I don't know that I 100% buy my own oppressed female
argument, but I would say that Brigid is not a psychopath.
She's a greedy schemer which makes her just like every other
character in the book, including Spade, especially Spade. As
you say, Spade at least suspects her of murdering Thursby
from the beginning and then, instead of confronting her
immediately, he sleeps with her and deceives her up till the
very end, when he can do the most damage, and when he's sure
there's nothing more in it for him. He's as much of a
manipulator as she is, and his behavior towards Thursby's
widow shows that he's not just screwing around with Brigid to
get back at her for what she did. It's a pattern for him.
Revenge doesn't really enter into it. He is, as Hammet
described him, "a blonde Satan."
On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 3:48 AM, Patrick King <
abrasax93@yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Nathan Cain <
IndieCrime@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Brigid O'Shaughnessy isn't a misanthrope. She's
an
>> oppressed figure
>> who is forced to use sex to get what she
wants
>> because it is the only
>> power she has. Even the fey Cairo has more
status
>> than O'Shaughnessy
>> does in a male dominated world. Spade is
the
>> embodiment of a
>> misogynist society. He fucks Brigid and
degrades
>> her, forcing her to
>> strip in front of Gutman and company, and, in
the
>> end, he throws her
>> to the wolves.
>
*****************************************************
> Hold it right there! O'Shaughnessy came into
his
> office using a fake name. She murdered his partner
the
> first night on the job. Spade knew this from
the
> beginning. Notice what he says to Effie when
she
> sticks up for O'Shaughnessy. O'Shaughnessy was
doing
> everything she could to use and manipulate Spade
and
> he turned the tables on her. Scarlet O'Hara was
an
> oppressed woman in a misogynistic society.
Brigid
> O'Shaughnessy is a sociopath with no conscience.
How
> did she get that way? That's another discussion.
Maybe
> her father raped her. Maybe she was held captive in
an
> opium den in Hong Kong. That's neither here nor
there.
> Spade handled her in the only reasonable and
humane
> way he could to get a complete conviction on the
lot
> of them. Personally, I think she should have met
up
> with Dexter Morgan.
>
> Patrick King
>
>
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