How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"She's a grifter, shamus. I'm a grifter. We're all grifters. So we sell each other out for a nickel. Okay. See can you make me." He […] stared at me level-eyed, a funny little hard guy I could have thrown from home plate to second base. A small man in a big man's world. There was something I liked about him. (25.77)
These words are spoken by Harry Jones to Marlowe. A grifter is someone who swindles you through deception or fraud, which brings up yet another key moral question in the book: is it unethical to sell someone out for your own self-interests? Keep in mind that the novel is set during the Depression, when people were hard-pressed for money, and couldn't be too choosy when it came to getting their hands on some. The mood of 1930s L.A. was one of desperation as individuals turned to crime because they had nothing left to lose. Even though Jones seems to be someone Marlowe would normally despise (Jones admits to being a grifter and cheating people out of money), yet why does Marlowe say that he liked Harry? What is about Harry that commands Marlowe's respect?
Quote #5
"Well, you fooled him, Harry. […] You lied to him and you drank your cyanide like a little gentleman. You died like a poisoned rat, Harry, but you're no rat to me." (26.81)
Marlowe expresses admiration here for Harry's noble death. Instead of ratting out Agnes, Harry protected her by giving out false information to Canino. In this case, lying and deception are seen in a morally good light. He even calls Harry a "little gentlemen."
Quote #6
"I'm a copper […] Just a plain ordinary copper. Reasonably honest. As honest as you could expect a man to be in a world where it's out of style." (30.13)
These words are spoken by Captain Gregory to Marlowe. Gregory seems to be one of the few honest cops left in L.A. What does this quote suggest about the state of the police in 1930s America? What does Gregory mean by "reasonably" honest? How can you measure the level of honesty?