Character Analysis

The Tough Guy

On the surface, Philip Marlowe appears to be your quintessential tough-guy private eye.
He's tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome, Rick Castle-style. He's got a dry sense of
humor and a quick wit. He smokes cigarettes (Camels are his go-to) and drinks booze
constantly (usually whiskey or brandy). He gets into violent fistfights and has a tendency
to treat women, um, callously (he's been known to slap a few of them). He leads a
solitary life—no friends, no family, no main squeeze—and is basically a straight up cynic
when it comes to his lot in life.
Marlowe's sarcastic wit appears right away in the opening paragraph of the novel. Let's
take a quick look at how he describes himself as he prepares to meet with General
Sternwood:
I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief,
black brogues, black wool socks and dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean,
shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed
private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars. (1.1)
It would be easy to breeze through this passage and not think much about it. Sure, it's
funny enough, but it's just a straightforward description of Marlowe's clothes, so let's just
get on with the story, right?
Ah, but there's actually a whole lot more going on than that in these four sentences.
First of all, why does Marlowe take so much time giving us all these seemingly
insignificant details about his clothes? To answer that, we have to look at the second
sentence when Marlowe says, "I didn't care who knew it." What does that mean
exactly? Marlowe's saying he doesn't care if anyone finds out that he's a "neat, clean,
shaved and sober" detective. So is he saying that normally he would care if someone
saw him so well dressed, but that today he doesn't seem to mind? Does that also imply
that he has a reputation for being an unclean, unshaven and drunken detective?
As the novel progresses, we know that Marlowe regularly forgets to shave and
frequently pours himself a few stiff drinks in the middle of the day. So why is he willing
to change his regular behavior on this particular day? Well, Marlowe tells us that he's
"calling on four million dollars." That's a big hint that the reason for the change is
money. Marlowe's willing to dress in a way he normally doesn't because he's calling on
one of the richest men in L.A. So already in the opening paragraph, we know that
money will be an important factor influencing the events in the novel.
And it also asks us to consider what Marlowe's attitude toward money is, and we
eventually realize that he's not exactly keen on the rich folks of the world. Marlowe's
witty sarcasm in the opening sentences becomes more and more cynical as he
uncovers the dark mystery surrounding the Sternwood family.
Okay, so Marlowe's most distinguishing characteristic is his hardboiled cynicism, which
makes sense given the seedy world of Depression-era L.A. where he lives. While on the
job, Marlowe witnesses a series of criminal activities from blackmail to bribery to murder
to illegal cover-ups. You name it and he's probably seen it. So it's only natural that
Marlowe would develop a hardened exterior in order to contend with the gun-toting,
trigger-happy criminals that he meets on the mean streets.
But what separates Marlowe from your standard hardboiled private dick is the fact that
he has a strict code of ethics that he almost always sticks to. For one thing, he hardly
makes any money from his work. With all the dope he has on the people that hire him,
Marlowe could easily be rolling in dough from all the scoops and skinnies. He could
totally get in on some blackmail action. And yet, Marlowe is willing to work for a measly
twenty-five bucks a day for General Sternwood (who's filthy rich, by the way), simply
because he wants to find the truth.

The Modern-Day Knight

So does his noble quest for truthiness mean Marlowe's tough guy attitude is all an act?
Not exactly. There's no question that Marlowe is as hardboiled as they come and he
makes no apologies for his cynicism. But despite his misanthropic streak, he's also just
an honest detective trying his best to survive in a dishonest society.
First of all, we know that Marlowe is a stand-up because he works independently, for
himself and not directly for the law. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the police in
Chandler's world are easily corruptible. Marlowe's also surprisingly sensitive, even
sentimental, when we least expect him to be. He develops a genuine fondness for
General Sternwood, and goes out of his way to protect the General's interests. What
does all of this add up to? Well, the best way to understand
Marlowe's paradoxical personality is to think of him as a modern-day knight.
Let's take his name, for example. Philip Marlowe. It has a certain knightly sound to it,
don't you think? Chandler had initially intended to name his detective Mallory because
he was a big fan of Thomas Malory, who wrote about King Arthur and the knights of the
Round Table in his famous work Le Morte D'Arthur (source). It's pretty clear that
Chandler wanted to portray Marlowe as a modern knight errant fighting for General
Sternwood—he's the vassal to Sternwood's lord. So in "knightly" terms, we could say
that Marlowe is on a quest for justice, dedicated to serving his lord with honor and
loyalty, despite any sexual or financial temptations and threats of physical harm that
come his way. Plus, since he's got a strong sense of morals, we might also say that
Marlowe is deeply invested in a personal code of chivalry. So we took the liberty of
making a handy list of "Marlowe's Rules to Live By":

 Be loyal to your client, even at the cost of your own personal gain or safety.

