# XIII: —$200.10— explained — Red Harvest

> Chapter companion for Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett.

## What happens

The narrator is summoned by Dinah Brand, who tries to persuade him to drop his pursuit of Max Thaler in exchange for information on Noonan. The meeting is revealed to be a trap set by Thaler, who ambushes the narrator with his men. A violent confrontation ensues, involving Dinah, Dan Rolff, and Thaler's crew. The narrator manages to call Noonan to report Thaler's capture, but the situation remains volatile with shifting loyalties and deadly force.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Manipulation

Dinah's attempt to manipulate the narrator into dropping Thaler, Thaler's ambush disguised as a deal, and the shifting alliances all highlight pervasive deceit.

### Violence and Moral Decay

The chapter is saturated with violence: shootings, beatings, and a cold-blooded killing, reflecting the moral decay of the characters and their environment.

### Justice vs. Revenge

The narrator's pursuit of Thaler blurs the line between lawful capture and personal vendetta, especially as Noonan seeks vengeance for his brother's death.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

The narrator is ambushed by Thaler, negotiates with Dinah, and ultimately captures Thaler after a violent struggle.

### Dinah Brand

Dinah initially tries to protect Thaler, then assists the narrator by restraining Rolff, and later expresses rage at the betrayal.

### Max Thaler

Thaler orchestrates the ambush, confronts the narrator about Noonan's accusations, and is eventually captured.

### Dan Rolff

Rolff is sapped by Thaler's men, later recovers and holds a gun on the narrator, but is ultimately disarmed by Dinah's intervention.

### Jerry Hooper

Jerry is one of Thaler's men, involved in the ambush and later subdued by the narrator in a fight.

### Noonan

Noonan is contacted by the narrator to report Thaler's capture and expresses eagerness to arrive.

## Key lines

> I had my vest unbuttoned when the telephone bell rang. It was Dinah Brand, complaining that she had been trying to get me since ten o’clock.

The narrator was relaxing when Dinah Brand called, annoyed that she had been unable to reach him earlier.

_Sets up the meeting that leads to the ambush._

> I called Noonan, told him I had Thaler, and where. “Mother of God!” he said. “Don’t kill him till I get there.”

The narrator informs Noonan that Thaler is captured, and Noonan, shocked, asks him to keep Thaler alive until he arrives.

_Climax of the chapter, marking Thaler's capture and Noonan's vengeful intent._

> Dinah Brand flared up again, waving her arms in the center of the room, storming: “Get out of here, the whole lot of you. Why should I give a Goddamn about your troubles? Get out.”

Dinah angrily orders everyone to leave, expressing her frustration with the violent conflict.

_Highlights Dinah's volatile temperament and her attempt to assert control._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se/chapters/xiii-200-10
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se/chapters