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The Maltese Falcon is a classic piece of literature of crime and mystery set in 1920's San Francisco. As detective Sam Spade searches for the missing Maltese Falcon statute, he is drawn into a world of intrigue and murder. We invite all students to get involved in the mystery by entering the Pioneer Library System’s Maltese Falcon writing contest supported by Brainfuse.
All students in grades up to and including 12th grade with a valid Pioneer Library System library card are eligible to enter and win. In three easy steps you could be a winner:
1. Choose from the three topics: “Truth & Deception”, “The City” and “The Falcon” explained below
2. Write an essay that is no more than 500 words in length
3. Submit your essay to Brainfuse's Writing Lab with the comment, “for Pioneer essay contest”at the top of the essay by midnight on April 9, 2010. Paper submissions will not be accepted. You can submit an essay from any computer with internet, including the public internet computers in all of the hometown libraries.
To submit the essay online go to http://www.justsoyouknow.us
• Click on “Online Tutoring 2-10 daily” on the right hand side under “Research” This will take you to Brainfuse.
• Click on the yellow “Login Here” button at the top of page. If you don’t already have an account, create a free account.
• Once logged in, click on the yellow “Writing Lab” button.
• Select your grade level, select “writing” as subject, and upload your essay. Be sure that the comment “for Pioneer essay contest” is at the top of your essay.
The essays will be reviewed, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be awarded one FLY Fusion™ Pentop Computer, FLY Fusion™ Music Studio Pro by LeapFrog and have their essay published on the Big Read website. Winners will be announced April 16, 2010.
Essay topics:
Truth and Deception
It seems like every character in the novel has own understanding of truth, deception, and ways of using them. Maybe, the author wanted to say that there are no absolute “truths” in the modern world. Express your opinion in The Maltese Falcon essay. Does anyone tell the truth in this novel? How do the characters use deception and for what purposes? Does Hammett suggest that in the modern world, there are no “truths”? Or does he imply that by peeling back layers of deception, one can ultimately reach the truth? In Sam Spade’s world, must one resort to deception in order to survive? By trusting that someone is telling the truth does one insure betrayal? Of all the characters, why is Sam the most difficult to deceive?
The City
City is a great power. Sometimes it is called an evil power. Consider in The Maltese Falcon essay whether the city plays an important role in the novel. Does it help to create an appropriate mood? In The Maltese Falcon essay, you can also give your standpoint on whether the city erodes society’s moral values. How does the urban setting contribute to the novel’s mood and tone? How important is San Francisco as the novel's setting? Does the city itself become one of the “characters”? Does city life erode society’s moral fiber or simply strip away the hypocrisies? Does the novel suggest that urban life is inherently disorderly and in constant disarray? Does the setting reinforce any broader themes about the general state of modern society? At the end of the novel is everything “back in order”?
The Falcon
Is the falcon a symbol? If so, what does it symbolize? Although the reader is never privy to the thoughts of Hammett's characters, what might the falcon symbolize to each of them based on their actions? Does the falcon have a different meaning for different characters? Is there a real Maltese falcon? |
