The Maltese Falcon

“‘What do you think of her?’ ‘Sweet! And you telling me not to dynamite her.’ Archer guffawed suddenly without merriment. ‘Maybe you saw her first, Sam, but I spoke first.’ He put his hands in his trousers-pockets and teetered on his heels. ‘You’ll play hell with her, you will.’ Spade grinned wolfishly, showing the edges of teeth far back in his jaw. ‘You’ve got brains, yes you have.’ He began to make a cigarette.”

Right from the beginning, Spade recognizes that O’Shaughnessy is deceitful and dangerous and that she preys on men. His ability to see through her act sets him apart from the men she is able to control and take advantage of. This passage also establishes Archer as a womanizer, which later becomes an important detail for understanding the complicated relationship between Spade, Archer, and Iva.

“Spade’s thick fingers made a cigarette with deliberate care, sifting a measured quantity of tan flakes down into curved paper, spreading the flakes so that they lay equal at the ends with a slight depression in the middle, thumbs rolling the paper’s inner edge down and up under the outer edge as forefingers pressed it over, thumbs and fingers sliding to the paper cylinder’s ends to hold it even while tongue licked the flap, left forefinger and thumb pinching their end while right forefinger and thumb smoothed the damp seam, right forefinger and thumb twisting their end and lifting the other to Spade’s mouth.”

This meticulous description of Spade rolling a cigarette mirrors his approach to detective work—it is careful, practiced, and deliberate. He rolls cigarettes frequently throughout the novel—especially in moments where he needs to appear calm or when he needs a moment to think.

“‘I never know what to do or say to women except that way,’ he grumbled, ‘and then I didn’t like Miles.’”

A part of Spade’s exaggerated masculinity is that he only knows how to connect with women through sex. There is also the implication that part of the reason he entered an affair with Iva was simply because of his dislike for Archer, adding to the ambiguity around his morality and further establishing Spade as an antihero.

“‘That depends,’ he said. ‘The hell of it is, Miss—Is your name Wonderly or Leblanc?’ She blushed and murmured: ‘It’s really O’Shaughnessy—Brigid O’Shaughnessy.’”

This short exchange provides an example of The Evasiveness of Truth, as even the third and ostensibly final revelation of Miss Wonderly’s real name as Brigid O’Shaughnessy is clouded by the fact that she has already lied about her name twice.

“I’ve got nothing against trusting you blindly except that I won’t be able to do you much good if I haven’t some idea of what it’s all about. For instance, I’ve got to have some sort of a line on your Floyd Thursby.”

There is a tension at the heart of Spade’s relationship with O'Shaughnessy. He knows that she is dangerous, and that gives him the confidence to continue engaging with her despite her reluctance to reveal anything about herself. Yet, at the same time, there is always the lingering possibility that Spade is being played and acting against his better judgment because he has romantic feelings for her.

“His face while he smoked was, except for occasional slight and aimless movements of his lower lip, so still and reflective that it seemed stupid […]”

Spade’s complete lack of emotional response to the things going on around him is described as appearing almost stupid. However, in a world where he can trust no one and is always assessing and calculating, his completely blank outer expression both masks his complex thoughts and prevents the people he is working with from having any idea what he wants or will do next.

“‘Five thousand dollars is,’ he said for the third time, ‘a lot of money.’”

There is a critique of wealth and social class underpinning the novel as money motivates everyone’s actions throughout, but in different ways depending on their social class and access to wealth. Spade is a working man, and as such, constantly must consider remuneration. Regardless of his feelings and commitment for O’Shaughnessy, the offer of $5,000 is not something he can ignore.

“The doubt in Cairo’s smile deepened. ‘It might make a world of difference,’ he said, and rearranged his hands in his lap so that, intentionally or not, a blunt forefinger pointed at Spade. The girl glanced at the pointing finger and made an impatient motion with her head. ‘Or me,’ she said, ‘or you.’ ‘Exactly, and shall we add more certainly the boy outside?’ ‘Yes,’ she agreed and laughed. ‘Yes, unless he’s the one you had in Constantinople.’ Sudden blood mottled Cairo’s face. In a shrill enraged voice he cried: ‘The one you couldn’t make?’”

