In both The Maltese Falcon and If He Hollers Let Him Go, the masculinity of the leading male characters is definitely on display. However, Sam Spade and Bob display and prove their masculinity differently. Their individual expression represents a contrasting expectation for a white male versus a black male to be viewed as masculine by society.
Sam Spade, the white male anti-hero in The Maltese Falcon, arrogantly claims that he does not carry any guns when being questioned. His openness is admitting to not carrying any defense indicates his security in being able to defend himself. Spade asserts that he can successfully handle any conflict that arises with his brain and two bare hands. His rejection of traditional masculine objects, such as a gun, projects Spade as a male above all males. Manly men are supposedly tough and supposed to carry around guns, but for Spade to regard that as somewhat immature and unnecessary proves to others that he is just that much more masculine than the other male characters in the book.
In contrast, Bob in If He Hollers Let Him Go is a black male who frequently references asserting his dominance through violence. Dominance over others is a signifying characteristic of a masculine man. Very early on in the book, Bob makes no effort to hide his aggressions, whether it be picking a fight or stating his impulses to kill others. Violence is a much more obvious and desperate means of proving and displaying one’s masculinity. Although Bob does not always act on his aggressive desires, he is still has no intention of hiding them.
Sam Spade never has to prove his masculinity throughout the book, yet as a reader, I still always viewed him as an intelligent and brave detective. I never doubted his masculinity. This theme is indicative of the superiority that comes with being a white male. No action needs to be taken for the reader or anyone in society to know that they are masculine. It is rather his actions that will either inflate or negate this notion. In Spade’s case, his lack of additional self-defense further emphasizes his masculinity. However, Bob, as a non-white male, has to make it very clear that he is tough and masculine. This dichotomy between the two characters represents the inferior status that non-white males held to white males. White males were just automatically the masculine hero while non-white males had to overplay with their behavior.
As we continue to read more books, it will be interesting to explore this further as we encounter more books with white versus non-white male leading roles.
Your observations are really interesting, especially if we think about masculinity being a main point of noir. If that is the case, how do novels change between one where masculinity is easily assumed and one where it is the key struggle for the main character? In one, we see a man who has all the strength necessary to survive in this world descend into darkness, and in the other one who constantly faces infantilization, dehumanization, and emasculation finally succumbs to the darkness that has been pulling at him his whole life. Bob’s life, despite his best efforts to change, was not controlled by himself. He was at the mercy of every white person, especially Madge. While this further emasculates him, it makes him a more likable character because his descent was not his fault. There is a blamelessness to him that evokes pity rather than trying to grapple with why a man who had all the power to walk away allowed himself to be pulled into the darkness.