Question

“I’m unmarried because I don’t like policemen’s wives.” what does that mean in the big sleep

Answer 1

Quote:

"Tell me about yourself, mr Marlawe, I suppose I have a right to ask? "

"sure, but there's very little to tell, I'm thirty three years old, went to college once and can still speak English if there's any demand for it. There isn't much in my trade. I wanted for Wilde, the district attorney, as an investigator once. His chief investigator a man named Bernie ohls, called me and told me, you wanted me to see me. I'm unmarried because I don't like policemen wives".

The key sentence is one concerning about his age, and the other is about wives.

"I'm thirty three years old, went to college once and can still speak English if there's any demand for it.

The First Class is a fact, the second is a fact that could be interpreted in a number of ways, he could have gone to college for few days, a few months, a few years. Until he got a degree; we don't know. The third clause is also loaded but with different information it tells us marlawe thinks his trade might not require a lot of talking in (good) English or that other might think that it doesn't. All said in the name of humour; of course

"I'm unmarried because I don't like policemen's wives.

A women wouldn't be a police man's wife until she married a policeman, so Marlowe is not saying he doesn't like women or having a wife in general, just that he doesn't like who women turn into after they marry a policeman, namely, him.