The Big Sleep | Techniques
Chandler's most obvious and effective technique in The Big Sleep, as well as his most important contribution to the form of the tough-guy novel, is his replication of ordinary speech. His dialogue scenes are shot through with slang (much of it now archaic) and linguistic inventions designed to reflect the sometimes abbreviated diction of the American tongue. In this technique, he was following the precedents set by his contemporaries, Hammett and Cain. But Chandler is more extreme in this technique — sometimes to a fault. For example, many readers have noticed the disparity...
[The entire page is 346 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about The Big Sleep at eNotes.
