How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I've been bad—worse than you could know—but I'm not all bad. Look at me, Mr. Spade. You know I'm not all bad, don't you? You can see that, can't you? Then can't you trust me just a little?" (4.38)
This quote deals mainly with the issue of trust, but you can't be loyal to someone if you don't trust them. And in The Maltese Falcon, there are few people that are trustworthy and even fewer who are truly loyal.
Quote #2
"You picked a nice sort of playmate."
"Only that sort could have helped me," she said simply, "if he had been loyal."
"Yes, if." (4.75)
Yeah, that's a pretty if. And loyalty shouldn't be subject to such wishy-washy ifs and buts. Brigid tries to secure people's loyalties using her feminine charms, but it turns out that that isn't always enough to keep someone from betraying her. If you can't buy loyalty with money or charisma or sex, then how do you get it?
Quote #3
"Five thousand dollars is," he said for the third time. "a lot of money."
She lifted her shoulders and hands and let them fall in a gesture that accepted defeat. It is," she agreed in a small dull voice. "It is far more than I could ever offer you, if I must bid for your loyalty." (6.67)
In this corrupt world of lies and deceit, one's loyalty usually goes to the highest bidder. If Brigid had more money, would she try to buy Spade's loyalty?