blog




  • Essay / Red Wind: Femme Fatale, Defeat

    Since the beginning of the era, women's roles have taken a prominent place in the modern 20th century until the present day, which has continued to change since . Raymond Chandler's works have proven this time and time again, as he focuses on the attitudes, clothing, and themes of 1930s women and encapsulates their motivations in his characters. The artificial role reversal found in Raymond Chandler's "Red Wind" ultimately alludes to the feminist movement that took place during the 1930s era, as well as the concept of the femme fatale and the dozens of coups devastating effects on 1930s masculinity. Although Chandler liked to incorporate the power of sexual attraction and the affirmation of masculinity over women, the dilemmas of the era seemed to sully these gender norms and highlight a new subject ; the dominant woman of the 1930s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In Chandler's "Red Wind," the tension between Marlowe and Lola is apparent in every aspect of the story, making it a classic example of a femme fatale detective play. Towards the beginning of the story, Lola is swept away by Marlowe when he recognizes her bolero and straw hat (Chandler 5). Marlowe's convincing declaration to Lola that the police were looking for her and his effective maneuvers to strategically lure her to his apartment demonstrate how elusive he is to a woman's grasp. Marlowe is also a stereotypical complement to the way a man's charming good looks and desirable speech seem to have a devastating effect on women. It is at this point that Lola sees Marlowe's chess setup, which ultimately serves as the plot for the detective play. The chessboard serves as Marlowe's setting, and he feels like the knight, aiming to take steps forward and avoid going backwards. The femme fatale is further amplified when Marlowe fails to take advantage of Lola in the car after their engagement in a passionate kiss. His legendary quote, “Go home now” (Chandler 17), recounts his constant drive to perform a kind of knightly honor. Not only did Marlowe fail to take advantage of Lola once again when she spoke of her separation from her husband, but he hid the fact that the pearls her former husband had given her were only high quality fakes. His last act, throwing the real pearls into the Pacific Ocean, finally settles the fact that his quest for dignity, valiant and gentlemanly, leads him to denounce it in the name of the honor of a knight (William Marling). This is in complete contrast to the fairy tale ending, as well as the "guy gets the girl" mentality. The chessboard is set and Marlowe must play his knightly action. Marlowe's incessant need to constantly reevaluate his title as "knight" contrasts darkly with, for example, Lola assuming the man's role and drawing her weapon. In short, this symbolizes the degradation of masculinity and the male-rescue-woman stereotype. with the action of the knight on the chessboard, make a few movements forward, then a movement backwards. Although there are several points in the story where a woman is shown to be seemingly under the word and power of the man, Lola's inability to even remove the safety latch of her missing when she is armed on Marlowe in his apartment is indicative of the degree of success of women. coming in the 1930s. The fact that Marlowe tells her this and she doesn't even realize that her safety is at stake only illustrates how women were generally unaccustomed to being placed in the position of a.