The Maltese Falcon is widely considered one of the best mystery stories of all time. It has a raw style and realism that makes it unique in my opinion. As I investigated this book further, I learned that Hammett (the author) is credited by many for creating the specific genre (as it is known today) that the Maltese Falcon called Hardboiled Fiction falls under. I was intrigued by this section of detective and detective stories and decided to investigate how the genre came to be and what made Hammett one of the main founders of the genre. In the following essay, I will examine some key aspects of Hardboiled fiction and its history. The first part will focus on the history of the genre, which includes what the main aspects of it are, where they were initially published, among other key characteristics. Second, the remainder of the article will focus on Hammett, his story, and how the key characteristics of Hardboiled Fictions' main character are reflected. The examination of Hammett's character will focus on Sam Spade and specifically the story of the Maltese Falcon. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hard fiction is a type of crime and detective novel begun in the 1920s. The characteristics of these stories are that they are much more realistic in terms of depicting combat, violence (usually organized crime) and the environment in which the story took place (urban most of the time). Usually in a lot of these stories the detective is very tough in the sense that he's involved in a lot of altercations. The altercation tends to be the result of the mind used by the main character. Wit and jokes are the language the detectives in these stories use to communicate with the audience. Jokes were common language at the time these stories were popular, which was recognizable in everyday conversations. Another characteristic of many detectives in Hardboiled fiction is that they work alone. Working alone suits their job, like a hardened detective working in the gray area of ​​the rules. They follow them freely but commit acts that border on illegality. Finally, the detectives in these stories usually have a relationship with a very pretty girl in the story. They are attracted to them, but in the end, the affair is always more important than the girl. Digging a little deeper into the organized crime aspect of these types of stories, we can consider Prohibition as the main influence. In the United States, Prohibition began in 1920 and ended in 1933 and prohibited the production, sale, and importation of alcohol. There was still such a demand for alcohol in the United States that gangs began to appear and run illegal businesses, either creating alcohol or running stores where one could go to drink (talk easily). Large organized crime groups led to a lot of violence and corruption (government officials and police are involved) which ultimately led to the end of prohibition. This rise in organized crime occurred around the time that Hardboiled fiction was beginning to come out. These stories were just adaptations of what was actually happening at the time. Anything readers could relate to was always a big selling point. Hard-boiled stories were first published in pulp magazines. These magazines were cheap and inexpensive due to the materials usedto produce them. This made them extremely accessible to the public. Because of the ease of access and popularity of these types of magazines, new genres of fiction were able to spread quickly. Pulp magazines were also known for having the craziest covers, which attracted people to them. They covered many genres, many of them having themes aimed more at an adult audience. The first magazine to publish hard-boiled crime stories was The Black Mask Magazine. The stories eventually built layers from stories ranging from hard-boiled detective novels written by authors such as Carroll John Daly to the sophisticated, multi-layered stories created by Hammett. Daly, who is considered the godfather of the genre, created the first true hardboiled detective named Race Williams. Hammett is credited with creating the genre as we know it today, adding layers to what Daly originally created. Much of what Hammett used to create this genre of fiction came from personal experience. The other key founder of the genre was Raymond Chandler, he took what Hammett created and added a bit more detail to his stories. His stories contained a more physiological element that Hammett did not include. Hammett was truer to the book and focused more on the case and the mystery than the characters themselves. Before becoming the writer most people know, Hammett was a detective for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. This knowledge of police procedures allowed him to write his mysteries with a sense of realism and courage that can only be achieved by experiencing reality. Hammett's experience during the war also gave him experience with violence and difficult situations. War makes men tougher because they have to go through very harsh conditions to protect the country. Being a detective is why many of Hammett's stories, like The Maltese Falcon, were not about the murders themselves but about the events surrounding the murders. In the story, the murder was just part of the larger project of getting this hawk back and finding out who had it. Murders are always only part of a crime and Hammett's experience in this area helped highlight this truth. This is also why Hammett's greatest character, Sam Spade, was very serious; it was reflected. Detectives can't be emotionally invested, they have to look at everything directly to understand what happened. Sam Spade also shares a first name with Hammett whose full name is Samuel Dashiell Hammett. The biggest indicator that Sam Spade was created to mirror Hammett himself was his tough-guy persona. Sam Spade exuded an aura that he couldn't be left behind. In the story The Maltese Falcon, the police department, Effie, and even Gutman and his team always tell Spade that one day his actions will catch up with him. He always ignores these remarks, acting almost as if he thinks he is above the law. Spade never thinks about how people perceive his actions. He only does what he does for himself and his bottom line. That's exactly the kind of man Hammett was: he stuck to his ideals, never complained about them, and tried to convince others to agree. He did things for himself and never apologized. He was a detective, he was used to dealing with murders and crimes. He spent time in prison for his Marxist views, but never uttered a public outcry. He accepted his punishment, served his time and returned to his normal life. Hammett lived a life where he relied on himself and never asked for help, which.