How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Sure you can't help me on this?"
I liked his putting it that way. It let me say no without actually lying. (11.73-74)
Ohls asks Marlowe for information on the Sternwoods, but his way of asking for help allows Marlowe to "say no without actually lying." As we all know, there's heaps of lying and deception going on throughout the novel, and Marlowe's defining characteristic is his honesty.
Quote #5
"Have you told me your story complete in all relevant details?"
"I left out a couple of personal matters. […]"
"Why" Wilde asked quietly.
"Because my client is entitled to that protection, short of anything but a Grand Jury. I have a license to operate as a private detective. I suppose that word 'private' has some meaning." (18.56-59)
Here we understand why Marlowe chooses to work as a private detective rather than as a cop. He values personal "privacy" and believes in the importance of protecting his client's privacy. Cops? Not so much.
Quote #6
"What are you getting for it all?"
"Twenty-five dollars a day and expenses."
[…]
"And for that amount of money you're willing to get yourself in Dutch with half the law enforcement of this county?"
"I don't like it," I said. "But what the hell am I to do? I'm on a case. I'm selling what I have to sell to make a living. What little guts and intelligence the Lord gave me and willingness to get pushed around in order to protect a client. It's against my principles to tell as much as I've told tonight, without consulting the General." (18.77-81)
Marlowe emphasizes his loyalty to his client and his dedication to protecting the General's privacy. Why is Marlowe willing to work for so little pay and to put himself on the bad side of half the police force? Can we really just chalk that up to his principles, or is there something else at work? Hey, maybe he's just stubborn.