 Don't be motivated by money. Accept payment only for a job well done.

 Don't be afraid to break the law if it will serve your client's interests. (The police
are as corrupt as criminals, anyway.)
  Never succumb to sexual temptations, even (or especially) when there is a naked
woman lying in your bed.

 Carry alcohol in your pocket at all times, and smoke Camels constantly.

 Be a tough guy. Make sarcastic joke and always be equipped with a good
comeback.

Okay, so Marlowe might not be wearing shining armor and riding a white horse, but he
still fights for justice in his own way. And he never strays from his personal code.
Chandler hammers the Marlowe-knight connection home right from the beginning. The
novel opens with Marlowe looking up at a stained glass panel of a knight trying to
rescue a damsel in distress. The "Symbols, Imagery and Allegory" section explains the
meaning behind this stained glass in greater detail, but for now, suffice it to say that
Marlowe finds himself identifying with the knight depicted in the scene. In fact, Marlowe
even does his own knightly good deed when he stumbles onto Geiger's dead body and
finds Carmen naked at the scene of the crime.
Like the knight in the stained glass window, he "rescues" the naked Carmen and returns
her to the Sternwood house, her secret intact. There's just one problem here: Carmen
can hardly be considered a virtuous damsel in distress. This is the root of the problem
and the reason why Marlowe sometimes seems to be out of sync with his modern world.
He wants to be chivalrous, but there aren't any honorable women left who are worth
saving. And what's a knight with no one to rescue?
In a world littered with corpses, Marlowe's position as a modern-day knight is a tough
role. He gets himself involved in some shady transactions during his search for truth,
and we can't help but wonder whether chivalry is even possible in modern times.
Marlowe seems to be aware of this when he says in the closing pages of the novel that
he "was part of the nastiness now" (32.77). Which, aside from all the dead bodies lying
around, is the real bummer at the heart of this novel: Marlowe's chivalric code ultimately
fails. In the crime-ridden society of the 1930s, old standards of honor no longer exist.
Of course this doesn't change anything for Marlowe. He still stands by his principles, no
matter the cost.

Philip Marlowe
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CHARACTERS PHILIP MARLOWE
What The Big Sleep tells its readers about detective Philip Marlowe is that he is an honest
detective in a corrupt world. He is full of integrity and honesty, a man who is willing to seek
truth and work for a mere twenty-five dollars a day. In many ways he is even chaste. The best
way to understand him is to think of him as many critics have—as a modern-day knight.
Marlowe, in his work, witnesses death, murder, smut, and crime every day—they are a part of
his everyday existence—and yet, we come to the realization that Marlowe remains the only
honorable character in his everyday world. The novel book opens with Marlowe starring at a
piece of stained glass in the Sternwood mansion. The stained glass depicts a knight trying to
release a "damsel in distress" from the tree to which she is tied. The woman is described in
Marlowe's usual sardonic tone as being naked but having "some very long convenient hair."
Perhaps the most significant aspect of this passage is Marlowe's observation that the knight is not
getting very far in the feat placed before him. This image of futility causes Marlowe to think to
himself that, if he lived in the Sternwood house, he would, sooner or later, have to climb up into
the stained glass and help the knight, as the knight does not seem to really be trying. Marlowe's
thoughts are important for two reasons. First, they foreshadow the scenes in which Marlowe
"rescues" the naked Carmen; second, they make us realize that Marlowe will commit himself
completely to the tasks placed before him. He does his task not for the meager pay, but because it
is what he feels he must do.

Significantly, Marlowe lives rather poorly, paid only twenty-five dollars a day plus expenses.
Nonetheless, he seems inherently driven towards the discovery of truth. Also significant is the
fact that Marlowe works towards this truth independently—he does not work directly for the law,
but for himself. He is not a "cop," but rather a private detective.

