Sorry I missed out on all the America love/hate thread a
while ago. Coulda
been fun...interesting that Hammer is one of the few openly
patriotic
private eyes around (the last refuge, and all that). Most are
more critical
of society (either from the left or right), rather than
wrapping themselves
in a flag. The right (or is it more anti-left) is represented
by Hammer
(sometimes), and M.V. Heberden's Desmond Shannon, both
quite
anti-Communist, and, of course, that freedom-loving American
P.I. of Cleve
Adams, Rex McBride, who opined that "An American Gestapo is
godamned well
what we need."
Most hardboiled private eye fiction is political by
inference, not
implication. The criticism of society is there in the fact
that these men
and women are "private" investigators, not part of the police
force or
other government agencies, and that their cases quite often
reveal
corruption in places of authority and power, be it police
forces
(Chandler's (Bay City), government agencies or the boardrooms
of industry.
It seems the trail of corruption climbs up, not down in most
private eye
fiction, and therefore more likely to adapt a "leftist" point
of view,
since conservatism, and faith in the status quo seem to be
more a tenet of
the right. Both sides find the law lacking; one side finds it
too gutless
and weak (see McBride's quote above), and the other finds it
too harsh and
unfair (ie: lefties such as Chandler, Hammett, MacDonald,
Joseph Hansen,
Michael Collins, Sara Paretsky, etc.).
One more thought: Bogie refused to name names either.
Usually patriotism is used more as a plot device, than as a
facet of the
hero. If I wanted "My country, right or wrong", I'd be
reading spy novels,
probably.
By the way, how'd the crossword puzzle go? Did anyone have
problems with it?
(Oh, and Bill, don't tell 'em how socialist we are up
here....they might
get onto our plan on takin' over their little
country....Agent Celine Dion
reports that she's already infiltrated the
airwaves....they'll be begging
for mercy soon....)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Smith
The Thrilling Detective Web Site
http://www.colba.net/~kvnsmith/thrillingdetective/
It's summertime, and the living is cheesy...
What are you reading this summer?
Tell us in this month's P.I. Poll...
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