3 (1991): 159-259. Leni, a French chanteuse, learns that Michelle, the cigarette girl in her club, although a member of the French underground movement against the Germans, fell in love with a German soldier, by whom she is pregnant. 1988 Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) They are part of the story. Argentina: History Park, Clara Clairborne. Thus, diverse modes of discourse are represented in the novel together with their very different ways of reflecting upon reality. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. The prestige of strength. "Manuel Puig". "[12], In 2020, an amateur production of the musical is the focus of "Chapter Seven: Kiss of the Spider Woman" episode of Katy Keene. Print. Contemporary Literary Criticism. This special edition of the journal, on the occasion of the novelists early death, contains interesting tributes from other writers and provocative articles that describe this novel as unique among prison literature. The novel received mixed reviews. This is not to say that the novel advocates a specific position or action. page vix, Levine, Suzanne Jill. Though he is entertained, Valentn denounces the film as Nazi propaganda. Latest answer posted April 16, 2018 at 1:56:42 AM, Latest answer posted May 10, 2012 at 10:10:05 AM. The homosexual, Molina, has been set up by prison officials to get information from Valentin, the revolutionary. Disillusioned, the young boy joins the guerrillas. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. [5] Puig feared the publication of the novel would affect his family negatively. eNotes.com The warden draws his pistol, threatening to shoot him, if he doesn't tell. However, there were coups in 1970 and in 1971, and Peron himself was not reelected president until 1973. Yet the production does succeed not only in giving Ms. Rivera a glittering spotlight but also in using the elaborate machinery of a big Broadway musical to tell the story of an uncloseted, unhomogenized, unexceptional gay man who arrives at his own heroic definition of masculinity. 28. Kiss of the Spider Woman (musical) - Wikipedia The last date is today's Not all footnotes are from the direct voice of the author though. Vintage, 1996. The footnotes throughout Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman are used both to provide information about homosexuality and sexuality, as well as to allow the author to voice his opinion. He then tells one about a South American son who wishes to be involved with a political movement, which relates to Valentin. No one questioned machismo. Molina falls ill after dinner and continues the story to distract himself from the pain. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. The extensive footnotes on psychoanalysis and sexuality were Puig's way of writing about a violently repressed topic and this unit will also delve into the relationship between . In the still darkness of their cell, Molina re-weaves the glittering and fragile stories of the film he loves, and the cynical Valentin listens. "Kiss of the Spider Woman - Bibliography and Further Reading" Literature of Developing Nations for Students He has just been tortured, and as he drifts into unconsciousness he dreams of being reunited with Marta once more. The prison director announces to Molina that his mother is very ill and that Molina will be allowed to see her on one condition: he must tell them the name of Valentin's girlfriend. Valentn is forced to finish the story despite Molina recounting it. In Kiss of the Spider Girl, no explicit voice is allowed to override one other, not even the footnotes, or so it might sound, as it is very important acknowledge that Puig's association of his textual content, the juxtaposition of sure voices on the web page, nonetheless workouts a small affect over which voice the reader may subscribe to. "Manuel Puig and the Spider Woman." Tittler asserts, "With legitimate movements of opposition banished and forced to move underground, it was not uncommon for educated, sensible young people to associate with guerrilla bands and, indeed, to carry out acts of sabotage or subversion against the government. . Within the context of the political system described, Puig's concern appears to be with the issue of an individual's moral responsibility for political engagement. However, while the book with its film images seems to be a natural for adaptation, an important element is lost in translation: that is the author's virtuosity in capturing screen images in prose. Still, Molina continues to share movie plots that he remembers, starting with the one about a girl whose fears come true when she becomes a panther woman when she believes her husband is having an affair. It includes several footnotes and an explanation of the progression of them. Why is it entitled "Kiss of the Spider Woman"? The Spider Woman arrives and gives her deadly kiss as the curtain falls. In "Kiss of the Spider Woman," in what ways do Molina and Valentin express that they each belong to two different cultures simultaneously? There are also significant portions of stream-of-consciousness writing. When it falls short, it pushes into pretentious overdrive (a "Morphine Tango", if you please) and turns the serious business of police-state torture into show-biz kitsch every bit as vacuous as the B-movie cliches parodied in its celluloid fantasies. 1 Educator answer Kiss of the Spider Woman Latest. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Kiss of the Spider Woman. Throughout the story, Valentin interjects with his own, usually cynical, opinions about the characters and their motivations. "The Kiss of the Spider Woman" from 'The Kiss of the Spider Woman The conversations between the characters, when not focused on the moment at hand, are recountings of films that Molina has seen, which act as a form of escape from their environment. New York: Knopf, 1979. Even though the film is described in romantic terms, the heroine feels like a prisoner, reflecting the fact that a person can feel like a prisoner where ever he or she is. In the film, a French woman falls in love with a noble Aryan officer and then dies in his arms after being shot by the French resistance. Viking, 1998. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Pages-long footnotes appear in most chapters to give historical, outdated theories about gay sexuality from figures like Sigmund and Anna Freud. 1. That night, after Molina finishes telling Valentin the story, which ends with the death of the journalist, the two make love one final time. . In addition to providing information about theories on homosexuality in an objective way, they allow the author to speak directly to the reader. 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' and the Web of Gender - JSTOR The cast included Carver, Crivello and Rivera repeating their roles, as well as Merle Louise and Kirsti Carnahan. Puig uses characters, therefore, as a means of exploring specific social issues of concern to him, particularly homosexual rights and political activism. Levine, Suzanne Jill. A collection of short stories and selections, including a selection from Puig's Betrayed by Rita Hayworth. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1986. Molina agrees to contact Valentins comrades to pass on a message to them. [14] During the narration, the reader finds out that Valentn sympathizes with the secretary because of his long-lost love, Marta. One day, a new man is brought into his cell: Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary, already in a bad state of health after torture. At first the only country that would publish the novel was Spain. This page was last edited on 9 May 2023, at 10:40. He begins another story, in which a young woman discovers her new husband, a plantation owner, uses zombies to work in his fields. Word Count: 259. [8] The production won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. Part of the Pennsylvania State University and a division of the Penn State University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, Penn State University Press serves the University community, the citizens of Pennsylvania, and scholars worldwide by advancing scholarly communication in the core liberal arts disciplines of the humanities and social sciences. Molina, serving eight years for the corruption of minors is animated and sociable, unlike Valentin, a detainee, who is more reserved and spends his free time studying philosophy and preparing to rejoin his comrades when he is released. But Valentin can't stand Molina and his theatrical fantasies and draws a line on the floor to stop Molina from coming nearer to him. Of the Spider Woman Symbol In Kiss of the Spider Woman Manuel novel Puig's in 1976 Kiss and of released the Spider as Woman, a film in published 1985, can as be a novel in 1976 and released as a film in 1985, can be thought of as a cinematic novel, whether it is read or seen. From there the rest of the notes sprouted into the novel. However, the two levels, the literary one of the dialogue and the one of the footnotes, proceed hand in hand, aiming at the same goal, an objective that the author deliberately leaves open to the interpretation of the reader.[22]. Kiss of the Spider Woman is set almost entirely in a prison cell in a Latin-American country and consists of a dialogue between two cell mates, one jailed for homosexuality and the other for revolutionary activities. Order our The Kiss of the Spider Woman Study Guide, teaching or studying The Kiss of the Spider Woman. Molina tells Valentin about a man he loves, a waiter named Gabriel, who does not return his feelings, and the two men cautiously begin to bond. What is not written as dialogue or stream-of-consciousness is written as meta-fictional government documentation. The final chapter shows Valentin being administered morphine by a prison doctor. However, the man is wounded and disfigured in the war, and he comes to live there by himself. Latest answer posted June 08, 2011 at 6:27:52 PM. . Kiss of the Spider Woman Questions and Answers - Discover the eNotes.com community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on Kiss of the Spider . Valentn is never as deeply involved as many who are in the political rebellion, but he agrees to help Dr. Americo escape the country by giving him his own passport. Lovestruck, he stops his newspaper from running a potentially damaging story about the woman. Valentin is studious, while Molina is far more open and talkative; the beginning of the novel is riddled with brief moments of conflict between the two, and it is clear that they have opposing views on many subjects. At the airport after making the exchange, Valentn is arrested. Print. Two prisoners, Luis Molina and Valentn Arregui, share a cell in a Buenos Aires prison. He is put in Molinas cell. Structural and Psychological Aspects Of the Spider Woman Symbol In What might be the symbolic significance of eyes in Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. The fact that Valentin is unable to reconcile his personal desires with his political ideals functions as a commentary on the part of Puig about the internal struggles faced by revolutionary activists in general. Meanwhile, thugs in the French underground learn of Michelles betrayal and kill her. Levine, Suzanne Jill. Puig weaves in stream-of-consciousness, which is used to depict Valentins dreams, as well as his and Molinas internal thoughts, revealing their motivations. While Puig seems to draw a contrast between the unrealistic screen dramas and life in the cell, he actually uses the film scenes to comment on the action of the novel as they encode what is going on between the two characters. