Money Leads to Misery
Socrates once said, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” Greed is invariably a part of our society. From the Spanish conquest of the Incas to the American slave trade, much of our history as humans centers around greed in one form or another. In Dashiell Hammett’s detective novel, The Maltese Falcon, the reader is plunged into a world of greed and deceit in the 1920s and ultimately sees the demise of many of the main characters in their attempts to gain wealth and prosper. Detective Miles Archer is murdered in the night; and so begins the mysterious tale of The Maltese Falcon. The characters cheat and lie to secure wealth for themselves. They are essentially
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concerned with only their own gains, and thus, the story centers around the theme of greed. “Greed and selfishness lead directly or indirectly to the deaths of Miles Archer, Floyd Thursby, Captain Jacobi and Caspar Gutman, as well as the incarceration of Brigid O’Shaughnessy” (Delaney). In The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammet shows that greed and selfishness ultimately lead to misery through violence and betrayal. Brigid O’Shaughnessy is an example of greed manifested in The Maltese Falcon. In Chapter 9, Detective Spade finds out that Brigid was hired by Caspar Gutman to thieve the falcon from General Kemidov. However, she decided to keep it instead. Later, when she gets the falcon back in San Francisco, she agrees to give it to Gutman. However, she still can’t part with it and gives it to Captain Jacobi. In the last chapter, the reader learns Miles Archer was murdered by O’Shaughnessy so that she could get rid of Floyd Thursby and not have to share the falcon with him (Delaney). “In the end, Sam Spade turns Brigid O’Shaughnessy into the police. She will probably spend the rest of her life in San Quentin, or possibly be hanged” (Delaney). For all the trouble it took her, and all the effort and deceit she put into keeping the falcon, it ends up leading to her demise and confinement. Brigid uses any means possible to get her way. She will lie, cheat, and use her sexuality to manipulate the people around her. In Chapter 19, Brigid’s devious ways catch up to her as Detective Spade begins to solve the mystery. When speaking about who could’ve tricked Miles into the alley he says, “But he’d’ve gone up there with you, angel, if he was sure nobody else was up there. You were his client… He was just dumb enough for that. He’d’ve looked you up and down and licked his lips and gone grinning from ear to ear—and then you could’ve stood as close to him as you liked in the dark and put a hole through him with the gun you had…” (Hammett 208-209). O’Shaughnessy deceives all of the people around her until the sly Detective Spade figures her out. She uses her sexuality as a weapon to destroy the people who keep her from the beloved falcon. Brigid’s greed and selfish nature lead straight to her eventual misery or possible imminent death. Caspar Gutman is the embodiment of greed in the novel. Mr. Gutman’s greed has motivated him to search for the falcon for seventeen years. Even the way he is described in the book as “the fat man” implies gluttony. Although greed and gluttony are not the same, they are like twin sisters who look alike on the surface, but have different personalities. Greed is the concern with the acquisition of things, while gluttony is the over-indulgence of these things. Dashiell Hammett describes the gluttonous appearance of Mr. Gutman using great detail, “The fat man was flabbily fat with bulbous pink cheeks and lips and chins and neck, with a great soft egg of a belly that was all his torso, and pendant cones for arms and legs. As he advanced to meet Spade all his bulbs rose and shook and fell separately with each step…” (Hammet 104). The author uses extremely visual words and phrases to emphasize the gluttonous nature of this character. William Delany writes on eNotes.com, “Caspar Gutman’s greed sets the whole story in motion, because he is the only character who initially knows the history of the figurine and its true value.” In Chapter 19, Caspar continues his search for the real falcon after he figures out he has been given a fake one (Delaney). He tells Cairo, “For seventeen years I have wanted that little item and have been trying to get it. If I must spend another year on the quest—well, sir—that will be an additional expenditure in time of only”—his lips moved silently as he calculated—“five and fifteen-seventeenths per cent” (Hammet 203). Because of Caspar’s craving for money, Caspar Gutman is lead on a long and tedious chase. Mr. Gutman’s greed ultimately leads to his murder. It could be argued that the clever detective Spade was aware of Brigid’s guilt from the start, but withheld his knowledge for his own personal gain (Martinez, Phillips). Sam Spade’s motives are left ambiguous throughout the novel. The reader is never truly aware if Sam is motivated by money or honor for his partner. Before Miles Archer’s death, Spade was having an affair with his partner’s wife. Although he does