By examining Jim Thompson’s novels, published between 1952-1955–The Killer
Inside Me, A Hell of a Woman, After Dark, My Sweet, and Savage Night–this essay
interrogates the relationship created between the narrator and the reader, how the
narrator–and Thompson in turn–highlights certain societal flaws, emphasizing how
ethical consequence is born out of the attempt to attain freedom from one’s cultural
circumstance–both in terms of economic restraint and mental health status. Through this,
Thompson implies that the reader is trapped in similar economic and ethical predispositions.
The reader is often left questioning what they might have done, or been able
to do, in similar circumstances. This creates a larger frame by which Thompson implies
that the reader is trapped in similar economic and ethical pre-dispositions as his narrators.
He highlights societal flaws, demonstrating how the pursuit of freedom of one’s cultural
circumstance bears ethical consequence. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_40915 |
| Contributors | Crescenzo, Nicolena Marie (author), Adams, Robert Don (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 69 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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