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 113: Modern Latin American Fiction Writers, First Series. The first story Molina recounts, which opens the novel, is based on the movie Cat People (1942). [18], The author includes a long series of footnotes on the psychoanalytic theory of homosexuality. page 317. The next day, the bad feelings between Molina and Valentin have passed, but now Valentin is ill with the same symptoms Molina had. Luis, a trans individual, is found guilty of immoral behavior and Valentin is a political prisoner. Molina is allowed a short telephone conversation with his mother, and he announces to Valentin that he's going to be freed for his good behaviour the next day. When Valentn insists, over his protests, that Molina take the larger helping of food, Molina becomes ill and goes to the infirmary. Molina lies to the warden, saying he hasnt learned anything in regard to Valentins political group, because his relationship with Valentin is growing stronger. Molina cares for him and tells him of Aurora. It is generally considered Puig's most successful work. Molina wants to be released and return to his mother but also doesnt want to leave Valentin. These writers were all a part of the Boom period in the 1960s, when Latin American literature was reaching worldwide attention and praise. Puig is known for his fascination with classic Hollywood cinema, which began at an early age, and his fiction frequently makes reference to old movies and their role in the lives of provincial Argentine people. 2 Manuel Puig: his life and his work 'I was born in the pampas where life was very hard, very difficult - almost like the Far West. Consider the following footnote from page 59. A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. Puig's novel consists of a very limited number of principal characters, namely Molina and Valentin, as well as Marta. His attraction toward this figure is emblematic of Molina and Valentins romantic feelings toward each other. The city that Molina describes in this film is taken from the original version of the horror film Cat People, which was made in 1942. eNotes.com, Inc. Molina confesses his love to Valentin and is shot. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Nov. 2012. $37.46 1 Used from $37.46. [14], Kander, John and Ebb, Fred. page 184. Carver, Crivello and Rivera won Tony Awards for their performances. Are the footnotes throughout Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman an instrumental or aesthetic technique, given that some of them are made-up ? Situates the book among the novelists other works and describes it as his most complete, addressing his principal issues in the most satisfying way. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. 4 (1991): 581-585. Molina is happy to do so; Valentin also shares his fantasies and hopes with Molina. Little does he know that he is also being followed by secret police trying to find the location of the group. The film is a clear piece of Nazi propaganda, but Molina's disinclination to see past its superficial charms is a symptom of his alienation from society, or at least his choice to disengage from the world that has rejected him. Gale Cengage Kiss of the Spider Woman, the 1976 Spanish-language novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig, is a landmark novel that has continued to remain significant. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. A. J. Sobczak and Frank N. Magill. Puig adapted the novel into a stage play in 1983, with an English translation by Allan Baker. eNotes.com, Inc. In Kiss of the Spider Woman, the footnotes serve the same way at some points. This contradiction forces the reader to pay attention and make his or her own determination. She is then shot and dies in Werners arms, singing. Gale Cengage After a few days, he contacts Lidia and a meeting is arranged. The Warden One of the antagonists in the novel; he sets up Molina to spy and retrieve information from Valentn, and receives regular reports from him. To pass the time, Molina offers to tell what he remembers of a film he once saw to Valentin, who agrees to listen. Kerr, Lucille. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. . Harper Lee establishes feminism by revealing characters' viewpoints. Levine, Suzanne Jill. Valentin breaks down and confesses his despair at the death of his friend and fellow rebel soldier, then drops off to sleep. Notes how Puig condemns society as based upon aggression and humiliation, and proposes a respect for difference. In that case the footnotes are a direct conversation between the narrator and the reader and instrumental to the story. Kiss of the Spider Woman (novel) - Wikiwand Kiss of the Spider Woman (disambiguation), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kiss_of_the_Spider_Woman_(novel)&oldid=1153956017, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Molina One of the protagonists and the prime storyteller. They run away together but are unable to support themselves. She only appears in memories and streams-of-consciousness in the novel. Already a member? Kiss of the Spider Woman Summary - eNotes.com It was again directed by Harold Prince, with choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, scenic design and projection design by Jerome Sirlin, costume design by Florence Klotz, and lighting design by Howell Binkley. Laurence W. Mazzeno. While these events are not the main focus of the story, they are a reminder, without precedent in Puig, of the grim political reality that is a fact of life in some Latin-American countries. 