Re: RARA-AVIS: Marlowe

From: Juri Nummelin ( jurnum@utu.fi)
Date: 30 Aug 2001


On Wed, 29 Aug 2001, Mark Sullivan wrote:

> Marlowe is uncomfortable with women who define themselves by their
sexuality,
> wouldn't he be equally offended by men who do the same? The
> classification alone means the group is defined by their sexual
> preferences.

That's just what Chandler said about homosexuals in general, having met the British writer Christopher Isherwood. Chandler said that he didn't want to belong to a group of people who characterize themselves by sexual behaviour. (Now, why should've Chandler belonged to that group?)

> Add that the main stereotype of gay men, even now, but
> especially then, is that they act feminine and the problem for Marlowe
> becomes that they are nothing more than tarts in male drag.

Many feministic critics have argued that one of the basic elements in Chandler's writing is the fear of sex and sexuality.

Juri

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