Research the hard-boiled and noir genres. How does Chandler originate the tropes that became genre staples? Which character types, plot details, prose styling, and other features of the novel mark it as belonging to this genre?

Compare two or three characters’ rooms. What do these environments say about their personalities and motivations? How does Chandler use description of interiors as a characterization technique?

Consider authority in the novel. Where does power come from, and how is it wielded by those who have it. How do the rich exercise power? The police? Criminals? Marlowe?

Examine gender roles in the world of the novel. How are men and women expected to behave? What happens to those who break norms? Does the novel subvert gender stereotypes or adopt them wholeheartedly? Why?

First-person narrators are often written as at least partially unreliable, as their perspective clouds their judgment or ability to understand what is going on around them. Is Marlowe a reliable narrator? Does his worldview blinker him or hinder his ability to fully know what’s going on in his world? Why or why not?

Discuss sexuality in the novel. How does desire influence character behavior? Why does Marlowe reject all the women who proposition him?

How does Chandler approach describing violence? Compare two or three of the novel’s actions scenes. How do they work to develop character? What do the actions of the participants say about the importance of physical strength versus cunning?

Close-read a descriptive passage. What literary and rhetorical techniques does Chandler use to create his distinctive style? How does he use imagery and figurative language to build atmosphere?

Is private investigation a moral good or evil in the world of the novel? Why?