Raymond Chandler’s cynical view, as shown in The Big Sleep, is that people will do whatever it takes to get money, and not many people can be trusted. This draws a parallel to the time period in which this novel was written in, The Great Depression. During this period, people were desperate to do whatever it takes in order to get money. Throughout the novel, people have shown the principle flaw in this view, doing anything to get money, even if it is considered illegal. This can be seen at various points where people attempt activities such as blackmailing the General, murdering Geiger for his business, and other forms of crime. Marlowe does show some part of this cynicism near the beginning, where he is dressed up because he is to go to a