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In a Lonely Place as Noir Fiction, The novel can be classified as noir or…
In a Lonely Place
as Noir Fiction
The novel can be classified as noir or hard-boiled noir fiction but also a subversion of the genre
Conventions of noir fiction
Urban setting of Los Angeles
Noir fiction predominantly set in cities to reflect a variety of things: the threat of crime within cities, industrialisation and modernity, the protagonist as a lonely, isolated character despite being surrounded by people
The vastness of Los Angeles emphasises Dix's alienation; he is presented as a lonely figure living alone in a city he is not from. Dix not only physically lives alone; he metaphorically lives 'in a lonely place' (as the title suggests and Brub asserts) due to his psychotic thoughts and behaviours.
The sheer size of Los Angeles and its populations also places emphasis on the protagonist's ability to go undetected; the detective on the case, Dix's own friend does not suspect him and declares: "Los Angeles is too big--too sprawling" (28)
A darkness permeating the novel, literally and figuratively
Dark, gritty settings: for example, dark streets lit only by streetlights in which Dix follows potential victims
Motif of fog: a constant fog covers the novel, adding to the dark atmosphere and acting as a metaphor for the darkness of Dix's mind. The fog also reflects a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity which can be viewed as a symbol of the disillusionment felt societally following WWII. "The fog lifting itself like gauzy veils to touch his face" (3)
The literal and metaphorical darkness reinforces archetypal noir themes of cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity
Exposes a dark under of LA crime
Post-war setting
Noir often categorised as emerging in response to WWII and the depressionary period that followed. Set in 1947 following World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War, Dix reflects the general feelings of discontent and aimlessness within this period, particularly to those who served in the war. Many such men struggled to return to everyday life following the war and faced struggles within their masculinities as a result.
Dix also acts as an example of war breeding violence within men; a normalisation of violence
Subverted conventions of noir fiction
Less focus on depictions of graphic violence and sex than traditional noir fiction
Despite the protagonist being a serial killer, Hughes does not describe his crimes explicitly; the violence is not staged within the novel. In doing so, she subverts traditional noir preoccupations which focus on vivid descriptions of extreme violence, particularly against women which some readers may find gratifying. Hughes takes a more feminist approach to noir.
Instead, Hughes focuses on Dix's violent and misogynistic thoughts about women, exposing the casual, everyday misogyny prevalent within her society and its wider implications
"It would be a pleasure to throttle her" (42)
"There wasn't any girl worth getting upset over. They were all alike, cheats, liars, whores" (99)
Narrative less predicated on mystery
Differs from archetypal noir or detective fiction such as Dashiell Hammett's
The Maltese Falcon
. The reader is not left wondering who the killer is; this is revealed early in the novel. Instead, Hughes focuses on Dix's inner psyche and why he does what he does.
Dix claims to be influenced by Hammett in writing his own crime novel, intertextuality, metafictional. By positioning her misogynistic protagonist as a fan of Hammett, Hughes may infer a rejection of the writer and traditional American noir novels.
Subversion of steretoypical female noir tropes
Femme fatale character subverted through the characterisation of Laurel Gray. Although she does possess some characteristics of a femme fatale (she is presented as beautiful, intelligent, and seductive at times), she is not as cunning and manipulative as traditional femme fatales who often lure men into traps or compromising situations for their own selfish gain. Conversely, it is Laurel who is caught within Dix's lies (although she has doubts) in a strange relationship with him
Stereotypical housewife character subverted through Sylvia. She sees through Dix's lies from the beginning; she is intelligent and aware.
The two women ultimately work together to bring Dix to justice; a role reversal occurs between them and the male detectives, reflecting Hughes's rejection of stereotypical gender roles
Hughes asserts herself within a male-dominated genre and subverts some of its conventions as a rejection to the misogynistic and patriarchal ideals it traditionally upholds