27 June 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. "Manuel Puig and the Spider Woman." With William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jos Lewgoy. Valentin refuses to ask to be let out to use the bathroom, for fear of being sent to the infirmary, and has an accident in the cell. 2001 eNotes.com Before the coming of the Europeans, the area now known as Argentina was populated by approximately 300,000 Indians. A young French woman whose country has been occupied by the Germans during World War II falls in love with a Nazi lieutenant. This novel is set in an unnamed Latin American country, but clearly refers to the political climate of Puig's native Argentina during the period of its history known as the "dirty war." Are the footnotes throughout Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman an Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Gale Cengage Suddenly, the Molina we knew at the beginning of the novel was 11 different and never turned back. A world I rejected.' Manuel Puig1 He asks for permission to lie to Valentin and tell him that he will soon be pardoned so as to perhaps put pressure on Valentin to give him the information he wants, and the warden agrees. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. 4. A superficially lighthearted atmosphere is set in the beginning of chapter 9, with Molina acting like a mother to the excited Valentin. The Kiss of the Spider Woman Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to The period in film history known as the Classic Hollywood era can be dated roughly from the birth of sound cinema in 1927 through the 1950s and early 1960s. Word Count: 516. Latin American literature is most often distinguished by its use of magical realism. "Are the footnotes throughout Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman an instrumental or aesthetic technique, given that some of them are made-up ?" page 47. Molina recounts another film, this time a horror film with romantic overtones. Puig is known for his experimental narrative style, which combines dialogue, letters, official reports, and even footnotes into a composite story without a traditional narrative voice. Kiss of the Spider Woman premiered in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 20, 1992, where it ran for 390 performances. Indeed, Molina, who explicitly distinguishes himself from homosexual men (207), identifies instead with women: "since a woman's the best there is," he says, "I want to be one . 07 May 2012. The most striking point 9 occurred when Gabriel looks out the restaurant window towards the prison. Overview In Manuel Puig's novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, Luis Alberto Molina, a hairdresser, and Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary, are roommates in a Buenos Aires prison from September to October of 1975. The effect is the same though. Print and download The Kiss of the Spider Woman sheet music from The Kiss of the Spider Woman. 27 June 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. 4 -We don't know who the characters are or how they got to that point. Kiss of the Spider Woman was given a workshop by New Musicals, whose goal was to create, develop, and provide a working home for sixteen new musicals over four years, at the Performing Arts Center, State University of New York at Purchase in May 1990. The drive for national independence began in the early nineteenth century. Kiss of the Spider Woman Main Page - mrhoyesibwebsite.com In Kiss of the Spider Woman, the footnotes serve the same way at some points. Gale Cengage For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Miss Maudie is viewed as fragile and weak, because she is a woman. A fictional novel based on the life of the popular Argentine political figure Eva Peron. The novel ends in Valentn's consciousness, after he has been given an anesthetic following torture, in which he imagines himself sailing away with his beloved Marta. publication online or last modification online. 3 (1986): 417-426. . 1998 eNotes.com The plot develops sandwiched between the scientific jargon of these notes and the romantic conventions of film. Reunited with his first wife, the man proclaims his love for his first wife, but is ultimately killed by the witch doctor. He tells the story of a woman whose fear that she will morph into a panther come true when she suspects her husband is seeing another woman. Review: A Noise Within's 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' enthralls - Los DOCX University of Wisconsin-Madison Unlike the first, it is unclear whether or not this is an actual movie, but may be a composite of multiple Nazi films and an American film called Paris Underground (1945).[15]. "Script,'Kiss of the Spider Woman' p.4", retrieved February 22, 2010, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, "Purchase Campus Plays Host to Broadway Stars", Review/Theater; In a Prison Cell, 2 Men and a Movie Musical", "Keith McDaniel, 38, Principal Dancer With Ailey Troupe", "9 Original Cast Albums Featuring Replacement Performers", "Review/Theater; For the Musical, a Love Affair Beyond the Liaison in a Latin Jail", "Get a first look at the Katy Keene musical episode 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', The Guide to Musical Theatre - Plot summary, production photographs Kiss of the Spider Woman, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kiss_of_the_Spider_Woman_(musical)&oldid=1153368073, "Her Name is Aurora" Molina, Aurora, Aurora's Men and Prisoners, "Dressing Them Up" / "I Draw the Line" Molina and Valentin, "Dear One" Molina's Mother, Marta, Valentin and Molina, "Over the Wall II" Prisoners, Molina and Valentin, "Where You Are" Aurora, Aurora's Man and Prisoners, "Over the Wall III" / "Marta" Valentin and Prisoners, "Gabriel's Letter" / "My First Woman" Gabriel and Valentin, "You Could Never Shame Me" Molina's Mother, "Gimme Love" Aurora, Molina and Aurora's Men, "Russian Movie" / "Good Times" Aurora, Molina and Valentin, "The Day After That" Valentin and Families of the Disappeared, "Anything for Him" Spider Woman, Molina and Valentin, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" Spider Woman, "Over the Wall IV" / "Lucky Molina" Warden and Prisoners, "Only in the Movies" / "His Name was Molina" Molina and the People in His Life, This page was last edited on 5 May 2023, at 22:22.