Characteristics of Detectives

Characteristics of Detectives

1. Phillip Marlowe

• hard-bolied
• Clothed in the style of a 1940s hard-boiled detective ie: hat, trenchcoat
• Confronting “style”
• Has an inherent sex appeal
• Smokes, drinks, “three day growth” style of stubble
• The motif/element of the gun becomes an extension of the hard-boiled detective
• Expert in playing cat-and-mouse and he can “push the right buttons” to get information
• Has a “weathered look” due to hard living ie: physical conflicts, sex, alcohol and presumably drugs
• Is the hero/anti hero ie: at times he is the champion of justice while at other times he displays loathsome characteristics eg: hitting women
• He is an expert in character analysis – can size up a person quickly (but not always)
• A specific diction, specific tone of voice and delivery that has been widely imitated in this style of genre
• Questioning technique is rapid-fire and will use physical intimidation by “invading someone’s personal space”

2. Inspector Hound (and other detectives of the like)

• Pays attention to character interaction before intervention
• The “bumbling” detective ie: crime will get solved but not intentionally by the detective
• Wore a pea hat, over-exaggerated rubber boots and a trench-coat (atypical of the intuitionist detective with the caricature on the boots)
• Diction is articulate and gives the illusion of competence but comes across, at times, as non-sequiters
• Ignores the specific clues (ie: the body) that another intuitionist detective would have immediately noticed
• Is dim-witted as opposed to being quick-witted
• Poiroitesque detectives are always investigative rather than being caught up in trivialities