Embedded Files
Characters: Dashiell Hammett creates enigmatic characters, especially when they are introduced. This mysterious effect may be employed with the use of simplicity in their appearance or mannerisms. One of Hammett’s characters that at first impressions looks like an honest citizen but in reality has a crooked past is Brigid O’Shaughnessy with her alias as Miss Wonderly.
Dialogue: The reader mostly interprets the minds of the characters through their dialogue as Hammett creates meaningful conversations. These complex conversations give insight into an individual’s motivations and relationships. In the Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade confesses his deep moral capacity, “When a man's partner is killed he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. Then it happens we were in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed it's bad business to let the killer get away with it. It's bad all around-bad for that one organization, bad for every detective everywhere.”
Speaker: In his novels, Hammett frequently has an outside narrator that describes the setting and characters with a creative spin. The narrator may use humor or unique comparisons as an analysis of the surroundings and people. One of the more well known examples of the speaker’s clever descriptors is how the narrator identifies Sam Spade, “He looked rather pleasantly, like a blonde satan.” This idea of a ‘blonde satan’ associated with Sam Spade helps to create a well crafted first impression into Spade’s appearance that doubles as an introduction into his characteristics.
EMULATION:
The room was silent, unshaken. Waiting for a sign of chaos in an undisturbed slumber. The man in the chair was staring at a stain on the wall. Difficult to identify but it was enough of a shade darker to be spotted especially under the pressure at play. Harkin almost opened his lips, but hesitated as to not stir the hive not four feet away from him. The man repositioned, breaking the everlasting standstill. Harkin proceeded, satisfied with the seldom proposition.
The storm was motioned with a slight pour, “Are you a fan of poker, Bret?”
Bret Lundy only moved his eyes up to Harkin’s blue battered tie.
Harkin endured the unconscious decision but repeated himself: “Are you a fan of poker?”
Bret shook his head slightly keeping the blank, lifeless expression as if he was puppeteered.
“Well, you have a certain way of expressing your deep feelings,” Harkin sighed. Harkin was intimidating to the usual perp. He stood tall, and was well built but his core sat like a water drop on a cool glass of wine. He lifted and crossed his arms with a smirk.
Harkin chuckled and then blurted, “Keep this up and I might get worried for your well-being.”
Bret’s mouth disfigured his still face,”I have already told you everything I know.”
“Don’t give me that! All you have done is waste my time with some sob story.”
“I’m sorry sir, I really was just walkin’ my dog until he ran off that night I swear,” his voice now a pitch higher. His umbrella no longer protected him from Harkin's rain.
“Once again, there is no proof that you have ever had a dog,” Harkin replied annoyed.
Bret looked down to his fingers, “M-my neighbor, Sh-shelly, she’s seen me walk it all the time, just go ask hur,”
“This Shelly that you speak of is your aunt, Mr. Lundy,” He beckoned, “She would prolly vouch for you being a mime, which honestly, is not far off.”
Bret pleaded, “Mista, please I ain't do nothing wrong, you have to believe me!”
“Just let it all out.”
“O-ok, uhhm, I had to, he was gonna stab me sir, he had a knife,” Lundy started to shake, “He was runnin’ towards me and I had to do somethin’.”
Harkin turned towards the door, almost robotical. The storm was at full force with Bret’s excess of a confused and slurred conglomeration of pleas bleeding out the door as Harkin took cover in the halls of the buzzing LAPD.
EXPLANATION:
Characters: I did not describe the characters directly but gave hints to both of their positions in the scene. Harkin is a detective looking into a case of a shooting and Bret Lundy is the lead suspect.
Dialogue: Although the conversation is not quite convoluted, I used Harkin’s speech as a representation of his humorous but serious approach to law. Bret’s nervous and informal speech shows a lack of intelligence but also his nervous personality.
Speaker: I used the comparison of the heavy conversation to a storm to simulate the weight as it continued to grow. I also used synonyms like ‘his core sat like a water drop on a cool glass of wine’ to emulate the narrator’s creative thinking.
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