Despite the tough front Marlowe puts up, on the inside he is good and almost sensitive. We see
this clearly in the fact that he tells Carmen his name is Doghouse Reilly, even though his real
name is Philip Marlowe. Doghouse Reilly seems like a street name, ringing with the same tough-
sounding bell that names like Eddie Mars or Canino do, for instance. Regardless, Marlowe's true
name is Marlowe—a name that not only sounds knightly, but that, as Peter J. Rabinowitz claims
in his essay "Rats behind the Wainscoting: Politics, Convention, and Chandler's The Big Sleep,"
is also the name of Conrad's protagonist in the classic novel Heart of Darkness. This connection
forms an important parallel between the two novels: both characters are idealists in search of
truth in a primarily dark world.
By the end of the novel, we must bring Marlowe's knighthood to question and ask ourselves how
successful he is as a knight, as a private detective, and as an honorable person. given what he has
had to give up and give into throughout his search for truth.

Philip MarloweCharacter Analysis

Protagonist and narrator Philip Marlowe is an experienced and well-networked
private detective. He is hired by General Sternwood to discover why Arthur Gwynn
Geiger is blackmailing him; district attorney Taggart Wilde, whom Marlowe used to
work for, had suggested Marlowe for the job, revealing that Marlowe remains
respected among the L.A. police department despite having been “fired” for
“insubordination.” A stereotypical man’s man, Marlowe drinks heavily, can shoot a
gun while handcuffed, fights well when forced to, and easily withstands the wiles of
Sternwood’s temptress daughters. Cynical, strategic, and fearless, Marlowe is an
ace detective who stands for honor and honesty and always seems one step ahead
of his opponents. Marlowe takes his job seriously, looking to uncover the whole
story rather than just do what is necessary for a paycheck, and often demonstrates
a strong moral compass that most other characters in the novel lack. While
Sternwood hired Marlowe only to look into Geiger’s blackmail threat, the detective
also comes across the mystery of missing person Rusty Regan, the General’s son-
in-law. The mystery seems to follow Marlowe despite his initial disinterest, and,
finally, proves too enticing to ignore; by the end of the novel, Marlowe has solved
both cases and revealed the depth of corruption among even the respected
members of Los Angeles society. Yet, Marlowe is not without fault. Sexist and
homophobic, Marlowe scorns those who do not meet his rigid sense of proper
American masculinity. He mocks the homosexual Geiger and his lover Carol
Lundgren, despises overtly sexual women, and disdains the short Harry Jones.

Philip Marlowe
Marlowe is the main character in the novel, a private detective hired by
a wealthy family to investigate who is behind the blackmailing of one
of the members of the family. Marlowe is described as being
calculating, cold at times and able to resist the advantages and
attempts of flirting coming from both Vivian and Carmen. He is
sometimes considered inoffensive by the other characters but what
makes him dangerous is his intelligence. Marlowe is a modern knight,
saving those in need and refusing to take advantage of vulnerable
women. His honor is also what drives him to search for the truth in
connection with Rusty even though he was not paid to do it. Because
of his noble character, Marlowe seems to be at times in the wrong
environment, surrounded by criminals and corruption.

Philip Marlowe
Marlowe is 33 years old, college educated, independent, and irreverent. In his clipped dialogue he
makes wisecracks and sarcastic remarks to everyone from millionaires to dangerous thugs. When
there's no one else to defy, he turns witty lines in his head, for his own—and the reader's—
entertainment. He dresses well but lives a lonely man's life, conducting business from a cheap and
unimpressive office. He can read people and situations, an essential skill in his profession, and one
that puts him at the top of his field, despite his lower level earnings. Unlike Sherlock Holmes's
reliance on logic alone, Marlowe's detection technique consists of getting directly involved in a
situation, stirring things up to see what happens, reading cues and clues, and following up despite
risk and temptation. His loyalty, once given, is absolute. He serves his client's interests, protects his
reputation, and suffers beatings. He is a modern-day knight.

Hard-boiled is the phrase most often used to describe Raymond Chandler's

quintessential private eye, Philip Marlowe. The truth is: It isn't Marlowe who is
hard-boiled, it's the world he lives in.