Plot
Why does Marlowe decide not to tell General Sternwood what really happened to Rusty Regan?
He wants to protect the dying General from the painful truth about Carmen killing Rusty.
“I’m a very dull girl.”
Vivian Rutledge
Throughout the novel, Marlowe struggles against this widespread problem in Los Angeles.
Corruption.
What is a "breathing spell"?
a short rest or pause
What is "hooch"?
cheap or illegal alcohol
Why does Mona Mars hide in Realito instead of returning home?
Eddie Mars wants people to believe she ran away with Rusty Regan.
“He was the best man I ever knew.”
General Sternwood
(about Rusty Regan)
The Sternwood family's wealth cannot protect them from this.
Moral decay / family problems / corruption.
What would it mean if someone "talked a good game"?
they say they are confident or skilled about someone even if it isn't true
What does the word "tailed" mean?
to be followed secretly, usually by a detective
What mistake does Canino make that allows Marlowe to survive in Realito?
He leaves Marlowe alive and tied up instead of killing him immediately.
“You’re not very tall, are you?”
Carmen Sternwood
This missing character represents the truth that many people are trying to hide.
Rusty Regan.
What would it mean if someone told you to "don't make a song about it"?
a strange or criminal action
Why does Vivian secretly continue gambling at Eddie Mars’s casino even though she has plenty of money?
Because Eddie Mars is blackmailing her with the truth about Rusty Regan’s death.
“My, my, my. Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains.”
Philip Marlowe
The abandoned oil field where Carmen attacks Marlowe symbolizes what?
Decay, corruption, or the decline beneath wealth.
What does it mean to "put the bite on" someone?
pressure someone to give you money
a moral doubt about doing something wrong
At the end of the novel, why does Marlowe keep silent instead of exposing the full truth publicly?
Because public justice would destroy the dying General and likely help nobody, while Carmen needs institutional care more than criminal punishment.
"Go ________ yourself!"
Carol Lundgren
At the end of the novel, Marlowe chooses not to tell General Sternwood the truth. This shows the conflict between these two ideas.
Truth and compassion (or truth and loyalty).
It would mean that you were used by someone else to do dishonest or dangerous work.
"Highpockets" would refer to what kind of person?
a tall person