, his
partner in crime. At the beginning of the chapter, Marlowe informs us that “the rain had
stopped” as he enters the Fulwider Building searching for Canino. Marlowe finds Canino with
Harry Jones, who had previously been tailing Marlowe, so Marlowe eavesdrops from the next
room to try and understand the connection between the two. Canino kills Jones after Jones gives
him the wrong address for Agnes. When Marlowe leaves the building, Marlowe says, “It was
raining hard again. I walked into it with the heavy drops slapping my face” (180). The weather
changes with Marlowe’s emotions and experiences, so Marlowe is presumably upset by Jones’s
death. This is significant because Jones is not an honorable man like Marlowe. The reason
Marlowe comes to see Jones in the first place is because Jones wants to sell Marlowe
information or “secrets.” Jones practically bribes and blackmails for a living, yet Marlowe is
emotional when Jones dies. To Marlowe, Jones dies an honorable death; even though Jones was
scheming for money, he still protected his partner to the end. Marlowe’s confliction
demonstrates the challenge with the corruption around him: he doesn’t know where to draw the
line, as others didn’t either. The fact that the country was so caught up with Bonnie and Clyde
was likely because of their “romantic” story. Perhaps citizens could relate to Bonnie and Clyde,
who were small-time criminals until they met each other and started striving for bigger paydays
(Phillips-Fein 220). In the end, they died together, and we see a similar event in Harry Jones and
Agnes. Jones is willing to die to protect her, and to Marlowe, this is the right thing to do, so

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despite the fact that Jones is a criminal, Marlowe can respect his character, just as the country
admired Bonnie and Clyde. Marlowe’s attention to the rain shows his disdain at Jones’s death,
and he demonstrates that during the time period, the line of morals and ethics was blurred for not
only the criminals, but the general public as well. Comment [A20]: This paragraph
and the previous one each use Bonnie
The symbols of the knight, the orchids, and the weather blend together to effectively and Clyde’s story because the author
says it parallels Harry Jones and
portray The Big Sleep’s underlying theme of corruption in American society. In the novel, Agnes’s story. The discussion here is
good but might be more effective if
orruption prevails, from a pornography dealer to easily bribed policemen. Despite the the Jones/Agnes plot was explained in
more detail.
temptations, Marlowe remains true to his morals, becoming a modern-day “knight.” However, Comment [A21]: The thesis is
restated but not repeated.
even he finds himself questioning what makes a person “good” as he respects some criminals
despite their activities. The Big Sleep is more than just a detective novel; it is a historical
depiction of life during the 1930s. Comment [A22]: The final
sentence reemphasizes the connection
between the novel and the time period.

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Works Cited Comment [BA23]: Your Works
Cited page should list the play you are
Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Vintage Books, 1939. Print. analyzing (see #10 on pg. 145 in your
textbook) from the anthology as well
Irwin, John T. “Being Boss: Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep.” Southern Review 37.2 as your secondary sources.
(Spring 2001): 211-248. Print. Chapter 7 in your textbook lists
almost everything you should run into,
or you can look at the entries here as
“Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Poster, 1932.” Crime and Punishment: Essential Primary examples. If you have any questions,
check with the library or ask me.
Sources. Eds. K. Lee Lerner, and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 260-
Note that your Works Cited page
263. Gale U.S. History in Context. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. should be alphabetized as it is here.
Margolies, Edward. Which Way Did He Go? New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1982.
Print.
“Organized Crime.” West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2nd ed. Vol. 7. Eds. Shirelle
Phelps, and Jeffrey Lehmen. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 331-333. Gale U.S. History in
Context. Web. 19 Feb. 2012.
Phillips-Fein, Kim. “Crime.” Encyclopedia of the Great Depression. Vol. 1. Ed. Robert S.
McElvaine. New York: Macmillian Reference USA, 2004. 217-220. Gale U.S. History
in Context. Web. 19 Feb. 2012.