Analysis - Kiss of the Spider Woman

 In this analysis I will observe Manuel Puig’s novel The Kiss of the Spider Woman whilst critically applying the theories concerning media control and escapist allusions through the notion of dreams. These theories can be found in the essays written by Adorno, Freud and Althusser. In this investigation I will examine Adorno’s book The Culture Industry, specifically analysing his chapter “How we look at television”. I will theorise the ideas he makes about the media and argue the ways in which they have influenced Puig’s novel.  I will also analyse Althusser’s essay the “Ideological State Apparatus” and apply his argument to demonstrate the ways in which the novel challenges the ideas of political control. Lastly Freud’s essay on the “Interpretation of Dreams” will allow me to critically observe escapist ideas and the psychological reasons behind dreams and what they tell the reader about not only the characters but also ourselves.

The notion that political ideology can act as a control mechanism forced onto society is confronted Puig’s novel due to the various references to Marxism and Nazi propaganda. In chapter three Molina tells Valentin about the film Paris Underground. In the film, based on Nazi propaganda a French woman named Leni, is working as a spy for the Maquis. Her mission is to gain the trust of a German Lieutenant and gather information on him and the Nazi’s plan in taking over France. However Leni eventually falls in love with the Nazi officer and starts a love affair with him, as a result of her act of treason against the French Resistance she is shot dead. Molina becomes obsessed with the film as he finds it easiest to relate to due to it’s the melodramatic perception of life and love. In the novel it seems as though Molina cannot see past the highly intense love affair between the two to the real truth of the story which can be identified as Nazi propaganda and the consequence of treason. This is something that Valentin identifies with in chapter four by admitting that the film interests him as propaganda, and propaganda only (Puig, 1976:76-79).

This particular story he tells can also be understood as a means of addressing the political problems in society, then and now. These ideas can be recognised in novel through the character of Valentin as in the very beginning of the novel we learn that he is a political activist for the Marxist revolutionists who “disregards pleasure and romance” (Bellalouna et al, 2000: 530). Valentin’s reliance on these ideologies is what Althusser theorises as being part of an Ideological State Apparatus. Therefore it exists as a ruling class and a control mechanism of authority over society. Valentin has, without realising been manipulated into following the rules of this institution of power. Valentin believes that not being part of a certain ideology or group can leave a person powerless. This view can be interpreted in chapter three when he says to Molina “as far as this culture goes, without power behind you no one walks tall” (Puig, 1976:62). This reference shows Valentin’s understanding of social order and by following the views of Marxism ideology he believes that he holds this power. However as he is part of the group, he is also a follower and not a leader, and is therefore manipulated by the ruling state of Marxism. Although in saying this, he does however question Molina’s ideology of love as he believes the cliché messages found in films. Therefore regarding media control it appears that Valentin is not under the influence of this particular ideology. 

Valentin is also an example of another concept which Althusser (1971) defines as the Repressive State Apparatus due to his education and imprisonment. The RSA focuses on authoritive forces such as schools, churches and police and functions predominantly through the role of repression. Althusser (1971) argues that these institutes “use suitable methods of punishment, expulsion and section” (p.146). Valentin is a victim of this system as he is controlled in a prison and therefore must abide their rules. Furthermore it can be suggested that he is also a prisoner of his own ideology, in the sense that he cannot see further than the ideas set by the Marxist philosophers which he studied at university. It is because of these ideologies that Valentin cannot relate to Molina’s “fantasy world” of romantic films as he is more interested with their political importance and believes that entering this world is too harmful for the mind. 

Whilst storytelling Molina describes their love affair as being passionate, sexy and romantic and states that the lieutenant is absolutely “head over heels in love” with Leni (p 52). This melodramatic, romantic allusion of love that Molina adopts reflects his deluded concept of reality, as he chooses to believe these dream-like fantasies found in films. Valentin challenges Molina’s concept of love in chapter three when he asks him what he would define as a masculine character. Molina replies by saying someone who is “marvellous looking, and very strong, but without making a fuss about it” and someone “who’s not afraid to say anything” (Puig, 1976: 61). Valentin argues that this description of a man is nothing but a pure fantasy and that this type doesn’t exist in reality. Adorno (2005) agrees with this argument in his theory on the culture industry, he argues that “the individual is only a puppet manipulated through social rules” (p. 164). This idea can be applied to the character of Molina as his vision of reality has been construction by the ideological rules of the media. Pellon (1983) suggests that in doing this “Puig gives impression to his ambivalent attitude towards the popular cinema and its kitsch paradigm in the antithetical views of his characters” (p. 187).