the right thing in the end by capturing his partner’s murderer, his motives are left ambiguous. Maybe Spade is the one glimmer of morality throughout this story, shown when he says, “When a man’s partner is killed he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it” (Hammett 213-214). In the end, detective Spade solves the mystery of his partner’s murder, and turns Brigid O’Shaughnessy into the police. The reader is left to wonder if Spade truly wants to honor his partner, by turning in his killer, or if he was aware of Brigid’s guilt from the start and uses this knowledge for his own personal gain. Hammett’s writing style is used as a part of the story: we only know each character’s actions, not their inner thoughts. Therefore, it is left up to the reader to decide whether Spade acted out of honor for his partner, or self-interest. The line of morality and greed grows blurrier as the story goes on. The unpredictable nature of the story represents the chaos and betrayal that results from greed. The alliances between characters constantly change and the actions that people take are often confusing. The main focus of the book is in the ambiguous nature of Detective Spade’s motives rather than where the Maltese falcon actually is. The reader is never fully aware of each characters intentions in their actions. In Chapter 11, when Sam Spade is talking to Caspar Gutman at the Alexandria Hotel, Gutman asks Spade whether he is there as a representative for Joel Cairo or Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Gutman says, “It will be one or the other?” “I didn’t say that.” The fat man’s eyes glistened. His voice sank to a throaty whisper asking: “Who else is there?” Spade pointed his cigar at his own chest. “There’s me,” he said. (Hammett 106) The reader is left to wonder what Spade’s motives are. Is he really out for the money, or is it all part of his scheme to find his partner’s killer? Throughout the book, it is never truly clear whether Sam Spade is a “hero” or a “villain.” Sam Spade’s affair with Iva Archer, his partner’s wife, is maybe the most evident example of his self-centered nature (“Vangoghfan”). In Chapter 3, after Spade finds out that Miles Archer is dead, Spade’s secretary asks Sam what he plans on doing now: “Are you going to marry Iva?” she asked, looking down at his pale brown hair. “Don’t be silly,” he muttered. The unlighted cigarette bobbed up and down with the movement of his lips. “She doesn’t think it’s silly.
Why should she—the way you’ve played around with her?” (Hammett 27)
The author creates an atmosphere of moral ambiguity because the thoughts and emotions of each character have to be sensed by the reader. It is left up to the reader to decide whether Sam Spade’s actions are immoral, whether Brigid O’Shaughnessy is a selfish liar, or why each character does the things that they do. The chaotic nature of the story is the perfect setting to show the turmoil that comes about from greed and selfishness.
The “black bird” represents the rotten core of each character. The Maltese Falcon is a symbol of their greed and desire for wealth. The characters in the book are all seeking a jeweled figurine of a falcon, originally given from the Knights of Malta to the King of Spain. “The Maltese falcon’s lure is derived from the mythology surrounding its supposed value” (Infomercial Guy). In Chapter 13, Caspar Gutman explains the rich and complex history of the Maltese falcon. Spade asks whom the bird actually belongs to and Gutman chuckles, “An article of that value that has passed from hand to hand by such means is clearly the property of whoever can get ahold of it” (Hammett 128). Even the history of this much sought after falcon is full of acts of greed and betrayal. In the end, the Maltese falcon has been reduced from gold to lead, and down with it go the lives of all those who selfishly chased it. The Falcon’s origins cause many of the characters to forget
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about their morality. To capture the falcon, the characters resort to lies, cheats, and even murder. Everyone gets involved; including Space. However, unlike the other characters, Sam separates himself from the others and saves himself (Infomercial Guy). Dan Maloney wrote in his paper “The Stuff Dreams are Made of,” “Like the statue itself, inside [the characters] are as valueless as the Falcon—rotten to the core with their greed. They have lost themselves attempting to retrieve history’s lost object. The Maltese Falcon is a symbol of obsessive greed and the people who fall victim to it. They sacrificed everything for its possible attainment, and eventually lost even themselves to the pursuit” (Maloney) The attainment of this precious figure will tear apart each characters life. The falcon, and the pursuit of it, represents an almost pure form of greed and selfishness. “In a sense, the falcon is simply luring them to their doom: some to death, some to prison, and Sam Spade back to his lonely life” (“Is the Falcon a Symbol?”). Gutman, Cairo, and Brigid O’Shaughnessy selfishly pursue their own interests as they try to obtain the bird.
