Double Indemnity

Temptation in Double Indemnity manifests through darkness and the sexuality of women. Huff stands on the “edge” of the “deep end” after discovering his sexual attraction to Phyllis. When he lets her leave his home without admiring her figure, he describes it as running “away from the edge” (16). Before the murder, Huff can only interact with Phyllis in two ways: with an inability to control his lust and desire, or completely ignoring her presence to avoid his feelings. Darkness and unbridled female sexuality are expressed through the femme fatale, the symbol of corrupting temptation. Classical crime fiction relies heavily on this biased presentation of women’s sexuality.

Classical American crime fiction often portray crime as the norm and virtue as a rarity. The femme fatale is an alluring representation of how crime tempts the average, everyday career man. The destruction of a once-honest career man by the femme fatale is an inevitably in crime fiction. Despite Huff wanting to run away from Phyllis and treating her “like an alley cat” (16), he cannot escape her. The two begin plotting the murder the next night. The hold Phyllis immediately establishes over Huff after a single encounter is semi-magical. Her inescapable allure suggests that honest, everyday men are predisposed to crime and will commit it with the right amount of temptation.