I trust you're NOT arguing that because the info came from
Guttman, Brigid was NOT dangerous. Spade had every reason to
doubt everything everyone in this novel told him. Of all the
characters, however, Guttman has a selective sense of ethics.
His psychosis is interestingly portrayed. I believe he was
based on the popular image of Aleister Crowley, an English
occultist and Masonic history buff who was much in the news
at the time Falcon was written. Guttman sort of predates
Hannibal Lecheter, who thinks nothing of killing people but
would never be rude. Spade certainly knows Brigid is
dangerous by the time of Guttman's warning. That's also how
Bogart plays it, too. He reads the line "dangerous?" very
sarcastically.
Patrick King
--- William Ahearn <
williamahearn@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> --- Patrick King <
abrasax93@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Spade says "Dangerous?" and Guttman
affirms,
> "Very."
> >
> And Gutman is a font of reliable information?
It
> could
> be argued that Gutman was planting seeds that
would
> grow into doubt to weaken an alliance that
could
> work
> against him. True or not, Spade had every reason
to
> weigh that information carefully. To me,
this
> exchange
> shows that each is out for their own no matter
how
> they may seem to want to work together and
that
> shows
> Spade the weaknesses of his enemies.
>
> William
>
> Essays and Ramblings
> <http://www.williamahearn.com>
>
>
>
>
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