An analysis of Arson plus as a Noir genre

Abstract

Salman Rushdie once asserted that in the literary world, "Nothing comes out of nothing."The implication is that every piece of artistic work garners inspiration and may be similar to other literary works thus creating allusions. Consequently, it is the reason that classical noir genre writers like Cain, Chandler and Hammett followed the present convention of heroes, plots, dialogue, themes, minor characters and worldviews. In this context, focus will be on how Arson Plus alludes to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Arson Plus by Dashiell Hammett is a hardboiled School of crime fiction that revolves around investigating crime and corruption. Therefore, Arson Plus conforms to the conventions of the noir genre as reflected by the presence of a private eye or detective, the cynical characters and the ambiguity that arouses human interest and reader response.

The narration in Arson Plus is characteristic of first person narration. The narrator in this case is the Continental Op while in The Great Gatsby Nick is the narrator. The stories encompass violence, and deaths are inevitable. Heightened alienation and anxiety is evident in noir genres, and this was characteristic of the American social landscape of that classical era especially after the Second World War. In Arson Plus, Hammett portrays Thornburg as a private and mysterious person who has no social life (Hammett 35). His isolation ensures that he can commit a crime without raising suspicion. The same case applies to Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. His portrayal is that of a mysterious man who throws parties without attending (Scott 56). The source of his great wealth remains questionable, and it later emerges that he indulges in illegal activities. The stories of crime in this context unfold in a similarly corrupt world where individual gain is the norm.