Kiss Of The Spider Women By Manuel Puig - 1397 Words

The novel Kiss of the Spider Women by Manuel Puig charts the interactions between two men: Molina and Valentin who share a cell in an Argentine prison. Molina who is perceived as the maternal figure is a charismatic homosexual man convicted for the corruption of a minor, while Valentin who is perceived as a masculine figure is a man convicted of being part of a revolutionary. Puig uses the setting of the prison as an experimental space which allows him to explore the extent to which pleasure of both the maternal and the body impacts the interactions and creates conflict between two individuals who carry opposing social and political ideals. Moreover, pleasure is of interest because it deconstructs the power dynamics established within society. In doing so, Puig uses pleasure to ultimately argues how power is on a spectrum and thus not rigid in nature. Puig uses the pleasure of the maternal which is derived from the action of both giving and receiving to deconstruct authoritarianism i n the world outside of the cell. The novel begins with the act of giving which is illustrated through Molina’s narration of the panther woman film. At the end of the narration Molina questions Valentin, â€Å"Do you like it [the narration]?† which Valentin responds to by saying, â€Å"Yes†¦ I’ve become attached to the characters†¦I get attached to anything that reminds me of her† (Puig 41-42). This dialog implies that the narrations have begun to nourish Valentin becauseShow MoreRelatedThemes and Motifs in the Kiss of the Spiderwoman777 Words   |  4 PagesManuel Puig uses many recurring themes and motifs to convey his views and opinions on many highly political, and also controversial, matters, from his attitude towards Marxism, and his belief that people should be free to express themselves as well as being tolerant of others’ views, to his homosexuality being reflected in one of the two main characters. Themes: †¢ Tolerating each other’s and other people’s views: Molina and Valentin obviously have contrasting views on sexuality and politicsRead MoreAnalyzing Social Roles as Constructs Pertinent to Sex1100 Words   |  5 PagesPertinent to Sex. In Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew as well as Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman the characters feel conflict between society’s rules and their more private desires. They are forced to perform social roles that are in a more private respect artificial. This pertains mostly to social roles that define sexuality. Elizabethan ideas of social roles were inextricably bound with gender. The social role of women, especially in courting and marriage arrangements was strictly a business