Abstract In this article, the writer examines the book "The Big Sleep", the first in a series of 'Phillip Marlowe' crime novels by RaymondChandler. The writer relates that the story unfolds through the narration of Marlowe, a private detective hired by the dying millionaire General Sternwood to solve a mystery blackmail case for the meager sum of twenty-five dollars a day. The writer concentrates on the discussion about the complex and contradictory character of Phillip Marlowe, focusing on his psychology. The writer analyzes the way Marlowe thinks and speaks and looks at what that can tell the audience about his relationship to the Sternwoods, to the world of crime he encounters, and to Los Angeles.
From the Paper "To gain an insight into the actions of Marlowe it is first necessary to understand the context of his milieu. As early as the 1920s Los Angeles had become a commodity. The centralisation of the American Film Industry had created a city that traded the American Dream. It was marketed as Hollywood and suburban communities in the desert became immensely popular. This picture perfect ideal was shattered in the 1930's with the Wall Street collapse becoming an increasing disaster and the Great Depression gripping the nation. Now the picture perfect town had become another city where incomes dropped and unemployment was rising. Crime was rampant and dignity was lost, people only had cynicism and disillusionment for the future."
Abstract This paper looks at some of the specific locations in the texts and their metaphorical significance before taking the discussion of urban representation to a wider scope by looking at Chandler's depiction of the Los Angeles and its inhabitants. It also examines the author's use of media and architecture as symbols of facade in both novels.
From the Paper "Firstly, Chandler paints an image of Los Angeles as a "new centre-less city in which the various classes have lost touch with each other because each is isolated in his own geographical compartment." As an urban sprawl, Chandler's Los Angeles accommodates a social structure that is similarly sprawling away from any central sense of community. "Neighbourhoods are irrationally segregated from each other...and expensive ones like...Idle Valley are made inaccessible to those without cars or credentials." This quotation raises two important observations. The first is the significance of the name Idle Valley. As a valley it geographically shelters its inhabitants from exterior influences, presumably the citizens of the greater metropolis of Los Angeles and of the lower classes. "
Abstract At first glance, "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko and "The Long Goodbye" by RaymondChandler seem to have nothing in common. The former represents the psychological struggle of Native Americans in their search for identity in the United States, while the latter seems the usual detective story Marlowe has created. This paper, however, points out that there are several underlying motives and structures that do not make an attempt at comparing the two works futile. One would be a comparison between the two main characters, while another may compare the story's plot and the irony techniques that the writers use.
From the Paper "Tayo's suffering is physical, but, most of all, emotional and psychological. His distress does not come only from his imprisonment in Japan during the war, but also from his torment related to his place as a half Native American in the American post-war society. Integration seems, in the beginning, impossible for Tayo. This comes from his double ethnicity which means that he may be rejected by both societies. In many ways, this is something that Leslie Marmon Silko has experienced herself."
Abstract This paper provides three short essays that relate to the topic of mystery and detection novels and film noir. The paper looks at the hard boiled detective found in these genres. The paper refers to the work of RaymondChandler, Dashiel Hammett, Walter Mosley and others, as well as to select films.
From the Paper "The novels of Raymond Chandler, hard-boiled detective fiction in the vein of Dashiel Hammett focus on the experiences of detective Philip Marlowe. If Chandler's novels featuring Marlowe like "The Big Sleep" have a moral, the moral appears to be that there are intelligent and stupid criminals and law enforcement officials and those that are the most intelligent usually wind up victorious."
Tags:RaymondChandler, film noir, Dashiel Hammett, Walter Mosley, Ross MacDonald, hard boiled detective, myth of America
Abstract The following paper is a response to Raymond Carver's book "Where Water Comes Together with Other Water", a collection of poems that Carver wrote earlier on in his life. The essay will mainly focus on Carver's ability to write from the heart and to be able to use his personal life as material and inspiration.
