“\u2019I distrust a man that says when\u2019\u2026\u2019I distrust a close-mouthed man.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019Ah, Mr. Spade,\u2019 he said with enthusiasm\u2026Spade took the hand and smiled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019You\u2019re the man for me, sir, a man cut along my own lines.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fat man\u2019s eyes were dark gleams in ambush behind pink puffs of flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Spade rose and stood close to the fat man, looking down at him, and Spade\u2019s eyes were hard and bright. His voice was deliberate, challenging: \u2018Here\u2019s to plain speaking and clear understanding.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019You see,\u2019 he said blandly, \u2018I must tell you what I know, but you will not tell me what you know. That is hardly equitable, sir. No, no, I do not think we can do business along those lines.\u2019\u201d (quotes from p. 105-109)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These quotes are taken from the first meeting between Gutman and Spade. The scene features the two men discussing the Maltese Falcon and the mystery surrounding it. One feature of the passage that stands out is the repetition of the word \u201cdistrust,\u201d and the proximity of the related word \u201cambush.\u201d Words such as these are jarring in the otherwise cordial conversation between Gutman and Spade. The contrast between which words are used and how they are used gives a good impression of the underlying tension in the passage, a tension that builds throughout the entire encounter. In the beginning of the passage, the words used to describe Spade and Gutman are pleasant: Gutman is enthusiastic and Spade smiles. As the passage progresses, the conversation between Gutman and Spade shifts from outwardly happy to merely polite, with phrases such as \u201cpolitely attentive\u201d used to describe Spade. Finally, Spade\u2019s voice is described as \u201cdeliberate\u201d and \u201cchallenging\u201d while repeating Gutman\u2019s mantra about \u201cplain speaking and clear understanding.\u201d The words used in the passage trace the breakdown of civil communication between Spade and Gutman, culminating in the sudden explosion of Spade\u2019s temper at the end.<\/p>\n
Another significant element of the passage is the repetition of the word \u201cline.\u201d Early on in the conversation, Gutman calls Spade \u201ca man cut along my own lines.\u201d This is a very ironic statement, since Gutman\u2019s rolls of fat are nothing like Spade\u2019s hard lines. The passage ends with Gutman saying to Spade \u201cI do not think we can do business along those lines.\u201d The concept of being along certain lines puts the underlying tension of the passage into words. Both Spade and Gutman have established certain boundaries, or lines, that neither will cross, from forced civility into a more authentic sense of hostility. The fact that Spade\u2019s outburst directly follows the word \u201cline\u201d suggests that Gutman has crossed one of these unspoken lines, bringing the true tone of the conversation into the forefront.<\/p>\n
By examining the conversation around Spade\u2019s outburst, we can deduce the reason for his loss of temper. The comment that appears to set Spade off is the suggestion that he is not being fair\u2014that the business agreement he is developing with Gutman is not \u201cequitable.\u201d If we look farther back in the story, Spade says to Brigid that he \u201cdoesn\u2019t like being hit without hitting back.\u201d This indicates a desire on Spade\u2019s part to be on even footing with others, a trait that he prides himself on. When Gutman suggests that Spade is not being fair, he crosses a line. Spade\u2019s pride is wounded, and he responds by shattering the tension of the scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“\u2019I distrust a man that says when\u2019\u2026\u2019I distrust a close-mouthed man.\u2019\u201d \u201c\u2019Ah, Mr. Spade,\u2019 he said with enthusiasm\u2026Spade took the hand and smiled.\u201d \u201c\u2019You\u2019re the man for me, sir, a man cut along my own lines.\u2019\u201d \u201cThe fat man\u2019s eyes were dark gleams in ambush behind pink puffs of flesh.\u201d \u201cThen Spade rose and stood … Continue reading Spade’s Outburst<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1778,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1778"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fysdetective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}