ExperienceModule 10: Discussion 1: The Long Goodbye: Your Experience

Discuss your experience of reading The Long Goodbye

Use the Discussion Board to share ideas about the novel with your classmates. Write about the following questions or something else that occurs to you:

• What opinions, questions, complaints do you have about the novel so far?
• What do you think of Philip Marlowe? What adjectives would you use to describe him?
• What do you think of the other characters? Is anyone likeable, relatable?
• Where do you see social realism in this novel?
• How would you describe the tone of the novel?
• How does Chandler’s novel meet/fail to meet/exceed the expectations you had for “Hard-boiled” fiction from reading his critique in Week 5?

Everyone must contribute at least one substantial comment (250-350 words) by Thursday of Module 10) and then one response to someone by the end of Module 10 (Sunday night/Monday morning). (Consult the course Calendar for specific dates.)

PEER REVIEW: Atleast 100 words each peer.

Peer #1

SW: The Long Good By is about detective Marlowe trying or involving to help out an unlikely friend drunk, Terry Lenox. Detective Marlowe met  and saved a drunken guy from being lost. Marlowe met Lenox  at parking lot of  club called Dancers. Detective Marlowe took to a his house Terry Lenox because Marlowe was a brave detective. Marlowe saved many times Lenox  live and  also when Terry was in trouble, he always looked at  Marlowe to help him.

Social realism in Long Good by novel is when the detectives setting is based on a criminal world, and  Marlowe has no family. Also social realism is relationship between Marlowe and Terry Lenox. Lenox and Marlowe became  friends after detective Marlowe helped  Terry many times. The Tone of novel is grimy and rough  because of Marlowe’s bad attitude. Marlowe was trying to be a very  tough and serous detective.   Chandler’s novel meet the expectations I had for “Hard-Boiled’ fiction because detective Dupin in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and detective Philip Marlowe characters  have similar lifestyle.  Detective Dupin and detective Marlowe both have no families. Dupin’s best friend was Watson, his co-worker. Also Marlowe’s best friend was Terry Lenox. Marlowe was alone before  he met Terry Lenox. Terry became Marlowe’s best friend after Marlowe helped him and Marlowe took to him  his house. They trusted to each other and  Lenox found a good friend that helped him from the law or police because Lenox  was accused the murder of his wife even though he did not kill her.

Peer #2

KC: 

When it came to the novel, The Long Goodbye, initially, I was surprised with both the involvement and use of police brutality within the novel. I know I shouldn’t have, considering it is a hard-boiled fiction and corruption within authorities is bound to occur, however, I was not prepared for the scenes involving Detective Dayton and Captain Gregarious so early on in the story. It was refreshing to finally read about physical violence and to experience the kind of pain each character went through. Compared to the detectives we have read about so far, like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, it was a game changer to actually have the detective fight back and not fear about the repercussions that it may cause towards his career.

In regards to Philip Marlowe, I found him to be arrogant at times based on the way in which he spoke to others and how he would fight for power. That he had to hold the upper hand, even if it was for a moment and based around his intellect. How he felt comfort in smoking and drinking, may it be through his whiskey or coffee, yet he meant good in one format or another. I enjoyed the part of him that was never truly blinded by money and how he was willing to help others. In the beginning of the novel, when he decided to take care of the drunken man, Mr. Lennox, I initially thought he was going to be a caring man. That maybe he might not be willing to show it openly, yet was willing to step up and help those in need when others weren’t. His character, in and of it self, was interesting to read, considering how perspective and attention oriented for detail he was and yet spoke so opening with others. One thing I could never quite figure out was how he was able to sense things, like if something bad was going to occur, so it felt like a challenge while reading to discover the answer.

The novel presented the characteristic of social realism through the detective in an effortless way. In Danyte’s piece, Introductions to the Analysis of Crime Fiction, she says, “the detective has no family, few or no friends and only a small apartment in which little time is spent,” when discussing what social realism is in regards to a hard-boiled fiction piece(Danyte 24).  When describing who Mr. Marlowe is, the novel stated, “I’m a lone wolf, unmarried, getting middle-aged, and not rich[…and …]both parents dead, no brothers or sisters”(Chandler 92). The reader is able to become more intrigued about the world Raymond Chandler created and how the characters interact with one another within it without worrying there may be some hidden truth behind them. The world appears more like reality, having those off chances of Mr. Marlowe meeting each one, while giving life to everything else.