Driven by greed, the characters do not consider the consequences of their actions and become entangled in a complex web for fortune. “In The Maltese Falcon, greed destroys any hope the characters have for happy lives. Yet, they can’t give up the chase. They are driven by uncontrollable yearnings that eat away at their humanity and contaminate any hope of creating good relationships with others” (“The Falcon as a Symbol”). Love and lives are lost, all in the pursuit of a bird of no actual value. Greed is a constant in society, and continues today; from corrupt government officials stealing tax payers money, to North Korea suppressing it’s own people. No matter the time or place, greed exists and manifests itself in various forms and people. In The Maltese Falcon, greed is a characteristic that all of the characters share and represent perfectly. All of the characters who are after the Maltese falcon are selfish and only care about what is in it for them. They do not care about each other, and if someone gets left behind in the process, the others will just keep on marching until they get what they want. Just like Mahatma Gandhi said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s
greed.”
Greed has influenced human behavior for thousands of years. It is perfectly natural to covet objects or to pine for a promotion. Almost everyone wishes they were wealthier or owned a nicer house. Society has learned to accept these forms of greed because they are a common thread throughout civilization. But, on occasion, greed can transform and twist people into inhumane monsters. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas depicts this transformation taking place in the character of Danglars. The story begins with young, highly-ambitious Danglars as a ship’s accountant. He complains to the ship’s owner about Dantes, the first-mate, in an attempt to advance himself. Danglars also writes a letter that accuses Dantes of being a
“Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything” Eartha Kitt (BrainyQuote). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is about a man named Gatsby, who is trying to regain the love of a girl who he used to date to get back together with him. Gatsby’s only problem is that Daisy, the girl he is in love with is married to Tom. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Daisy’s second cousin, once removed, and Gatsby’s friend. This allows the reader to know about Tom’s secret relationship with Myrtle Wilson and also allows the readers insight into Gatsby. According to Dictionary.com greed is “excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions”(Dictionary.com). Gatsby tries to get Daisy to fall in love with him, even though she is married to Tom. Gatsby throws elaborate parties that last all weekend in the hopes that Daisy will attend one. Greed is a major villain in The Great Gatsby through Gatsby’s chasing of Daisy, Myrtle’s cheating, and people using Gatsby simply for his wealth.
Money can cause people to act selfish and arrogant, especially when they have so much money they do noteven know what to spend it on. In the novel,
The birds show symbolism in more than one way throughout the text. As the soldiers are travelling from all over the world to fight for their countries in the war, the birds are similarly migrating for the change of seasons. The birds however, will all be returning, and many of the soldiers will never return home again. This is a very powerful message, which helps the reader to understand the loss and sorrow that is experienced through war.
Sources exhibit examples of greed that result in impoverished conditions for all circumstances of life. Greed is evident through the actions of social groups, and at the individual level. Selfishness would not benefit the good in life if it is expected to gain and not be expected to lose. Gluttony is evident in today's social environment just as much as it was years ago, whether it be using someone for self purpose, exploitation, damaging relationships, creating wars and oppression, destroying nature, countless other evils and many live without the necessities that we take for granted.
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's needs, but not every man 's greed.” As humans, we work countless hours in order to have a greater opportunity to succeed in life to fulfill our wants. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, utilizes effective language and punctuation in the text in order to accomplish his purpose: Illustrate what material goods does to a society. From a rhetorical standpoint, examining logos, ethos, and pathos, this novel serves as a social commentary on how pursuing the “The American Dream” causes people in society to transform into greedy and heartless individuals.
... The greed portrayed by these characters has no explanation, at least that Fitzgerald offers, and thus should not exist; proving that these characters are simply greedy and deserve all that comes to them. And thus these two authors differ in the reasons why the greed occurs and, effectively, the difference in the short, 1-day gap from October 24 into October 25, 1929. And so greed exists in the modern period, saturating its two of its most famous novels and a theme of two of its most famous authors, portraying all evil as caused by greed, illustrating the true cynicism of the era. Works Cited Stenbeck, J. a.
