The Goodbye Look: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Goodbye Look" is a complex narrative that revolves around Lew Archer, a private detective in Los Angeles, who is called to investigate a seemingly minor theft in the affluent community of Pacific Point. As Archer delves deeper, he uncovers a tangled web of dark secrets linked to the Chalmers and Swain families, leading to multiple murders and revealing a history of violence and deception. Key characters include Larry Chalmers, a mentally unstable man posing as a war veteran, whose criminal actions and tragic decisions ultimately lead to his suicide. Irene Chalmers, Larry's wife, is revealed to share in his guilt over their past misdeeds, including embezzlement and murder. Their son, Nick Chalmers, struggles with his identity amidst the shocking revelations of his true parentage and the trauma of his childhood kidnapping. Other pivotal figures such as John Truttwell, Betty Truttwell, and Jean Trask contribute to the unfolding drama, as hidden truths come to light, culminating in a resolution that offers a glimpse of healing for the younger characters. The story intricately explores themes of guilt, identity, and familial dysfunction, providing a gripping examination of the human psyche and the impact of past actions on present lives.
The Goodbye Look: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ross Macdonald
First published: 1969
Genre: Novel
Locale: Southern California
Plot: Detective and mystery
Time: The late 1960's
Lew Archer, the narrator, a Los Angeles private detective calledintoinvestigatewhatseemstobeaminortheftinthe home of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Chalmers in the wealthy (fictitious) town of Pacific Point. Archer's investigation uncovers a web of intrigue and changed identities leading back to the shooting death of Eldon Swain fifteen years earlier. By the time the investigation is finished, two more people have been murdered, a man has been killed by the police, the sinister histories of the Chalmers and Swain families have been revealed, and the murderer, Larry Chalmers, has committed suicide. Archer's persistence and his refusal to be diverted from his investigation by his affair with Moira Smitheram lead to the revelations and what seems to be a healing conclusion for the troubled younger characters, Nick Chalmers and Betty Truttwell.
Lawrence (Larry) Chalmers, a wealthy man, supposedly a veteran of World War II. In fact, he was discharged after very brief service because of his mental instability. He supposedly inherited wealth from his mother and has never worked. Despite his apparent love for his son, Nick, it becomes clear that he and his wife are responsible for most of the violence that has made Nick neurotic and suicidal. Larry and Irene had stolen money that her former lover, Eldon Swain, had embezzled, and they had killed John Truttwell's wife when she recognized them. Later, Swain had kidnapped Nick (in fact, his son and not Larry's), and when he was killed, his identity had been covered up by the Chalmers couple. The money Swain embezzled is the fortune that Chalmers supposedly inherited from his mother. Chalmers murders Jean Trask and a sleazy detective, Sidney Harrow, to cover up his crimes, but in the end Archer uncovers the truth, and Chalmers commits suicide.
Irene Chalmers, née Rita Shepherd, who was once Eldon Swain's lover. She is the mother of his child, Nick, who is passed off as Larry's son. She shares Larry's guilt in the embezzlement and the killing of John Truttwell's wife.
Nicholas (Nick) Chalmers, a confused young man who runs away when Jean Trask gives him reason to believe that he is not Larry Chalmers' son. When he was a boy of eight, he was kidnapped by Eldon Swain. While escaping, he shot Swain, and now he is almost framed for the murders of Jean Trask and Sidney Harrow. Despite the attempts of his parents and his psychiatrist to keep him from the truth to hide their own crimes, he seems to be on the road to recovery at the end.
John Truttwell, the Chalmerses' attorney, who hires Archer but tries to manipulate his investigation. He tries to prevent the marriage of his daughter, Betty, to Nick Chalmers, who, he thinks, is insane and probably a murderer. He is unaware that his wife's death was murder, not an accident.
Betty Truttwell, John's daughter, a twenty-five-year-old innocent who loves Nick and helps Archer in the investigation.
Jean Trask, the daughter of Eldon Swain. She precipitates the action of the novel when she tries to find the money her father had embezzled. She gives Nick Chalmers evidence that he is Swain's son, setting off his flight that leads to his attempted suicide. Larry Chalmers murders her and tries to frame Nick for the crime.
Dr. Ralph Smitheram, Nick's psychiatrist, who tries to prevent Archer from finding out about the lives of his patients, Larry and Nick Chalmers. In fact, he hides these facts because his practice is built on the money he has blackmailed from Larry Chalmers over the years.
Moira Smitheram, Ralph's wife. She had an affair with Larry Chalmers during the war, when her husband was on combat duty in the Pacific. She has a brief affair with Archer and tries to dissuade him from pursuing his investigation, but in the end she helps him to uncover the truth.