Mark Sullivan (AnonymeInc@webtv.net)
Sun, 13 Jun 1999 12:57:06 -0400 (EDT)
But are there any lone wolves left in hardboiled fiction,
other than the psycho- and/or socio-paths that are too-often
its villains? Even Vachss's Burke, for all of his
declarations that he is alone, needs no one, etc., has a
large, extended surrogate family. In the Searchers, John
Wayne, after restoring order, is left outside the door; in
God Is A Bullet, Case Hardened (sic) is invited in to form a
new family. I think this is one of the things that marks the
last couple decades of hardboiled fiction, the complicated
way the detective relates to the order -- he or she may be on
the outskirts, but they are no longer completely outside
it.
Even Stark's stories about Parker, whom many would call the
lone wolf, supreme, are really about how Parker works in a
group dynamic. I can't think of a single case, other than the
revenge-driven Hunter, in which Parker operates alone.
Then, in modern noir we see people punished for holding
themselves apart, thinking they are different, or better than
others. Look at Lankford's Shooters. This guy is able to be
victimized because he has no ties, no one who will stand by
him.
I can think of very few real lone wolves in modern hardboiled
besides Amos Walker and for all of his appeal, he is somewhat
anachronistic; as a matter of fact, that nostalgia is a large
part of his appeal. And Estleman's too-short (boy, would I
love to read more) hitman series is about the anti-hero's
relationships with his sons and others.
Mark
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Sun 13 Jun 1999 - 12:57:26 EDT