![]() ![]() Dundee, on the other hand, thinks Spade has something to hide. Even if Spade were guilty, Polhaus would feel awkward in arresting him. Yet, Polhaus has known Spade for a while, and accepts the private detective's innocence. The two homicide detectives question private investigator Sam Spade on whether he murdered Floyd Thursby (who supposedly murdered Spade's partner, Miles Archer). Hamilton, author of Western and Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction in America: From High Noon to Midnight reveals a frightening aspect about the police in The Maltese Falcon: "The police are unable to deal effectively with the lawlessness " (129). Lieutenant Dundee and Sergeant Tom Polhaus represent the police in the city. Lieutenant Dundee, Sergeant Tom Polhaus, District Attorney Bryan, Caspar Gutman, and Brigid O'Shaughnessy represent the damaging aspects of the city in The Maltese Falcon. ![]() ![]() One example is The Maltese Falcon, which takes place in San Francisco. While the idea of the American city might be imbued with notions of opportunity and civilization, there is something very sinister about the locale as well. This notion can especially be true in a place like the city, where people are forced to live among each other. George Grella, author of "The Hard-Boiled Detective Novel,” explains: "wherever human beings gather, evil results" (112). The human condition can be a very negative thing. ![]()
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