RARA-AVIS: Fissures in hardboiledness

From: Mario Taboada ( matrxtech@yahoo.com)
Date: 27 Apr 2002


This very interesting discussion brought to mind an apparent fissure in Parker's hardboiled armor: in _The Score_, why does he do nothing to stop Grofield from picking up the telephone operator and taking her with him? Letting a stranger, and a witness at that, come with the crew is very unlike Parker. The circumstances were the worst possible, as those who have read the book will know.

Could it be that Parker feared a confrontation with Grofield?

Or that self-preservation and carrying off the job was more important to him than arguing the point?

The point is, I think, that no character can be totally hardboiled all the time. A point that has already been made by other posters but which, in the case or Parker (an acknowledged ultrahardboiled icon), seems particularly apposite.

Now the quiz: Can anybody think of a good action, or at least an out of character action, by Dudley Smith? I know that he's more in the psychopath category, but the question is still relevant.

Best,

MrT

=====
"Don't just do something, sit there!" Thich Nhat Hanh

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