UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Cooper, Rachel S.
Dept./Program:
English
Year:
2012
Degree:
MA
Abstract:
The hard-boiled detective emerged onto the pop-culture scene in the 1920s and 30s as a new hero for the middle-class American white man. Changing the face of detective fiction, characters like Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer were invincible men who successfully lived outside of the law and dispensed justice as they saw morally fit. At a time when gender roles were being strongly reinforced through society, Hammer and Spade were the epitome of masculinity. Through their novels, Spillane and Hammett were able to address many of the anxieties that American men were facing during the Great Depression. For example, they focused on the importance of the man's role in both the public and private spheres. At the same time, women were often depicted as being pure evil and the cause of a man's downfall. The hard-boiled detective fiction novel allowed men to escape into a world where the good guy always won and the bad guy always lost.
Decades later, however, a new type of hard-boiled detective was born and this time it was the woman leading the investigation. Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, and Sue Paretsky's V.1. Warshawski once again changed how readers and critics would look at the genre. Battling many of the same anxieties from the 20s and 30s, the female hard-boiled detective was immediately labeled as feminist literature because it placed a woman in a man's job. While this may certainly seem like a fitting title for these new detectives, a closer look reveals that the female hard-boiled detective is not as ground-breaking as one thinks.
Looking back to the beginning of detective fiction one finds its roots firmly planted in the feminine gothic and sentimental literature from the Victorian era. These narratives took place within the home and featured women who successfully investigated the mysterious happenings around her. Eventually, the gothic and sentimental novels morphed into the classic well-mannered British detective. With this history, one can see how the female is very much at home as an investigator. Searching thmugh Muller, Grafton, and Paretsky's work one can easily see the connection that holds the female hard-boiled detective to her gothic ancestors. In fact, from this perspective it is the male hard-boiled detective who does not fit the genre as he is the one without historic support. Furthermore, any attempts made by the female authors to break stereotypes surrounding American women and to prove their private investigator's abilities within a male-dominated society only end up reinforcing the original stereotypes. While Grafton and Paretsky attempt and fail at creating a feminist detective, Muller is the only one who does not fall flat. The reason for this is because Muller actually rewrites the hard-boiled genre to fit her detective. She does not just replace the male with a female detective and force a story around her where gender and genre are at constant odds. Instead, she makes adjustments to both her detective and the hard-boiled world so that they are able to complement each other.
Decades later, however, a new type of hard-boiled detective was born and this time it was the woman leading the investigation. Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, and Sue Paretsky's V.1. Warshawski once again changed how readers and critics would look at the genre. Battling many of the same anxieties from the 20s and 30s, the female hard-boiled detective was immediately labeled as feminist literature because it placed a woman in a man's job. While this may certainly seem like a fitting title for these new detectives, a closer look reveals that the female hard-boiled detective is not as ground-breaking as one thinks.
Looking back to the beginning of detective fiction one finds its roots firmly planted in the feminine gothic and sentimental literature from the Victorian era. These narratives took place within the home and featured women who successfully investigated the mysterious happenings around her. Eventually, the gothic and sentimental novels morphed into the classic well-mannered British detective. With this history, one can see how the female is very much at home as an investigator. Searching thmugh Muller, Grafton, and Paretsky's work one can easily see the connection that holds the female hard-boiled detective to her gothic ancestors. In fact, from this perspective it is the male hard-boiled detective who does not fit the genre as he is the one without historic support. Furthermore, any attempts made by the female authors to break stereotypes surrounding American women and to prove their private investigator's abilities within a male-dominated society only end up reinforcing the original stereotypes. While Grafton and Paretsky attempt and fail at creating a feminist detective, Muller is the only one who does not fall flat. The reason for this is because Muller actually rewrites the hard-boiled genre to fit her detective. She does not just replace the male with a female detective and force a story around her where gender and genre are at constant odds. Instead, she makes adjustments to both her detective and the hard-boiled world so that they are able to complement each other.