From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Literature Poetry Lit Terms Shakescleare. Download this LitChart! Teachers and parents! Struggling with distance learning? Themes All Themes. Symbols All Symbols. Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. Wearing perfume and jewelry, Cairo is described as very effeminate, and Sam Spade often insinuates that he is gay. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:.
Chapter 4 Quotes. Related Themes: Masculinity, Femininity, and Sexuality. Page Number and Citation : 43 Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. Chapter 7 Quotes. Page Number and Citation : 69 Cite this Quote. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Chapter 4: The Black Bird. Just as they are about to leave, they hear a scuffle inside between O'Shaughnessy and Cairo.
Spade is forced to let the cops in and they barge into the apartment where a fracas in progress. They witness a bloodied, whining Joel Cairo complaining that Spade brutally entrapped him in the apartment where Brigid attacked him and was threatening to kill him.
Dundy stands between the two antagonists as he listens to their conflicting versions and explanations of what happened. When Brigid counter-accuses Cairo of lying and then kicks him, Dundy threatens to run everyone into the police station.
To extricate them from a possible jailing, Spade explains their rough interrogation of Cairo - a story consistent with their somewhat limited knowledge. The police still threaten to take them away, but Spade further jokes that the theatrics were all planned. He presses his explanation, exaggerating their conflict and making an intimidated Cairo confess that his questioning was all a joke.
One of the officers tries to punch Spade, but Brigid and Cairo back Spade up, preferring not to press charges against each other, since that would involve them further with the police - and compromise their ability to swiftly search for the falcon. Then, the bewildered police have no choice but to leave, even though they want to get contact information for both Brigid and Cairo. Cairo leaves the room along with the officers exhausted from getting beat up by Brigid.
The next day at Hotel Belvedere, Spade enters the hotel, uses the desk phone and asks to speak to Cairo. Sam spots him again sitting in a lobby chair facing away from him and reading a newspaper. Sam hangs up the phone and sits down next to the "boy", Wilmer. Deducing from the vague conversation between Brigid and Cairo that the "boy" was hired by either the "Fat Man" or Cairo to follow him, he delivers a message to the gunsel's boss.
Incited to anger, Wilmer responds with "shove off", and ineffectually threatens Sam to back off or he would hurt him. Spade reprimands him, telling the young, insulting thug that he should be polite. He then signals the house detective Luke to run Wilmer, wearing an oversized overcoat, out of the hotel lobby. As Wilmer is rousted out, Spade blows smoke in his face. Just then, a beaten-up, disheveled and tired Cairo returns to the hotel lobby.
Spade confronts him and explains his motives to him. Cairo was roughed up during questioning in the all-night police grilling, but he didn't talk - except to repeat Spade's unreasonable story. He pleads to be left alone so that he wouldn't be further mussed up. Spade meets up with Mr. Gutman in his hotel suite, and Spade throws a fit at him since Gutman refused to reveal what he knew about the falcon.
Hammett's description of Cairo is a pretty unflattering and offensive portrayal of homosexuality. Cairo comes off as neat and meticulous when it comes to his clothes and the way he dresses.
Does Spade feel threatened by Cairo's homosexuality? In fact, many people have accused Hammett of being homophobic in these descriptions. Is Cairo a negative example of the dangers of homosexuality, or is Hammett simply providing a contrast to Spade's aggressive masculinity? We know very little about Cairo's motives in the novel.
We assume that he works for Gutman because he's in it for the dough, so he is ruled by greed to a certain extent. But what's more important to note is Cairo's blatant affection for Wilmer, who we guess is his lover. When Spade tries to convince Gutman to use Wilmer as the scapegoat, Cairo is the first to defend Wilmer. Kemedov found out how valuable it was, no wonder we had such an easy time stealing it.
You bloated idiot. You stupid fat-head, you. Joel Cairo : Might I remind you, Mr. Spade, that you may have the falcon, but we certainly have you. Joel Cairo : I certainly wish you would have invented a more reasonable story. I felt distinctly like an idiot repeating it. Sam Spade : Don't worry about the story's goofiness.
A sensible one would have had us all in the cooler.
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