What does it truly mean to be one of noble character? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, noble is defined as possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals. Basically, the one who is less of a criminal than the others. In order to examine nobility in a character, they must be the lesser of the crooks than society. In Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Casper Gutman, Joel Cairo and Sam Spade virtually have no morals but rather the pursuit of money. Brigid, Casper and Joel are determined to find the falcon but are unsuccessful looking for it themselves so each one goes to Sam Spade in attempt to persuade him to find the falcon for them. This is why I believe
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Joel Cairo offered Spade $5,000 to get him the Falcon, Spade accepted the offer, “Spade smiled and patted the arms of his chair. ‘Just leave that to us,’ he said.”(3). In addition to that, Gutman, Cairo’s boss, told Spade, “I will give you one quarter--twenty-five percent—of what I realize on the falcon. There you are, sir: an almost immediate fifty thousand dollars or a vastly greater sum within, say, a couple of months" (69). Additionally, Brigid O’Shaughnessy is desperate for Spade’s assistance but she cannot afford it. So she said, “‘Can I buy you with my body?’” and Spade responded, “‘I'll think it over’” (31). Evidently, this goes to show how noble Sam Spade is because everyone is asking of his assistance rather than finding it themselves or asking someone who’s trusted …show more content…
When we take a look at Brigid O’Shaughnessy, we typically see her as a deceptive, conniving, manipulative, selfish, emotionally-driven prostitute. She has no morals or ethics because Casper Gutman is her boss and she went behind his back so she can claim the Falcon to herself. Joel Cairo is nonetheless a noble man because he too, is working under Casper Gutman and Cairo acts as if Gutman is more holy than Pope Francis. Iva Archer is neither morally correct nor noble because she did not love her husband, Miles Archer she was just after money. Thus, Sam Spade is the one who is nobler than the other characters because the way he handles things are much more
Joel Cairo offered Spade $5,000 to get him the Falcon, Spade accepted the offer, “Spade smiled and patted the arms of his chair. ‘Just leave that to us,’ he said.”(3). In addition to that, Gutman, Cairo’s boss, told Spade, “I will give you one quarter--twenty-five percent—of what I realize on the falcon. There you are, sir: an almost immediate fifty thousand dollars or a vastly greater sum within, say, a couple of months" (69). Additionally, Brigid O’Shaughnessy is desperate for Spade’s assistance but she cannot afford it. So she said, “‘Can I buy you with my body?’” and Spade responded, “‘I'll think it over’” (31). Evidently, this goes to show how noble Sam Spade is because everyone is asking of his assistance rather than finding it themselves or asking someone who’s trusted …show more content…
When we take a look at Brigid O’Shaughnessy, we typically see her as a deceptive, conniving, manipulative, selfish, emotionally-driven prostitute. She has no morals or ethics because Casper Gutman is her boss and she went behind his back so she can claim the Falcon to herself. Joel Cairo is nonetheless a noble man because he too, is working under Casper Gutman and Cairo acts as if Gutman is more holy than Pope Francis. Iva Archer is neither morally correct nor noble because she did not love her husband, Miles Archer she was just after money. Thus, Sam Spade is the one who is nobler than the other characters because the way he handles things are much more