Abstract This paper explains that the plot of "The Big Sleep" which revolves around blackmail and murder, does not strictly adhere to the old mystery tradition of solving the problems in logic and deduction but rather deals with the psychological complexities of people who exist in an underground, liminal world and for whom life is more of a burden than a gift. The author points out what stands out above the rottenness is the profound sense of helplessness and hopelessness which pervades the lives of most of the characters, including detective Philip Marlowe, who comes off with a brash air of conceited self-confidence and an equally loud aura of indifference. The paper suggests that Marlowe's character is the embodiment of Chandler's essential message: Hope to divert disaster, even when you shouldn't be bothered to care and even when no one else seems to care but you.
From the Paper "Chandler describes his goal in creating Philip Marlowe to be that he is "the hero, he is everything...a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man...a man of honor, by instinct, by inevitability...a lonely man." Oates, on the other hand, describes him as "a cult figure of enviable sexual allure," whose primary appeal to the reader is that he is every man's "wish-fulfillment fantasy," and in turn the "essence of virility" for every woman. Yet this assumption carries a dissonant note. Chandler's obvious downplaying of Marlowe's personal sexuality is more likely intended to steer the reader to the greater nature of his quest: the search for integrity among the living who inhabit this strange, cruel, dispassionate world of 1930s Los Angeles."
Abstract This paper discusses the "institutional theory" of Alfred Chandler, a Harvard Professor. Chandler has studied the past trends in the history of American business and the reasons why most big businesses collapsed after due to mergers and acquisition before 1980s.
Abstract This paper discusses the character Little Chandler in James Joyce's "A Little Cloud", analyzing the way he lives a life of delusion and is unable to take responsibility for the choices he has made.
From the Paper "Little Chandler refuses to acknowledge the circumstances of his present life. He rarely reflects on his own predicament, while devoting much thought to the life of Gallaher. When he contemplates "what changes [the] last eight years have brought", one expects him to mention the differences in his own life; however, he proceeds to describe the changes in Chandler's life over the years (846). He reveals virtually nothing about his job, making only passing references to his work. Chandler speaks of ?[turning] often from his tiresome writing to gaze out of the office window? (846). He then describes in detail the view from his office window, never explicitly stating what he does for a living."
Abstract Alfred D. Chandler's article entitled ?The Enduring Logic of Industrial Success" states that the pioneers in a market will dominate their industries and continue to do so for decades. The writer examines in detail why these companies are identified as first movers and how they take advantage of being first movers to capture markets and become successful.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Findings & Discussion
L'Oreal
Toyota
P&G
Conclusion
From the Paper "L"Oreal is one of the first companies who sought to compete internationally beyond local or regional markets. When it enters a new market, the most significant strategy is to buy and repackage the local brands and make them world-famous. The most famous examples are Maybelline, Soft Sheen and Carson in the United States and Shu Uemura in Japan. L"Oreal was not satisfied with the profit-guaranteed market of Maybelline in Middle America. Aggressively, it promotes its products worldwide. When Carson found a market in South Africa, the Savannah firm, in debt, was unable to do the investment, L?Oreal made it because Owen Jones, the chairman of the company realized that "people of African origin, where they were in the world, were a huge future potential business" (Tomlinson, 2002). In addition to economics of scale to exert its cost advantage, L"Oreal also expands via economics of scope tremendously in years. The company started out in hair dyes. Now they have products in hair color, permanents, hairstyling aids, body and skin care, skin cleansers, and fragrances. Since they market over 500 brands and more than 2000 products, this provides them with a very strong presence in the beauty market. L"Oreal products are found in all distribution channels: hair salons, hypermarkets, supermarkets, health and beauty outlets, and direct mail. This gives them an advantage over competitors with limited distribution outlets."
Abstract This paper analyzes Chandler's hypothesis concerning the devleopment of big business in America. The author considers other theorists on the same issue.
Abstract This paper explains that the protagonist, Squeaky, learns a valuable lesson about the worth of others by noticing that her brother, Raymond, who is ?not quite right,? runs well in the May Day race. The author points out that Squeaky seeing Raymond in a different light causes her to see not only herself in a different way, but also the character, Gretchen. The paper concludes that Raymond's simple act of running allows Squeaky to realize that everyone has something to offer, no matter how they may seem on the surface.
