Power Point For Gabriel Phoenix Research Project on Law Enforcement Personnel in Raymon Chandler's Novels Eng 1102

1. By Gabriel Phoenix
For ENG 1102

2. Raymond Chandler

3. "Police business is a hell of a
problem. It's a good deal like politics. It
asks for the highest type of men, and
there's nothing in it to attract the highest
type of men. So we have to work with
what we get."
-Capt. Webber of the Bay City Police Department(Lady in the Lake, pg.
155 )

4. The Rough, Hard World of Phillip
Marlowe
Los Angeles County circa 1940’s to 1950’s.
The men are tough, the women even tougher.
Gangsters are the enforcers for larger, more sinister individuals pulling the
strings from behind closed doors.

5. The Life and Trials of Police Officers in
Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles
Many police officers are used as enforcers and fixers for the underworld.
Honest police officers have trouble attaining rank, left in jobs of little power
and influence.
Honest police officers that attempt to remove the corruptive element are
killed.

7. Animosity as a Staple of Pulp Fiction
A natural animosity between Law Enforcement and Private Investigators is
utilized throughout the Pulp Fiction genre.
Often the story’s Private Investigator was once a former member of the police
force.
Many motivations are created to justify the Private Detectives departure from
the police force.
The Private Investigator’s previous history within law enforcement creates a
plausible animosity.
The story’s author typically utilizes the animosity to contrast their protagonist
with their opposite counterpart.

8. Phillip Marlowe’s Law Enforcement
History
Raymond Chandler initially creates animosity between Phillip Marlowe and
law enforcement by giving Marlowe a history in law enforcement.
• Marlowe is a Former investigator for the District Attorney
• Marlowe is fired for insubordination
“I test very high on insubordination, General”
-Phillip Marlowe to General Sternwood (The Big Sleep, pg. 9)

9. Consequence of Animosity
Marlowe attempts to avoid the police as much as possible.
Marlowe attempts to hide evidence and doesn't immediately inform police of
murders and other crimes.
A common reason for Marlowe’s lack of compliance with the law is stated in
numerous Raymond Chandler novels.
• Marlowe believes that most cops are either incompetent or they are corrupt.
Marlowe’s lack of compliance further exacerbates the animosity between
himself and official law enforcement personnel.

10. Law Enforcement Personnel as
Plot Devices.

11. Raymond Chandler and Convoluted
Storylines
Often, Chandler would combine a series of short stories into a single story.
This would create inconsistencies and plot holes.
• The Big Sleep and The Lady in the Lake are infamous for their convoluted
and confusing plots.
While combining multiple short stories, Chandler would write himself into a
corner.
Unable to move the plot forward, Chandler would utilize a plot device known
as, “Enter the Man with a Gun”.

12. “Enter the Man with a Gun”
"Undoubtedly the stories about them [hard-boiled
detectives] had a fantastic element. Such things happened,
but not so rapidly, nor to so close-knit a group of people,
nor within so narrow a frame of logic. This was inevitable
because the demand was for constant action; if you stopped
to think you were lost. When in doubt, have a man come
through a door with a gun in his hand."
-Raymond Chandler (The Simple Art of Murder)

13. “Enter the Man with a Gun”
The Animosity between law enforcement and private investigators made
crooked cops and incompetent thugs perfect for this role.
The antagonist would invariably give Phillip Marlowe an idea as to where to
look next.
This would allow Chandler to combine various loose plot threads together to
create a cohesive story.

14. In the Final Analysis…
Various types of police officers exist in Phillip Marlowe’s universe.
Many law enforcement personnel are corrupt.
However, a story where all police officers are moral would create a dull story.
Many variety of officers need to exist to create friction with the protagonist.
Corrupt officers also allow Raymond Chandler to move the plot forward.

15. Works Cited
Baker, Robert A., and Michael T. Nietzel. Private Eyes: One Hundred and One Knights: A Survey of
American Detective Fiction, 1922-1984. Bowling Green: Popular Press, 1985. Print.
Chandler, Raymond. Everyman’s Library: The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, The High Window. New
York: Knopf. 2002. Print.
Chandler, Raymond. Everyman’s Library: The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye,
Playback. New York: Knopf. 2002. Print.
Chandler, Raymond. Trouble is My Business. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Print.
Chandler, Raymond. “The Simple Art of Murder.” The University of Texas. University of Texas. Web.
n.d. 19 Feb. 2012. http://www.en.utexas.edu/amlit/amlitprivate/scans/chandlerart.html
Chapman, Ellenore. “If You Can Get Them to Think: An Ethical Defence of Crime Fiction.”
Crimeculture. Crimeculture.com. Web. n.d. 3 Feb. 2012.
Griggers, Cody. “Into the Heart of Marlowe: Masculinity and Romance in Raymond Chandler's The Big
Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely.” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012
Marling,William Ph.D. “Major Works: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.” Detnovel. Detnovel.com.
Web. 12 Apr. 2009. 23 Jan. 2012
Moss, Robert F. “An Introduction to The Big Sleep” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web 21 Feb.
2012
Moss, Robert F. “Raymond Chandler and the Pulps.” The Raymond Chandler Website. n.d. Web. 23
Feb. 2012