In a message dated 12/2/03 7:20:08 PM Eastern Standard Time,
owner-rara-avis@icomm.ca writes:
<<
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 17:19:23 -0500 (EST)
From: William Denton <
buff@pobox.com>
Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Hammett or Chandler
On 2 December 2003,
Moorich2@aol.com wrote:
: Actually, I find the Continental Op with his
matter-a-fact toughness to
: be far more convincing than Philip Marlowe. Don't get
me wrong, I love
: Chandler's romantic vision of the knight going down
mean streets but I
: don't view that stylized world and character as more
convincing.
Who would you rather be, though? I think Chandler's
been so influential
because we want to be Marlowe, not the Op.
Bill
- --
William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/
: Caveat lector.
>>
Oh no, no, no. Provocative question but I disassociate myself
completely from your assumption. Speaking only for myself, I
AM Phillip Marlowe in the sense that I completely understand
and identify with his persona--maintaining a confident
facade, trying to steer a correct path through a complicated,
often confusing world of grays and ambiguities. I live with
Marlowe everyday inside my skin and this is one of the great
attractions of the character for me.
But I WANT to be the Op. Who likes being plagued with
self-doubts? Who likes struggling for the right path? Who
likes carrying the weight of the world on his
shoulders?
Oh no, my friend, greater or lesser character we can debate
but there is no debate about which I would rather be. Let me
be the Op: doing the best he can
(which is pretty good), earning his salary, living by his
smarts but when neccessary by his muscle, capable of meeting
most challenges, respected and able to hold his head up in
any company and, all in all, maintaining a proper perspective
about things.
Richard Moore
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