If so, it seems to go along with a mockery or disdain of
others' emotion,
and getting them to play their emotional hand. He laughs at
Brigid's
tears. Streak of sadism? (Bogart certainly communicated that
attitude.)
Add the muted face to the objective point of view, and Spade
becomes more
an agent of action than a person one is really interested in.
In that
sense, the story of Flitcraft comes out of no where, and has
the effect of
a glimpse inside, or an awkward attempt at intimacy to which
Brigid doesn't
respond. Either way, it's sort of laid out, like a free
association dream,
for the reader to analyze, as if Hammett is saying "Make
something of this,
cause that's all you're going to get from inside this guy."
At which
point, I read on.
Bill Hagen
<billha@ionet.net>
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