Who Is Marlowe A Hero

When Marlowe introduces himself to General Sternwood he tells him, “I'm thirty-three years old, went to college once and can still speak English if there's any demand for it. There isn't much in my trade” (Chandler 10). He shows that his education could be used for a was better job but he wanted to be a private detective instead. He did this because he wanted to be his own boss which shows how he is the typical hero . Marlowe also highlights s that he doesn't make a lot of money for the work he does, “I didn't know whether it was any good, not being a collector of antiques, except unpaid bills”. This shows how he doesn't do the job to make money, but because it's the right thing to do which shows how he relates to the knight because they both want the same end result.

He turns down many offers and doesn't accept money unless he feels that he truly earned it. However in the end he breaks his chivalric code when he exposes Carmen and Vivian. “Uh-huh. I’m a very smart guy. I haven't a feeling or a couple in the world. All I have the itch for is money. I am so money greedy that for twenty-five bucks a day and expenses, mostly gasoline and whiskey, I do my thinking myself, what there is for it; I wish my whole future, the hatred of the cops and of Eddie Mars and his pals. I dodge bullets and eat saps, and say thank you very much, if you have any more trouble, I hope you’ll think of me” (Chandler 227). This shows that even though Marlowe has good intentions, he realizes that he cannot live by his own rules . This shows how in a corrupt city like Los angeles the chivalric rules have no