Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice
Several reviewers and scholars of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice have noted the similarities between the novel and both Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels and the Coen brothers' film The Big Lebowski. Many of the reviewers, in particular, unreflectively comment on Doc Sportello&...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Open Library of Humanities
2018-03-01
|
Series: | Orbit: A Journal of American Literature |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://orbit.openlibhums.org/article/id/484/ |
id |
doaj-b930083a302a4aac9fd4de4f00c99619 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-b930083a302a4aac9fd4de4f00c996192021-06-17T14:33:00ZengOpen Library of HumanitiesOrbit: A Journal of American Literature2398-67862018-03-016110.16995/orbit.484Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent ViceSean Carswell0English, California State University Channel IslandsSeveral reviewers and scholars of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice have noted the similarities between the novel and both Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels and the Coen brothers' film The Big Lebowski. Many of the reviewers, in particular, unreflectively comment on Doc Sportello's masculinity, criticizing Doc for not performing the hegemonic masculinity typical of detective novels and films. What has been missing is a deeper examination of hegemonic masculinity in both the novel and its likely source materials. This essay employs Judith Butler's notions of gender performativity as well as Christian Moraru's examination of postmodern rewriting to explore the fluid constructions and performances of masculinity in The Long Goodbye, The Big Lebowski, and Inherent Vice. Ultimately, this essay argues that Pynchon's characterization of Doc Sportello projects possibilities into alternatives to hegemonic masculinity.https://orbit.openlibhums.org/article/id/484/Raymond ChandlerChristian MorarurewritingJudith ButlerneoliberalismInherent Vice |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sean Carswell |
spellingShingle |
Sean Carswell Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice Orbit: A Journal of American Literature Raymond Chandler Christian Moraru rewriting Judith Butler neoliberalism Inherent Vice |
author_facet |
Sean Carswell |
author_sort |
Sean Carswell |
title |
Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice |
title_short |
Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice |
title_full |
Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice |
title_fullStr |
Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice |
title_full_unstemmed |
Doc, the Dude, and Marlowe: Changing Masculinities from The Long Goodbye to Inherent Vice |
title_sort |
doc, the dude, and marlowe: changing masculinities from the long goodbye to inherent vice |
publisher |
Open Library of Humanities |
series |
Orbit: A Journal of American Literature |
issn |
2398-6786 |
publishDate |
2018-03-01 |
description |
Several reviewers and scholars of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice have noted the similarities between the novel and both Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels and the Coen brothers' film The Big Lebowski. Many of the reviewers, in particular, unreflectively comment on Doc Sportello's masculinity, criticizing Doc for not performing the hegemonic masculinity typical of detective novels and films. What has been missing is a deeper examination of hegemonic masculinity in both the novel and its likely source materials. This essay employs Judith Butler's notions of gender performativity as well as Christian Moraru's examination of postmodern rewriting to explore the fluid constructions and performances of masculinity in The Long Goodbye, The Big Lebowski, and Inherent Vice. Ultimately, this essay argues that Pynchon's characterization of Doc Sportello projects possibilities into alternatives to hegemonic masculinity. |
topic |
Raymond Chandler Christian Moraru rewriting Judith Butler neoliberalism Inherent Vice |
url |
https://orbit.openlibhums.org/article/id/484/ |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT seancarswell docthedudeandmarlowechangingmasculinitiesfromthelonggoodbyetoinherentvice |
_version_ |
1721373869656244224 |