The Maltese Falcon · Chapter
The Fat Man explained
Spade receives a phone call from Mr.
What happens
Spade receives a phone call from Mr. Gutman and arranges a meeting. Iva Archer visits to apologize for sending the police to his apartment, and Spade advises her to see Sid Wise. Spade then goes to the Alexandria Hotel to meet Gutman, where they discuss the falcon and the knowledge of its true value. Gutman reveals he believes he is the only one who knows what the bird is, leading to a tense negotiation.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Duplicity
Spade and Gutman engage in a verbal dance, each withholding information about the falcon while trying to extract the other's knowledge.
Greed and Corruption
The negotiation over the falcon's value and the willingness to pay large sums highlight the corrupting influence of greed.
Moral Ambiguity
Spade's interactions with Iva Archer and Gutman blur the lines between right and wrong, as he manipulates both for his own ends.
Characters to notice
- Sam Spade
Receives a call from Gutman, deals with Iva Archer's visit, and meets Gutman at the Alexandria Hotel to negotiate about the falcon.
- Iva Archer
Visits Spade to apologize for sending the police to his apartment and to warn him about her brother-in-law Phil Archer's suspicions.
- Casper Gutman
The fat man who meets Spade at the Alexandria Hotel; he claims to be the only one who knows the true nature of the falcon.
- Wilmer Cook
The boy who opens the door for Spade at Gutman's suite; he had previously confronted Spade in the Belvedere lobby.
- Effie Perine
Mentioned by Iva Archer as having snooped around her clothes; Spade sent Brigid to Effie's house.
- Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Spade sends her to Effie Perine's house before his meeting with Gutman; Gutman inquires about her knowledge of the falcon.
Key passages
“The telephone bell was ringing when Spade returned to his office after sending Brigid O’Shaughnessy off to Effie Perine’s house.”
Spade gets back to his office after dropping Brigid at Effie's and the phone is ringing.
Sets the scene for the call from Gutman.
“Iva Archer came in. Spade said, 'Hello, honey,' in a voice as lightly amiable as his face had suddenly become.”
Iva Archer enters and Spade greets her with feigned warmth.
Shows Spade's ability to switch personas quickly.
“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.”
Gutman is extremely overweight, with a round, soft body and limbs like hanging cones.
Vivid description of Gutman's appearance.
“I distrust a man that says when. If he’s got to be careful not to drink too much it’s because he’s not to be trusted when he does.”
Gutman says he doesn't trust people who limit their drinking, as it suggests they are hiding something.
Gutman's philosophy on trust and drinking.
“If they don’t I’m the only one in the whole wide sweet world who does!”
Gutman exclaims that if Brigid and Cairo don't know the falcon's true nature, he is the only person who does.
Gutman's moment of triumph about his unique knowledge.
