I seldom post as I am not very articulate nor very well read
in the genre, but I feel compelled to post in support of the
"sociopathic" sidekick. I find them a fascinating addition to
the story and an inevitable one, in that the hero has at some
point made a choice to live outside the law. It seems logical
that sidekicks would come from those who also are outlaws.
Much of the tension in the Easy Rawlins mysteries comes from
Easy keeping one eye on his enemies and the other on Mouse,
who is always a danger. These protagonists make a moral
choice in choosing to associate with Win, Mouse or Hawk just
as important as the moral choice they would make in taking
the actions done by the sidekicks and they pay a price in
their souls for that choice.
Even more interesting to me are the flawed villains, most
notably in the Robicheaux books. Dave often seems to be
confronting a villain whom he likes a lot, and has caused me
to like a lot, but who eventually must be confronted. Where
is the line between the villain and Clete Purcell? What
distinguishes the outlaw allies from the outlaw enemies seems
to me to be at the heart of these books and that tension
contributes greatly to their resonance.
Teri
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