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Symbolism In Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon

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The Maltese Falcon - Is It A Classic?

Classic literature is the "meat" of ones general knowledge. Plenty of valuable insights are illuminated about the world that we live in that greatly impacts how a person lives their life. A brilliant example of this is Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. It is one of the most haunting classics of all time because it can create and build suspense, it can be related to the lives of the general population, and it has the ability to change the reader.

The novel is suspenseful. Throughout the book, there is a lot of apprehension that persistently keeps the reader engaged. One of the most engrossing things about The Maltese Falcon is the plot. It is centered on two main things: to find the falcon and …show more content…

There are many universal themes that are constantly present in our world that are illuminated throughout the book. One of the major contributors to the story is the motif of 'Lies and Deceit'. At one point or another in the novel, almost every character tells a lie. Deception becomes an important implement that the characters use to stay on top in the tireless pursuit of the falcon. Therefore, the flip side to all of the lies circulating in the book is trust. However, the relationships that Spade has with all of the other characters are very difficult to define. Spade is a loner, so he mistrusts almost everyone. Another key motivating factor that drives the majority of the characters is old fashioned greed. The object of everyones cupidity is the rare Maltese Falcon. This priceless, black bird is in the rapacious eyes of most of the characters, and they are willing to go great lengths to obtain it, even if it means leaving behind a few dead bodies along the way. Greed also appears in the from of cash. In this novel, money can buy a lot of things. The ruthless pursuit of the falcon is presented as a vicious quest after money, a chase that turns out to be corrupting and pointless. Yet this is not the only thing that is

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He was able to outsmart everyone, but at the cost of his being alone. He may have won, but he won Iva, a character symbol of loneliness. Spade may not be greedy but he is very selfish. He feels that he is a professional and that causes him to do things that people normally wouldn’t do. There is irony in the way that Spade thinks about himself.

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He does tell his father that he is aware of the fact that he may be lying when he tells the boy that they are not dying but his father acknowledges his lies saying “Okay. I might. But we are still not dying.” The significance of trust in this novel is the relationship between the father and his son. It is significant because the only person the boy has to trust is his father and in order to survive they must have all their trust in one another to help them develop a closer bond so they do not end up alone.

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