The Importance of Locations in Chandler's The Big Sleep Anonymous College

In The Big Sleep, Chandler constructs various locations that resonate with the characters and storyline, but also these locations themselves transform into characters with their own independent attributes and motives. The success of these constructed locations is evident in their believability to the audience. Chandler attained this state in a multitude of ways which include integrating real elements from 1939-1940s Los Angeles, composing architectures of the time, and adding specific interior designs to represent each character’s place of business and/or residence. Location is very important in creating a work that aligns with a real place. Even if the story is fictitious in nature the setting elements must represent a real place through the inclusion of specific elements. The inclusion of these real elements is present throughout the work from the interior design of the Sternwood Residence to the geographical fictional location of the Cypress Club, a perfect example of nostalgic decay. These few details take a stagnant, static storyline to another world making the story dually dynamic and believable to the audience.

Although someone who hasn't visited Los Angeles may not be able to deduce which locations align to real places...