O’Shaughnessy and Cairo have a shared history with one another that they attempt to keep secret from Spade. However, they cannot help taking jabs at one another as O’Shaughnessy implies that Cairo is gay, while he suggests that she uses her body to control men, which ultimately enrages them both because these are truths that could be used against them.

“‘Yes,’ Spade growled. ‘And when you’re slapped you’ll take it and like it.’”

This type of quote symbolizes the alpha-male masculinity that Spade embodies throughout the novel. Not only does he physically dominate Cairo, but he humiliates him by demanding he enjoy his subjugation.

“Spade’s smile flickered out at the instant of the impact, but returned immediately with a dreamy quality added. He steadied himself with a short backward step and his thick sloping shoulders writhed under his coat. Before his fist could come up Tom Polhaus had pushed himself between the two men, facing Spade, encumbering Spade’s arms with the closeness of his barrel-like belly and his own arms.”

While there are occasions where Spade demonstrates an explosive temper, he equally shows great restraint and self-control, suggesting he knows what he is doing and reacts according to what the situation requires. He knows he has the upper hand after antagonizing Dundy into hitting him, so he keeps his cool until the officers are gone.

“‘Oh, I’m so tired,’ she said tremulously, ‘so tired of it all, of myself, of lying and thinking up lies, and of not knowing what is a lie and what is the truth. I wish I—’”

The series of lies that make up Brigid O’Shaughnessy’s life have become so complex and layered that there is no truth left at the center to ground herself in. Likewise, every version of herself is a performance, and the performance has become so habitual that she no longer knows what her true self is.

“‘Where is he?’ Spade was busy with his cigarette. ‘Who?’ ‘The fairy.’ The hazel eyes’ gaze went up Spade’s chest to the knot of his maroon tie and rested there. ‘What do you think you’re doing, Jack?’ the boy demanded. ‘Kidding me?’”

At several points throughout the novel Spade uses homophobic slurs and displays a homophobic attitude toward Cairo. While they are a symptom of the wider culture the novel was produced in, Spade’s contempt also reflects his toxic form of masculinity he embodies throughout the text.

“[Gutman’s] fleshy lips hung open as laughter had left them. He stared at Spade with an intentness that suggested myopia.”

Gutman’s myopia is as figurative as it is literal. He is so focused on attaining the falcon that once he feels it is within reach, he is unable to see anything else. This shortsightedness causes him to have poor judgment and make mistakes that prevent him from getting his hands on the real falcon and lead to his demise.

“Wise’s fingers, running through his hair again, combed more dandruff down on his shoulders. He studied Spade’s face, with curious eyes and asked: ‘But you don’t believe it?’ Spade plucked his cigarette from between his lips. ‘I don’t believe it or disbelieve it, Sid. I don’t know a damned thing about it.’”

Spade’s ability to navigate the labyrinth of people, motivations, and deceptions that the novel presents is rooted in his perpetual skepticism. As a baseline, he assumes that everyone is lying and reserves judgment until he has sufficient information to make an informed theory of what is going on. This is best demonstrated by the fact he doesn’t even trust his own lawyer.

“‘Belong?’ the fat man said jovially. ‘Well, sir, you might say it belonged to the King of Spain, but I don’t see how you can honestly grant anybody else clear title to it—except by right of possession.’ He clucked. ‘An article of that value that has passed from hand to hand by such means is clearly the property of whoever can get hold of it.’ ‘Then it’s Miss O’Shaughnessy’s now?’ ‘No, sir, except as my agent.’ Spade said, ‘Oh,’ ironically.”

Spade’s acknowledgment of the irony here marks it as another moment of social critique. There is an obvious contradiction in Gutman’s thinking that betrays his social class: Despite his own admission that given the falcon’s history it is impossible to argue that anyone truly owns it. In Gutman’s mind, the idea that possession amounts to ownership extends to employees as well and reflects his belief that they are themselves a possession to be owned.

“Bryan smacked the back of his left hand down into the palm of his right. ‘In one of those three categories lies the solution.’ The power in his voice was no longer latent.”

