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RARA-AVIS: Sometimes a pearl is just a pearl. 

  The falt dear Brutus, is not in our Marlowe, but in our selves, In
that we fear to be called nancy-boys.

   (with apologies to W. Shakespear)

  I really find this idea that Chandler was hiding deeply hidden
homosexual feelings a lot of hooie. From what I have read about the man
I really think there is a good chance that if he had been gay, he would
have known it and he would not have hidden it or at least would have
been about as out as anyone could be back then. I mean after all J.
Edger Hoover DID try to pick him up in the Brown Derby, his
reply..."please tell Mr. Hoover to go to Hell." (but you can still see
that British training, he still put a Mr. befour Hoover.)

  But about this theory, which I think I first saw back in the 70's,
Marlowe does reject, or more to the point does not take advantage of a
number of women. The post Playboy man of fiction just can not do that,
he HAS to have sex, sometimes it seems just about every 15 minuites,
like James Bond in Moonraker shaging the soon to be forgotten girl of
the moment even though his arm has been broken just below the shoulder.

  But this Don Juanism is also said to be a form of repressed
homosexuality, the moving from woman to woman really a fearfull hash
for the hills, but you don't see anyone wondering about the hidden
meaning behind the bed'em and forget'em heroes of the last 40 years.
Hiting to close to home?

  The women that Marlowe (or what ever he is called in the story at
hand) `rejects' are women that HAVE to be rejected for him to be true
to himself. One is married, and being cheated by two diffrent men that
she trusted, and he will not be another. In the Big Sleep the woman is
mentallty ill. And this is the one that is brought up the most often.
The woman was crazy as hell, and it turns out a murderer. But hidden
meaning is placed into Marlowe turning down her advances. I am reminded
of that bit in Animal House where Pento is wondering if he should
rape a girl passed out from drink, he desides not to and his angel
self exits with "I'm proud of you Laurence." while his devil self pops
out with "Faggot!"  I think that's pretty much where the mind set is
for te most part.

  In the Red Wind he is not saving the mans rep! He is saving the woman
from more pain, her husban is a cad, so he spairs her the knowlage that
her fantasy true-hearted lover is one as well....and a cheap one to
boot! He is not doing it for him,  he's just carrying out one more good
deed for her.

  As for the pearls, sometimes a cigar is just a ciger. It would be
just as easy to focus on other things (i.e. note the woman carrys a
gun, but it is impotent through out. Is Chandler saying that women are
powerless men?*)



*answer:  Hell no.
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