The Maltese Falcon Men and Masculinity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

He talked in a steady matter-of-fact voice that was devoid of emphasis or pauses, though now and then he repeated a sentence slightly rearranged, as if it were important that each detail be related exactly as it had happened. (7.2)

Spade's manner of speaking, his gruff "matter of fact" voice that lacks any sign of sentimentality or emotion, is a sign of his hyper-masculinity. In a world that is run by ruthless criminals, Spade needs to develop a thick skin and hardboiled attitude in order to make his way through it.

Quote #5

Spade's lip twitched over his eyetooth. He said: "You're not coming in. What do you want to do about it? Try to get in? Or do your talking here? Or go to hell?"

Tom groaned.

Dundy, still speaking through his teeth, said: "It'd pay you to play along with us a little, Spade. You've got away with this and you've got away with that, but you can't keep it up forever."

"Stop me when you can," Spade replied arrogantly. (7.105)

It sometimes seems as if Spade gets a kick out of angering the police department, especially when it comes to Dundy. Spade and Dundy clearly don't get along, and they both hate each other's guts. Dundy is constantly bullying and badgering Spade, while Spade goes out of his way to get under Dundy's skin. As a private eye, Spade isn't part of the police force, so Hammett is drawing a clear distinction between Spade's work and that of the police. Dundy is seen as a man who abuses his authority as a cop, and Tom Polhaus is one of the rare honest policemen that we see in the novel.

Quote #6

Spade rose and put his hands in his trouser-pockets. He stood erect so he might look that much further down at the Lieutenant. His grin was taut and self-certainty spoke in every line of his posture.

"I dare you to take us in, Dundy," he said. "We'll laugh at you in every newspaper in San Francisco." (8.56)

Spade asserts his masculinity here by standing up and pulling himself taller so that he can look down at Dundy. Notice the emphasis on Spade's self-certainty. He's very sure of himself, a necessary requirement for a detective dealing with abusive cops and dangerous criminals.