Double Indemnity | Themes & Symbolism

Double Indemnity Significant Topics

The Femme Fatale Phyllis fits the definition for femme fatale, but in addition to that, her sociopathic profile would define her today as a serial killer. Although the latter term had not been coined at the time Cain wrote Double Indemnity, he certainly understood the behavior of such people and found it fascinating enough to build a novel around it.

Unlike many writers, Cain is not content to rely on the simplistic view of the femme fatale, who uses her wiles to seduce an otherwise upright man into criminality and, sometimes, murder. The theme with which Cain appears to be obsessed is that evil can be contagious, and certain human beings, like Walter, are predisposed to catch the disease.

Walter is portrayed as a man who is already a criminal by inclination, although he has not yet committed any serious crime that the reader knows of. It is only in hindsight that he sees he should not have gotten involved with Phyllis. Shortly after he meets her, he makes his decision to participate in the murder of Nirdlinger and thinks that he is using her to carry out a desire that he has harbored for a long time, finding an opportunity to "crook the wheel" and benefit in a big...
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