How would you compare Philip Marlowe with other famous literary detectives, like Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, or Hercule Poirot? How does Marlowe introduce new forms of characterization to the broader detective fiction genre?

How does the setting of Southern California develop the novel’s themes? Which aspects of the novel are unique to Southern California’s landscape and culture?

How would you compare the femme fatale, Mildred, with the woman that Marlowe admires, Adrienne Fromsett? How are other women treated in the text?