The aspect of greed shows itself as the heart of the many immoral acts committed by fictional characters and real people. From Adam and Eve’s betrayal to Macbeth’s collapse portrays what greed can produce as a result: destruction. Whether it destroys one’s health, it inherently portrays as a force to the path of corruption. The Pardoner, from The Canterbury Tales, defines greed’s purpose. This includes how greed pulls them to degeneration. No matter how subtle the fall, it still brings to distasteful events for the characters from The Importance of Being Earnest. Although the characters differ, their obsessions with their immoral acts decline their personalities. Thus, the authors portray the characters’ greed, as a pernicious force that drives
The thought of having an immense sum of money or wealth bring certain people to believe that money can buy almost anything, even happiness, however in reality, it will only lead to lost and false hope. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes a story about a man named Gatsby who is a victim of this so called 'false hope' and 'lost.' Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald clearly demonstrates and elaborates on the relationship between having money, wealth, and one's ethics or integrity by acknowledging the idea that the amount of money or wealth one has attained does affect the relationship between one's wealth and one's ethics whether or not in a pleasant manner. Although money and wealth may not be able to buy a person happiness, it surely can buy a person's mind and action given that a wealthy person has a great deal of power. Fitzgerald analyzes the notion that even though many people dream of being both rich and ethical, it is not possible, and therefore, being poor and ethical is much better than trying to be rich and ethical.
This novel depicts greed on several occasions through out the novel. One example of this is when Gatsby is left twenty five thousand dollars by Dan Cody as a legacy, but from what one is led to believe Ella Kaye refused to let
The sin of greed encompasses the desire for more power and attention than necessary. Greed is not easily satisfied, as portrayed in the novel, The Lord of the Flies, and the television series, Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Jack, the novel’s antagonist, exemplifies greed. His appetite for power and complete control consumed him, making him the representation of savagery and inhumanity. Even after he became the leader, it was not enough for Jack. In the television series, Pretty Little Liars, Charlotte DiLaurentis, more commonly known as CeCe Drake, was overwhelmed by her greed as it stemmed from obsession. All CeCe wanted was to be loved
“Money is the root of all evil”(Levit). Man and his love of money has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Men have fought in wars over money, given up family relationships for money and done things they would have never thought that they would be capable of doing because of money. In the movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author demonstrates how the love and worship of money and all of the trappings that come with it can destroy lives. In the novel Jay Gatsby has lavish parties, wears expensive gaudy clothes, drives fancy cars and tries to show his former love how important and wealthy he has become. He believes a lie, that by achieving the status that most Americans, in th...
The love of money is the root of all evil, a statement that has proved itself true through the centuries. Loving money traps us, as human beings. It is not a bad thing to enjoy what money can do; however, the love of money is a wasted effort that can put all in grave peril. It is at our advantage that we have the ability to choose whether we ‘want’ to fall into that trap. Unfortunately, that choice is difficult since society associates one’s character with wealth and financial management. The mishaps, deaths, and hardships that occur from the beginning of the tale are the result of deliberate deception for personal gain. In Treasure Island, greed sends the characters on a voyage. Robert Louis Stevenson makes a social commentary on the role that money has come to play in our society.
When we hear of The Maltese Falcon it’s easy to consider it only be used in an English class without ever contemplating the possibility of reading or using it in another. It sounds silly to think that a novel could be used in a different subject, but the possibilities are near endless. Psychology is the main class that comes to mind when thinking about in what other class the students would benefit from the novel. There’s a lot of deception and many ways on how it is used. Greed and deception, or reasons why someone is deceptive has to do with the way someone’s mind is and how they think. There are also many theories as to why a person might act the way they do and the students can try to figure out which theory best fits that certain character
Greed, being a key human condition, has shaped society from the very start. In fact, some scholars believe that greed was the first major milestone of human success, when the first human wondered why he/she had to scrounge around for necessities; it is a part of being human to be greedy. Wanting a new car, to be loved by another, or to desire the feeling of well doing when feeding the needy, these are all factions of greed...