Hardboiled detective fiction centers around corruption, and the world of The Thin Man is Prohibition, during which every layer of society is infused with deceit and law breaking. Because having a glass of wine renders one a criminal, almost everyone is corrupt, and so no one can be trusted. Nick Charles searches for the truth, something that is hard to find in this story’s amoral world.

That corruption creates distrust is evident in how people treat Nick. While he has a better reputation than most, it only goes so far. People trust that he’ll treat them fairly, and almost every character goes to him for advice. Despite this, they also assume he is lying about working on the case. The police, while working with him, assume he is lying to them, and when asked if he is being straightforward, Nick responds, “Practically,” knowing that he won’t be believed and that it will sound even more suspicious to declare he’s being honest. Nick knows his audience. Their corruption affects how they see him, and his careful evasions and sarcastic responses enable him to avoid having to lie. Nick knows that the level of lying and corruption in his world are such that complete honesty is impossible.