In response to Michael Sharp,
Certainly agree that Moose becomes a character you care
about, indicating that just because one gets an animal or
reductive nickname doesn't mean that one is doomed to life as
a cipher. Nor does a fully human name, such as Wilmer,
guarantee full humanity.
Also agree that "shortcut" may be the wrong metaphor for the
effect of such names--was attempting to respond to the thread
having to do with shortcuts or maybe shorthand ways of
dealing with character. In Chandler's case, I'd say it's less
a matter of getting on the with plot than figuring who was
worth a spotlight on the stage.
One we probably love about Chandler's Marlowe is his
willingness to commit to characters others would write off as
"types"--an alcoholic, a musclehead--even though they are
first seen as types.
Bill Hagen
billha@ionet.net
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