Arachnophobia

There is much that can be said about Manuel Puig's novel Kiss Of The Spider Woman, so it is no surprise that our discussion in class last Friday was a fruitful one. Though many interesting opinions were brought to the discussion, there is one specific conversation that has stuck with me. For the majority of this novel, Molina, a homosexual window dresser, recounts different movies, some real, others of Molina's own invention, to his jail cell mate, Valentin. Our teacher asserted that perhaps the movie would have been stronger if instead of incorporating both real and invented movie plots, Puig had chosen to include all pre-existing films.

On the one hand, I feel that this choice could have been a strong one. It would have provided the reader with more points of reference, further allowing them to visualize the scenes he was describing. I can also understand how this choice could easily be perceived as less of a choice and more of the only option that was available to him. Because every film is a metaphor for Molina, Valentine, or the relationship and situation they share, it would have been easier for Puig to invent a film than to find one that perfectly matched the point he hoped to convey through that particular plot.

However, it is my belief that Puig's choice to include both kinds of movie plots in his novel was an conscious one and one that greatly benefited the story. By choosing to include both, Puig is taking Molina's character to new heights and giving his reader a more thorough understanding of his character. What motivates Molina? What kind of person does it take to be able to invent these plots? How does Molina navigate He poses both questions to his reader, imploring them to look deeper into Molina's core. Because Puig has managed to successfully create such a complex novel, I seriously doubt that he was not in control enough to ensure that every decision he made in this novel was a conscious one.