American Crime Literature: Hard-Boiled Detectives vs Kinsey Milhone - Essay Example

Both Chandler’s The Big Sleep and Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon shared similar central detective characters that were noticeable for their “hard-boiled” characteristics. The influence of these characters can be seen throughout later works within this genre.
One of the primary characteristics of the “hard-boiled” detective is that they work alone. Although Chandler’s Marlowe had a partner Archer Archer’s early demise can be seen as setting the stage for Marlowe to work alone. Furthermore, these detectives were aged between the mid-thirties and the mid-forties and lacked any family associations of any kind. These characters can be seen as loners who were “tough guys” and acted within this image throughout the stories. The element of being a tough guy does not leave these characters no matter how pitiful the situation is. Another pet characteristic is the diet of these characters that consists of little more than fried eggs, black coffee, and cigarettes (Fiedler).
Socially these detectives hang out in shady bars all night long and drink heavily. However, these characters never drink too much so that they remain aware of their surroundings at all times and can quickly respond when a brawl arises. These detectives always carry a loaded gun and are willing to shoot a criminal or to get beat up if it helps them in solving a mystery. Financially these detectives are always broke and are looking for money through any case that comes their way. Often the simple and uncomplicated cases they assume turn out to be intricate cases of deceit and betrayal. The modus operandi is often the urban landscape. Moreover, these detectives know the “low lives” and racketeers of the urban scene exceptionally well (Gruber). These detectives are also promiscuous and usually end up sleeping with another character although Marlowe is an exception to this. The morality of these detectives is ambivalent as they can be seen ready to do anything to rid their nation of the “pestilences” that they confront but they fail to go by the rules of the police.
When Su Grafton’s “A” is for Alibi is compared to the “hard-boiled” detectives from previous decades, it becomes obvious that her protagonist Kinsey Milhone shares common traits with Sam Spade as well as Philip Marlowe (Karelson). Like her male counterparts, Kinsey works all alone and falls in nearly the same age bracket too. Moreover, she has no association with a family of any kind. The image of Kinsey as a “tough woman” is also persistent throughout the novel and her basic diet is nearly the same as those of the male “hard-boiled” detectives. Kinsey is not much of a strong drinker but she displays the same open sex behavior when she engages in sex with a suspect. More or less Kinsey is broken throughout the novel and she tends to display an ambivalent sense of justice throughout a complex plot.
All in all, if Kinsey is compared to Spade and Marlowe, a striking number of similarities can be found between all three characters. Though some subtle differences exist these can be neglected as insignificant if the overall settings and progression of the story are accounted for.