Re: RARA-AVIS: Chemical Dependence and Hard-Boiledness (was:

William Denton (buff@vex.net)
Sat, 15 Aug 1998 16:03:04 -0400 (EDT) On Sat, 15 Aug 1998, Words from the Monastery wrote:

: Do hard-boiled types have to drink or have some other chemical
: dependance to be hard-boiled?

No, but it seems to be a pretty common reaction. I doubt there are a
lot of homicide detectives out there who eat macrobiotic diets and do
needlepoint on the weekends; for tough dicks like Hammer, Marlowe and
the Op, after a day of fights, shootings, stonewalling the DA, lying
to the cops and dealing with a gorgeous dame, carrot juice and
aromatherapy just wouldn't cut it. They need a few fingers of good
liquor.

It probably wouldn't have been until at least the late '60s that
mystery writers would have been able to get away with having a hero
who took drugs (not counting Conan Doyle and perhaps other early
types). Besides, a heroin or cocaine addict wouldn't make a very good
detective, and potheads would just hang out at home eating potato
chips and cookies. (This isn't to say hardboiled novels can't star
junkies, of course they can. But a shamus who keeps shooting up and
nodding off wouldn't last long.)

Bars are a great place for things to happen, too. Scudder's AA
friends are concerned about the amount of time he spends in bars,
especially ones he frequented when he was drinking, but imagine how
dull things would be if he had to meet potential clients (and friends
like the hard-drinking Danny Boy and Mick) in a franchised coffee
house.

: Is a reformed heavy drinker enough ... or does the booze and/or
: drugs make or break the hard-boiledness of the character?

I think it's more of an understandable reaction to the mean streets
they walk, and a way for the writer to show how tough his character
is.

Bill

-- 
William Denton | Toronto, Canada | http://www.vex.net/~buff/ | Caveat lector.
            "Let's keep the party polite."

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