Bellalouna et al (2000) explains that “Molina uses his memories of classic movies as a means of escape... and that they “function as a form of escapism from the social oppression he suffers as a homosexual” (Puig, 1976: 533). Escapism can be understood as “an inclination to retreat from unpleasant reality” (Collins, 2011: 333). This can be understood in chapter four when Molina defends his fascination with films by declaring to Valentin that:

“I’m locked up in this cell and I’m better off thinking about nice things...let me escape from reality once in a while, because why should I let myself get more depressed than I am? Otherwise I’ll go nuts” (Puig, 1976: 78).

Valentin sympathises with Molina but fears that in his reality he is sent into a drug-induced state, which risks him loosing sanity and even alienating himself completely from society. The films also represent an escape from Molina’s designated sex as a man, as he longs to be a woman. This can be recognised in Molina’s constant identification with the woman in his films. Pellon (1983) evaluates the role of this concept by suggesting that “Puig’s characters seek to escape and supplement their insufficient lives in sentimentalism, nostalgia, luxury and glamour offered by mass culture” (p. 198). He further explains that the novel is “a parable of the uses and abuses of cinematic escapism which exists in the dialogue between the two men. In his summary regarding the role of the media in the novel he suggests that Puig “presents an apology for escapism as well as a warning about this drug-like evasion of reality” (p.187).

In the final chapter of the novel Valentin is brutally beaten and eventually succumbs to the pain relief which sends Valentin into a drug-induced state. Here the reader is taken into Valentin’s consciousness which is indicated by the italicised text which consists throughout the entire chapter. In the dream Valentin escapes from the prison and runs away to an exotic island with his lost love “Marta”. According to Freudian theology a dream represents a wish fulfilment (Freud, 1913:104) as it gathers up the repressed recent material of the mind (Merrim, 1985: 219). This idea can be applied to Valentin’s dream, as it can be suggested that he appears to be repressing a concern of psychological importance. Not only does it represent his wish to escape from the jail but also his desire to find true love and escape from the political reasons that once created problems in their relationship beforehand. In the dream he escapes from the pressures of life, whilst, however still seeming to acknowledge this as only a dream as in the final line Martha whispers to Valentin “the dream is short but the dream is happy” (Puig, 1976: 281). Valentin’s drastic change in attitude to dream-like fantasies as appose to political concerns could possibly be Puig’s way of demonstrating the “struggle between the ideas of Marxist political philosophy and the human urge to fulfil personal desires” (Bellalouna et al, 2000: 534). In relation to Molina, films function as dreams as his associations with the feminine characters reflect his dying urge to be a woman, therefore, it can be said that for Molina’s wish fulfilment is to physically appear as the opposite sex.

From an analytical perspective it appears that both men in some way receive their wish with regards to their dreams. Although Molina is still biologically a man at the end of the novel by forfeiting his life in the name of love brings him a step closer to becoming like the woman melodramatic fantasy films which he admires so much. Regarding Valentin’s wish fulfilment it could be argues that although he doesn’t physically escape from prison in reality, he does in fact escape from his political ideology which has been restricting him to enter the dream world and by entering this he is finally confronted with his true desire; love. 

To conclude with it appears that regarding the essays of Adorno, Althusser and Freud this novel attempts to challenge ideologies relating to political concerns but also media manipulation. In doing this Puig uses films as a means of escapist dreams to reflect society’s repressive state as a result of forced ideologies. It can then be said that Puig’s novel is a true example of a postmodernist text; as it challenges ideas about mass media, political concerns and the influential theories which have helped shape our very own ideologies today. 

References

Adorno, T., W. (2005) The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture. Routledge:  London.

Althusser, L. (1971) “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” In: Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays. New York: Monthly Review Press.

Bellalouna, E., Lablanc, L., L. and Milne, M., I. (2000) Literature of Developing Nations for Students. [s.I.]: Gale.

Collins (2011) Collins English Dictionary. Glasgow: Harpercollins Publishers.

Freud, S. (1913) The Interpretation of Dreams. Kessinger.  [Online]. Available from: http://www.kessinger.net/ [Accessed 10 January 2013].  

Merrim, S. (1985) Through the Film Darkly: Grade ‘B’ Movies and Dreamwork in Tres Trists Tigres and El Beso de la Myjer Arana. In: Gupta and Johnson (eds.) A Twentieth-Century Literature Reader: Texts and Debates. Oxon: Routledge.

Pellon, G. (1983) Manuel Puig’s Contradictory Strategy Kitsch Paradigms Versus Paradigmatic Structure In El Beso La Mujer Arana and Pubis Angelical. 37 (3), pp. 186 – 201 [Online]. Available from: www.ebscohost.com: Literary Reference Centre. [Accessed 15 January 2013].

Puig, M. (1976) Kiss of the Spider Woman. London: Vintage Books.