From the Paper "Squeaky no longer sees Gretchen as competition; she sees her as someone with whom she has something in common. She writes, "Maybe she"d like to help me coach Raymond?, which indicates that she wants to be her friend. With this thought in mind, as the winners of the race are announced, Squeaky and Gretchen exchange a "great big smile of respect between us. It's about as real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering she don"t practice real smiling every day?."
Abstract This paper analyzes how revision affected the works of Raymond Carver: "The Bath" and "A Small Good Thing". The analysis includes an explanation of numerous techniques that Raymond Carver used.
From the Paper "Revision: the despised word to students who have worked endlessly on a project. However, some people treat revision like a holy ritual. Revision is the process that can take organized ideas and turn them into a work of art. One revision is almost never enough to create a masterpiece. The revisions Raymond Carver did to The Bath while creating A Small, Good Thing are proof that revision can take something simple, turn it around, and create a masterpiece. "
Abstract This paper shows the how an individual can generalize a person's reaction of mistrust towards a certain group of people. The author uses Raymond Carver's short story ?So Much Water so Close to Home,? to provide specific examples of how Claire, the main character, started to feel about men after being in a love-hate relationship with her husband.
From the Paper:
"Trust is a valuable commodity in today's society. People place a high value on trust because it can be lost so easily. Gaining someone's trust is not easy but quite difficult. The experiences people go through and the decisions people make determine if a level of trust has been earned. As time goes forward in a person's life, that person builds trusting relationships with others. These relationships may lead to marriage. Claire and Stuart are the main characters in Raymond Carver's short story, So Much Water So Close to Home, but also had a relationship before their marriage."
Tags: carver, close, home, much, raymond, so, water, claire, marriage, stuart, barry
Abstract This paper examines the epistemological thought of Michel de Montaigne. Drawing heavily on his "An Apology for Raymond Sebond", and less so on the essays, the paper is an attempt to synthesize the classical and religious influences in Montaigne's theory of knowledge. It traces Montaigne's argument in a clear, logical fashion, describing his view of man's odyssey to perfection. Special attention is placed on the influence of Plato's thought on Montaigne, as well as the religious context in which the "Apology" was written.
From the paper:
"This paper examines the epistemological thought of Michel de Montaigne. Drawing heavily on his An Apology for Raymond Sebond, and less so on the Essays, the paper is an attempt to synthesize the classical and religious influences in Montaigne's theory of knowledge. It traces Montaigne's argument in a clear, logical fashion, describing his view of man's odyssey to perfection. Special attention is placed on the influence of Plato's thought on Montaigne, as well as the religious context in which the Apology was written."
From the Paper "Unfortunately, reason alone is not enough in mankind's quest for knowledge of himself, God, and the ways of salvation. The fact that man depends on God to provide the faculty of reason, which is imperfect, certainly means that he cannot comprehend the perfect God Who provides it. And doubt about the essence of God necessarily implies doubt in man's knowledge of all inferior existence; this is the essence of Montaigne's skepticism. An understanding of the limits of reason, therefore, causes man to enter the second phase of his path towards true knowledge"a reevaluation of his worldly experience. Immersed in his pride, man views his experience as representing truth. In the context of limited reason, however, man's experience merely provides knowledge of transient being"not what he is, but what he is becoming. Montaigne recognizes ?that the characteristic property of the creature is impermanence.?"
Abstract This paper discusses the writings of the author Raymond Carver and in particular how his works change and develop over the course of his career. It shows how most of his work is semi-autobiographical, based on his life as an alcoholic, young father, and blue-collar worker, and contrasts various themes and topics between his earlier stories and his later ones.
From the Paper "One of the contrasts between Carver's earlier works and his later works is in the minute detail of eating. In "The Idea," Carver's characters use eating as a substitute for communication, especially with those who they should be the most intimate. In "Cathedral" the baker tells the couple whose son a hit-and-run driver killed, "Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this" (Carver 88), and then he shares fresh bread with them. Here, eating is a solace, not a substitute for intimacy."
