How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"One of them [the Carlists] must have brought it [the falcon] with him, but, whoever he was, it's likely he knew nothing about its real value. It had been—no doubt as a precaution during the Carlist trouble in Spain—painted or enameled over to look like nothing more than a fairly interesting black statuette. And in that disguise, sir, it was, you might say, kicked around Paris for seventy years by private owners and dealers too stupid to see what it was under the skin." (13.30)
In Gutman's narrative of the Maltese falcon, we find out that over the centuries, the jewel-encrusted golden bird acquired a layer of black enamel to hide its real value. How is this disguise linked to the theme of lies and deceit? The falcon is a symbol of wealth, but the fact that it becomes disguised is not unlike all the disguises that the different characters put on throughout the novel.
Quote #5
"Charilaos was in no hurry to convert his find into money at once. He knew that—enormous as its intrinsic value was—a far higher, a terrific, price could be obtained for it once its authenticity was established beyond doubt." (13.32)
We see that throughout history, greed has ruled kings and paupers alike. In Paris in 1911, the Greek dealer Chariloas Konstantinides uncovered the real value of the black bird. But instead of rushing out to sell it to the highest bidder, he knew that if he were patient, he could fetch an even better price. You'd be hard-pressed to find a single character in Maltese Falcon who isn't after monetary gain.
Quote #6
"Then the bird doesn't belong to any of you?" Spade asked, "but to a General Kemidov?"
"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. "As 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." (13.37)
Gutman makes an interesting point here about ownership. He believes that the falcon doesn't really "belong" to anyone, except maybe the King of Spain. Gutman argues that the bird belongs to whoever has it in his possession. Finder's keepers.