History
305
Devine
Spring
2011
Study
Guide: The Maltese Falcon
The
following are issues to consider as you read Dashiell
Hammett’s novel in preparation for class on March 1st.
How is Spade different than other
famous literary detectives such as Sherlock Holmes – both as a person and as a
detective? If he doesn’t use a
magnifying glass and hunt for clues, how does he work? Is Spade any good at
being a detective? If so, what skills
does he have? Or does he simply leave things to chance? How does the context in which he works differ
from that in which we find Holmes and other “genteel” detectives?
What has happened to loyalty and
fidelity in this novel? Are any of the
characters loyal or faithful to each other?
Can Sam Spade be distinguished from the other characters by his
loyalties? What are his motives? Does he have a personal code of values? If so, upon what is it based? Does Spade have a sense of honor?
Does anyone tell the truth in this
novel? How do the characters use deception and for what purposes? Does Hammett suggest that in the modern
world, there are no “truths”? Or does he
imply that by peeling back layers of deception, one can ultimately reach the
truth? In Sam Spade’s world, must one
resort to deception in order to survive? By trusting that someone is telling
the truth does one insure betrayal? Of
all the characters, why is Sam the most difficult to deceive?
How are feminine sexuality and sexual
relations treated in the novel? How
would you describe the relationship between Sam and Brigid? Between Sam and Iva? What kind of a woman is Brigid? How does she compare to Iva and Effie? In
what ways do these three female characters both transgress and adhere to
traditional notions of femininity? Is there any romance in this novel or only
lies and deception? Does Brigid love Sam at the end of the novel? Does Sam love Brigid?
How is manliness treated in the
novel? How would you compare Spade to
the other male characters in the book?
How is he different than others around him – his partner Miles; Gutman;
What does this novel have to say about
the legitimacy of authority and authority figures? What does Spade think of authority and
“rules”? Are there any rules or is it
best to make them up as one goes along? Is everyone corrupt, even Spade?
7. The City
How does the urban setting contribute
to the novel’s mood and tone? Does the
city itself become one of the “characters”?
Does city life erode society’s moral fibre or
simply strip away the hypocrisies? Does the novel suggest that urban life is
inherently disorderly and in constant disarray?
Does the setting reinforce any broader themes about the general state of
modern society? At the end of the novel is everything “back in order”?
8. The Flitcraft Story
What is the significance of the timing
of Spade’s recitation of this story? Why
does Sam go out of his way to tell it to Brigid? Is he trying to telegraph to her some kind of
message or warning? Is it a commentary
on the fickleness of fate? Is Hammett suggesting anything about the nature of
the human character?
9. The Falcon
Is the falcon a symbol? If so, what does it symbolize? Does the falcon have a different meaning for
different characters? Is there actually a
real Maltese falcon and does this
even matter?