I don’t know how to handle this Literature question and need guidance.
Wednesday, April 22: Symbolism in Hammett Papers Due
Our focus for Hammett is Symbolism. Hammett’s primary symbol is The Maltese Falcon itself, which is a symbol of excessive wealth and opulence. A statuette of a black bird encrusted with jewels, the falcon was originally intended as a tribute to be paid to a king in exchange for land. In the novel, however, it mutates into a symbol of avarice, deception, and corruption. A simple way to consider symbolism is to ask oneself, “how do the things I can point to reveal the things I cannot point to?” Please also consider the fact that symbolism is an interpretative exercise (different people locate and translate symbols differently), so don’t be fearful of taking an interpretative leap. Provided they are defensible, and backed up with specific references to the text, these individuated observations are often quite interesting. This paper (50 points) is due on or before April 22. .
