Those two things simply do not seem to fit: Satan is not a pleasant figure, historically speaking. Even with the advent of Modern Art, it is still pretty tricky business to find a blonde Satan that looks pleasant. A representation of Satan with blonde hair before the advent of Modern Art is about almost as difficult to find as a black Jesus during the same period. It is more than that, however, because it is suggesting what he looks like is something that should not be expected. What is really suggesting that is Sam Spade looks like something that he really is not. The first paragraph ends with an unusual physical description of Sam Spade: “He looked rather pleasantly like a blond Satan.” That short, simple declarative sentence is deceptive it may be short, but hardly simple. Perhaps even more striking is that the questions being raised just below the surface of the narrative events point toward the motivation behind the central character’s actions in that narrative and yet no definitive answers are provided either explicitly or implicitly. What is especially impressive is the way in which this thematic tapestry can serve to enhance an appreciation of the narrative to those readers recognizing it while in no way undermining the appreciation of the novel for those who fail to intuit the underlying psychology. Just three paragraphs in, The Maltese Falcon uses character description to subtly hint at a theme which will be increasingly fleshed out as subtext. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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