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(128). Warshawski s comments, such as her internal acknowledgement of the  stomach
churning aspects of her confrontation with Walter, do have a referential quality, as Littler states,
but the referent is not the job of detective, but the idea of an alleged preexisting moral code
(235). Part of hard-boiled detective fiction centers on the idea of a preexisting ethical or legal
code, which is a comfort to the reader (Evans 163). The code brings order and sets up the hard-
boiled detective (masculine or feminine) as the link to a code of behavior that appears eternal and
stable. In acknowledging such a code, Warshawski draws attention to the fact that she has the
power to produce the morality in the text, simultaneously showing her subordination to her
political/ethical code and her power to manipulate it. The reader is also reassured by the
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revelation that Warshawski has not abandoned her beliefs. If she were to appear morally
deviant, such as Ann Jones irrational castrating woman in Women Who Kill, then the boundary
that separates hero from criminal would be transgressed, and no order could successfully be
inscribed.
Warshawski s rhetorical remorse has disturbing qualities. Its power to soothe the
audience s objections is problematic. Social gender expectations demand Warshawski apologize
for defending herself and for doing her job. Yet this need to apologize is a basic uncertainty that
plagues her position of authority and causes Paretsky to constantly qualify Warshawski s actions.
Warshawski s job and position of detective endangers her life in the course of the investigation.
As part of the hard-boiled genre, Warshawski the detective must confront the harsh and violent
aspects of criminal life. That she must apologize for doing her job can be seen as reductive to
her overall power as an effective female character and detective. Is she apologizing for the
violent attributes of her profession, or is she paying lip service to patriarchal order? The graphic
transgressive image of violence that attests to Warshawski s subversion of order is firmly planted
in the text and in the reader s mind. The self-reflection allows the reader to reinitiate
Warshawski back into the good graces of society.
Warshawski s connection to violence extends to receiving physical injury as well as
inflicting it. Her role as detective places her in danger and does not guarantee that she will
emerge from the confrontation without damage simply because she carries a gun. She often
suffers from both verbal and physical abuse. When Warshawski is on the receiving end of
physical confrontations, Paretsky opens up and explores the threat that her detective will be
reduced to a victim and lose power as a detective. On the one hand, Paretsky must avoid
creating a violent amoral monster as a protagonist. On the other hand, she must create a
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protagonist that will not give up her role as detective simply because she has been hurt in the line
of duty. Warshawski must avoid the passivity that is connected to the idea of the victim.
In Bitter Medicine, Warshawski ventures into Chicago s gang territory and is beaten by a
group of young men. Instead of cutting straight from Warshawski setting up the meeting to the
confrontation, Paretsky takes care to show the reader how Warshawski prepares herself for a
possible violent confrontation:  At nine-thirty I dressed in dark clothes that were easy to move
in. Instead of running shoes, I put on the heavy rubber-soled oxfords I use for industrial
surveillance. I couldn t run as fast in them, but if I had to kick someone at close quarters, I
wanted it to count (51).
Warshawski s need to examine the usefulness of her clothing choices is both a mental
preparation, reflecting a woman s desire to make herself as safe as possible, and a confrontation
with the cultural myths of provocative dress. Mary P. Koss et al. in No Safe Haven: Male
Violence Against Women At Home, At Work, and In the Community, names two popular myths
surrounding violence against women. In the first, the woman has somehow provoked the attack
because she dresses in a sexually provocative manner. In the second, the woman presents herself
as possessing a grievance against the male attacker in question (8). This idea of provocative
dress warranting violent action plays upon the concept of fairness and justice in society (Littler
128). Detective fiction has a basis in the idea that the wrongdoers will be punished for their
trespasses against society. Warshawski, as detective, is charged with making sure justice is
served. Paretsky takes the itemization of clothing to great lengths to display the lack of sexuality
in Warshawski s dress choice. Warshawski s clothing is practical, professional, and clearly
indicates the role she intends to perform during the confrontation. Her wardrobe choice also
works to minimize her connection to the passive role of victim. Paretsky creates Warshawski to
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be vital and aggressive even in situations where women can be quickly reduced to a powerless
state.
Warshawski s dress also provides her with a prepared mental image of herself. Elizabeth
Grosz in Volatile Bodies theorizes that objects and items kept in close contact with the body or
used on a regular basis can become part of an individual s mental self-image (80-82).
Warshawski is using her wardrobe to build a mental picture of herself as ready for conflict in an
aggressive, rather than a subservient, manner. Her clothing choices are designed to help her
imagine herself as prepared for conflict. Warshawski s possession of gun is also part of her self-
image. Her reliance on the gun in serious conflicts, in addition to her carrying the weapon,
allows her to see it as a tool of her trade. This conception works to solidify her role of detective
and of her right to use violence when necessary. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]