Monday, October 17, 2016
The Big Sleep and Noir
By this point you've probably determined that there is not just one femme fatale in The Big Sleep, but two, Carmen and Vivian. What are these sisters like and how are they femme fatales? How are they different from ea other? Looking at my list of film noir qualities from last week (http://engl252fall2016.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-film-noir.html), what other qualities of this novel make it a noir?
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So far it seems as if Carmen is the sister who needs to be looked after like a child. She mature enough to understand her femininity but acts very irrationally...
ReplyDeleteCarmen and Vivian are both similar in they both control the men in the novel. Carmen for example is very flirtatious, pretty, and blonde so men tend to like her. As well as Vivian she is also flirtatious and pretty but dark haired. The difference is Carmen portrays the "dumb blonde" biting her thumb often. Meanwhile, Vivian is the "smarter" , mysterious and seductive. Both are femme fatales.
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ReplyDeleteVivian is the more seductive one for example on chapter 11 page 38. "she crossed her legs and lit another cigarette". using her body as weapon to get what she wants reminds me of Rita Hayworth. While Carmen is the outgoing, wild, flirty, and loud. " You're crazy, you goddamn egg headed". I believe she is the book version of Marilyn Monroe. Blondes vs Brunettes.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these woman are very desirable, they have this spunk about them that people gravitate too. Carmen is the flirty and fun blonde that some times seems a little dumb, and then you have Vivian who seems a little bit more aware and opinionated making her appear smarter. Which guys liked about the two sisters. Vivian is a little bit more closed off than Carmen though making her seem more mysterious to others.
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