Could Chandler's Marlowe be, in certain instances, amoral?
Knowing "how cities are run," he compromises with various
crime bosses. Surely, as a loyalist to and savior of many of
his clients, he is distinctly moral. But when he goes to talk
to Eddie Mars at the end of _The Big Sleep_, he is willing to
deal with the king of the rackets to keep that super-predator
from the Sternwood fortune, and to keep quiet what he knows
about Carman. And in _Farewell My Lovely_, it seems to me
that Chandler presents Brunette as an amoral city boss, who
would not kill anyone if he does not have to, wants power and
peace not disturbance, and is in the forefront of the merging
of under- and upper-world which characterized 20th century
American politics.
My best example of amorality in
crime fiction is the brilliant insurance investigator in
_Double Indemnity_, Keyes. He saves his company by deceiving
Walter about what will happen if he escapes via boat at the
end of the novel. He betrays Walter in every way: trapping
him on board with death-bound Phyllis and then informing the
ship's captain and police who Phyllis and Walter really are.
Nothing personal; he likes Walter. But he likes his company,
his reputation, and Lola better. They are all better off
without Walter.
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