Theme Of Sexuality In The Maltese Falcon - 1207 Words

Sexuality in The Maltese Falcon The Maltese Falcon is partly a product of its time. Coming out of the free and wild 1920s into the conservative 1930s, Dashiell Hammett’s novel and its theme of sexuality can be viewed through multiple lenses—one can either see it as revolutionary for its time due to its exploration of gender, or harmful as it aids in cementing gender stereotypes for years to come. Regardless, sexuality plays a large role throughout the story. The reader already knows how Spade comes on top- through his hypermasculinity, he can dominate any situation by manipulating his actions to match the current situation. However, the novel also introduces characters who lack hypermasculine traits. Through queer-coded characters like†¦show more content†¦With both Cairo and Perine established as possibly LGBT, Hammett can then explore how their actions may influence their roles in a hypermasculine and hyperfeminine world. Cairo’s queerness allows Hammett to both present what strengths and weaknesses a homosexual man may have in the capitalist world of The Maltese Falcon, as well as juxtapose the hypermasculinity of Spade and the homosexual femininity of Cairo. While Spade is seemingly swayed by OShaughnessy’s advances, he acknowledges that Cairo is out of [O’Shaughnessy’s] reach.’ ‘And you arent?’ ‘Not that way,’ he said and grinned.† (Ch. 9) Cairo, unlike all the other men in the book, is not interested in Brigid—or any female for that matter—the same way they are. Now, this could mean many things, but since Brigid is the femme fatale, this most likely refers to her submissive femininity that she uses throughout the novel as leverage against the male characters. Cairo himself is confident and cunning, but is described as less stoic than Spade. When Cairo threatens Spade, his eyes are described as â€Å"humid and bashful and very earnest,† while â€Å"Spades voice was as empty of expression as his face.† (Ch. 5) In showing emotion, Cairo often loses control of situations as others use his emotions against him. He is very much a foil to Spade’s hyper-masculine traits, and most of his weaknesses come from being un-masculine. While Spade relies on his fists, Cairo must have a gun to get the upper hand; even then,Show MoreRelatedEssay about Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon1117 Words   |  5 Pageshard-boiled American detective fiction there are many themes that seem to transcend all novels. One of those themes is the concept of power and the role in which it plays in the interaction and development of characters. More specifically, the role of women within the novels can be scrutinized to better understand the power they hold over the other characters, their own lives and the direction of the story. 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