Pickup on South Street

One thing that I really noticed that was a similarity between Pickup on South Street and Neuromancer was the connection between Candy and Skip. Their connection was similar to that of Case and Linda Lee in a sense that their relationship brought out the tenderness of the men. Both of the main characters are figures in society that are obviously outcasted. They are members of low class and have intimate interactions with women of the same class. The relationship with these two women somehow change the men from their initial hardened outside to something tender and “meatier.” In a way, these two women bring something out of the main characters which cause them to be grounded. In a deeper sense, Case always returns to the thought of Linda Lee which somehow makes him reflect a different, more tender side. When Case was speaking with Wintermute the first time, Wintermute took the form of Linda Lee and Case experienced a feeling of nostalgia and happiness. This feeling went away when the illusion glitched and Wintermute took the form of Julie. Case took out his initial anger with Julie ordering the death of Linda Lee by shooting him in the head. This act of revenge brings the depiction that Linda Lee brings out Case’s tender feelings of love which conflicts with the image of an outcast that Case originally is depicted as.

Another woman that challenges Case’s characteristics is Molly. When Molly leaves the restaurant and Case is trying to find her, Case risks being caught and raising flags in cyberspace so that he can find her. Because of this reason, I can see that his relationship with Molly has also changed his personality. I feel that the intimate relationship between Molly had brought Case to feel the second fear of losing her. The feeling of loss and grief is a really “meaty” feeling that shows a change in Case. Case prior to Molly wouldn’t have risked his connection to cyberspace for anyone else. At the beginning of the story he was conflicted with the feelings he felt for Linda Lee, but now after her death and the coming of Molly, Case has completely changed.

In comparison, the relationship between Skip and Candy shows a different side of Skip. Candy brings out a different, rational side of Skip where he begins to plot in order to save Candy from Joey. Skip finds Joey and follows him to the meet up with the commie when Skip fights Joey. Skip turning the men in to the cops instead of selling the last frame for money, shows that Candy brought out a “good” side of Skip. By the ending of the noir, we are unsure of whether or not Skip will continue to be a pickpocket but we get the hunch that with either choice that Skip follows, Candy is the root of the reasoning.

Because of these examples, Candy, Linda Lee, and Molly seem to be the main anchors that ground Case and Skip to their “meatiness.” These two women bring change in the men which show their conflicting characteristics between being who they were at the beginning of the story, to the end of the story and where they are supposed to end up.