Before and after you read, consider these questions!
Q: In what ways does our detective show sexism towards female characters? Do you think it is the OP's personal opinion of them, or does it seem more like Dashiell Hammett's?
Q: How does having a large landscape such as an Island make a detective story better? Does it allow for more action and more violence? Does it give the story more of an 'adventurous' feeling?
Q: Several of Hammett's stories involve gangs and bandits doing unruly things on a large scale. What might this symbolize in terms of control and law or societal constraint?
Q: The story ends rather abruptly and with what was, to me, a comedic harshness. How did the ending make you feel?
Q: What is your overall opinion of our detective? Did he seem too determined and too brave? Was it realistic?
Q: If you were going to turn this story into a movie, who would you cast as which characters and why?
