In hard-boiled detective fiction, women are often categorized into oppressive gender roles. These roles limit how they contribute to detective stories. Many women are classified as femme fatales. The literal definition of femme fatale is fatal woman; they are bold and attractive women who use their sexuality to distract and destruct male protagonists. Given the misogynistic and sexist American societies portrayed in hard-boiled detective fiction, other women are victims of sexual assault and rape. Unfortunately, women are commonly victimized and are portrayed as weak, helpless characters known as damsels in distress. However, in Raymond Chandler’s short story “The Pencil,” there is a female character named Anne Riordan who is neither a femme fatale nor damsel in distress. Riordan is a sharp-witted, skilled, and strong female who the male protagonist, Philip Marlowe, turns to for help. Although she appears to be just a side character, Anne Riordan is crucial in defying gender norms and redefining the role of women in hard-boiled detective fiction. 

Riordan proves that even in a society that allows sexist and misogynistic men to abuse their power and abuse women due to the societal hierarchy, women can be strong. Hard-boiled detective fiction displays women as the weak because men seem to hold all the power. Women were constantly degraded and destroyed by men. Marlowe explains that to some men, “a woman means no more than a sack of flour” (1239). The comparison he makes between a woman and flour, a product of relatively little value, shows how women are viewed as worthless and easy to disregard. He goes on to explain: “they use women in the usual way, but if it’s advisable to get rid of them, they do it without a second thought” (1239). When he says  “usual way,” he is referring to sexual abuse. The term “usual” indicates that men sexually abusing women occurs a lot and that it is an ordinary part of society, normalized to an alarming extent. In addition, Marlowe explains that if it is in the mobsters’ best interest to kill women, they would do it in an instant. This idea is significant because it emphasizes how difficult it is for a woman to gain power in a society that condemns them for their gender and further portrays them as weak. 

Anne Riordan displays her power by inserting herself in a dangerous situation to help Marlowe solve a criminal case. In the story, the fake mobster tells Marlowe: “women ain’t built for rough stuff” (1237). This shows how men believe women are not able, or “built for,” performing tasks that men can, due to either their perceived sensitivity or their physical disadvantage. Nonetheless, Riordan is able to successfully complete her tasks as a detective helping Marlowe, and she is not regarded as weak because she stands her ground and does not get pushed around or abused by men, effectively combating the “damsel in distress” characterization. 

Marlowe’s reliance on Riordan and her ability to successfully help Marlowe solve the criminal case proves that she is capable of performing detective work just as well as Marlowe, intelligent without crossing over into cunning or manipulative as a typical femme fatale. After Marlowe is presented with a case by a man who claims to be a former mobster being targeted, he immediately goes to Riordan saying “I need your help” (1238). Riordan responds with  “that’s the only time I ever see you” (1238), implying that this is not the first time Marlowe has needed her help. However, it is clear that Riordan neither requires his help nor does she present a threat to Marlowe, eliminating her from the two oppressive categories of women typical detective fiction stories. Marlowe repeatedly asking Riordan for help suggests that Riordan has not let him down in the past, further entailing that Riordan is a skilled detective. She goes to prove this when she effortlessly finds the two hitmen that are sent to kill the former mobster. Marlowe says “in spite of the hundred ways Anne could be wrong, I had a hunch she was right” (1250). Marlowe’s instinct telling him that Anne is right about the hitmen shows that he knows she is capable of doing detective work well. Overall, Marlowe’s view of Riordan indicates that she is a powerful woman that defies oppressive gender roles. 

Riordan plays the pivotal role of defying gender norms and changing the role of women in hard boiled fiction. Hard-boiled detective fiction presents societies that are sexist and misogynistic, ones that leave women abused by powerful men and portray women as useless. In Chandler’s story, Riordan is able to prove herself as a strong woman who is just as skilled and intelligent as detective Marlowe. She does not conform to any of the oppressive gender roles such as femme fatales or damsels in distress; instead, she does detective work which changes the role of women in hard-boiled detective fiction, able to think independently and speak her mind without being categorized as a villain. 

Works Cited

Chandler, Raymond. Raymond Chandler: Collected Stories. Knopf, 2002.