When Spade first walks into District Attorney Bryan’s office, the power in his voice is described as latent; suggesting power, but not revealing it. That the power in his voice is no longer latent after he has explained his theory—one that Spade has told him is incorrect—reveals the way that his power is part of what prevents him from seeing the truth.

“She went around behind him, put his hand down, and stroked his temple with her slender fingers. He leaned back until the back of his head over the chair-top rested against her breast. He said: ‘You’re an angel.’”

The type of physical contact that Spade and Effie frequently engage in exemplifies the type of relationship they have. When Spade rests his head against Effie’s breast, she is performing a motherly role and providing comfort, rather than the romantic or sexual roles that Iva or O’Shaughnessy fulfill.

“‘You’re a damned good man, sister,’ he said and went out.”

The contradiction of man and sister reveals that while Spade sees Effie as a woman, he sees her differently than the other women in the novel. Unlike Iva and O’Shaughnessy, with whom sexual desire forms the basis of their relationships, Spade has no physical attraction to Effie and does not see her in that way. Instead, she takes on a caretaker role—as a mother of sister figure—and provides him with emotional support.

“‘Well, sir, if you’re really serious about this—this suggestion of yours, the least we can do in common politeness is to hear you out. Now how are you going about fixing it so that Wilmer’—he paused here to laugh again— ‘won’t be able to do us any harm?’”

Throughout this scene, Gutman insists that Wilmer is like a son to him and that he would never use him as a fall guy. However, his eagerness to hear Spade’s plan and his performative laughing at the idea suggest that this is because Wilmer has a short fuse and large guns in his hands rather than loyalty. This idea is reinforced by the fact that at the moment the opportunity to disarm Wilmer arises, Gutman turns on him.

“Bryan is like most district attorneys. He’s more interested in how his record will look on paper than anything else. He’d rather drop a doubtful case than try it and have it go against him. I don’t know that he ever deliberately framed anybody he believed innocent, but I can’t imagine him letting himself believe them innocent if he could scrape up, or twist into shape, proof of their guilt.”

Spade recognizes that this is a fatal flaw in the justice system. Self-interested individuals like District Attorney Bryan are more interested in advancing their careers than discovering the truth and ensuring justice is served. While this is largely why Spade has little respect for authority, it is also something he uses to his advantage, as is the case here.

“Gutman shook his head so that his round cheeks wobbled. ‘We didn’t think that for a minute,’ he replied. He smiled benevolently. ‘We had the advantage of knowing Miss O’Shaughnessy far too well for that and, while we didn’t know then that she had given the falcon to Captain Jacobi in Hongkong to be brought over on the Paloma while they took a faster boat, still we didn’t for a minute think that, if only one of them knew where it was, Thursby was the one.’”

Gutman’s warnings confirm Spade’s suspicions about O’Shaughnessy: She is not the damsel in distress she pretends to be. There is no denying that she is a resourceful and active player in the novel who uses the tools at her disposal to hold her own against the likes of Gutman, Cairo, Thursby, and even Spade.

“Gutman patted his fat hands together. His eyes twinkled. His voice was a complacent throaty purring: ‘For seventeen years I have wanted that little item and have been trying to get it. If I must spend another year on the quest—well, sir—that will be an additional expenditure in time of only’—his lips moved silently as he calculated—‘five and fifteen-seventeenths per cent.’”

Gutman rebounds from the disappointment of discovering that the falcon is a fake so quickly that it suggests he enjoys the hunt as much as the reward. He already has immense wealth and does not need the falcon the way the others do. For Gutman, it is a hobby that makes him feel intellectually superior to everyone who doesn’t know about it.

“‘I don’t. It’s easy enough to be nuts about you.’ He looked hungrily from her hair to her feet and up to her eyes again. ‘But I don’t know what that amounts to. Does anybody ever? But suppose I do? What of it? Maybe next month I won’t. I’ve been through it before—when it lasted that long. Then what?’”

An important part of Spade’s masculinity throughout the novel is his ability to stay in control of his emotions and not let them dictate his decision-making. This culminates at the end of the novel, when, despite admitting that he probably does love O’Shaughnessy, he overcomes these feelings to stay true to his code of ethics.