How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I looked her over without either embarrassment or ruttishness. As a naked girl she was not there in that room at all. She was just a dope. To me she was always just a dope. (7.4)
When Marlowe finds a naked Carmen at the scene of Geiger's murder, he doesn't seem to be at all affected by her nudity. We know that Carmen is an attractive girl, but Marlowe tells us that he doesn't feel at all ruttish (that just means sexually aroused). We don't know whether to be impressed by his fortitude or worried at his cold-bloodedness.
Quote #5
I took my dark glasses off and tapped them delicately on the inside of my left wrist. If you can weigh a hundred and ninety pounds and look like a fairy, I was doing my best. (10.5)
At Geiger's bookstore, Marlowe pretends to be gay by speaking and gesturing in an effeminate manner. A lot of critics have used this scene to make a claim that the novel is homophobic. What do you think?
Quote #6
The place was horrible by daylight. The Chinese junk on the walls, the rug, the fussy lamps, the teakwood stuff, the sticky riot of colors, the totem pole, the flagon of ether and laudanum—all this in the daytime had a stealthy nastiness, like a f** party. (12.10)
This description of Geiger's house is one of the reasons critics have criticized Chandler for his negative portrayal of homosexuality. Geiger's living room is described as a depraved space with strange smells and a pervasive "nastiness." But later in the novel, we see that Carol has laid out Geiger's body on his bed in a ritualized fashion, as if to pay tribute to him. In this sense, the homosexual relationship between Geiger and Carol appears to be one of genuine love.