Kiss of the Spider Woman Essay

Manuel Puig uses Molina’s caring gesture of assisting and helping Valentin clean himself to show that his caring nature is underscored by sexual urges. When Molina is helping Valentin clean himself after Valentin recovers from his violent illness, Puig writes, “Okay…that’s it, and a little over here…turn slowly…that’s right. Nothing went through to the mattress, so it’s not so bad. And fortunately there’s plenty of water. I can just wet a clean top of the sheet to wipe you off, that’s easy enough” (Puig 141). Here, Puig presents Molina’s gesture as that of a kind and willing one, but one that is filled with sexual suggestions. Puig reveals this by the action of “a little over here” and “turn slowly.” Although Molina is helping Valentin because he is his friend, he also wants to engage in something physical with Valentin. Offering to help him clean himself is a way for Molina to express his nurturing personality, but to also liberate his sexual desires toward Valentin. In addition, the syntactical element of ellipses in the above example further reveal the action of Molina physically moving Valentin to better clean him. Rather than simply having Valentin move himself, Molina wishes to touch Valentin. Although Molina truly wants to help Valentin, he also wants to engage on a more physical level with him. Thus, Puig uses Molina’s caring gesture of cleaning Valentin to show that his caring nature is underscored, in fact, by sexual urges.

Finally, Puig uses a loving tone to depict Molina’s mother as an outlet for Molina, where Molina is able to express his nurturing feelings without being romantically involved. When Valentin and Molina are in their cell and Molina begins to talk about his mother, Puig writes, “Because, just look, my mom’s affection for me is, well, it’s the only good thing that’s happened to me in my whole life, because she takes me for what I am, and loves me just that way, plain and simply. And that’s like a gift from heaven, and the only thing that keeps me going, the only thing” (Puig 203). Here, Molina expresses his love for his mother that is driven by her unconditional love for him. Puig creates a loving tone when he says “My mom’s affection for me is…the only good thing that’s happened to me” and “takes me for what I am.” Molina’s mother loves him deeply and he truly appreciates her love when Puig writes “And that’s…the only thing that keeps me going” and the when he uses the simile that her love is “like a gift from heaven.” Molina expresses his love for his mother with ease and confidence, revealing that the love they share is not complicated and is absolute. Their relationship is free of romance and this relationship allows Molina to express his nurturing tendencies without also expressing his sexual desires because she cannot represent any kind of romantic love.

In the novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Puig presents Molina’s mother as an outlet for his nurturing feelings that are also constantly associated with sexual desires to show that his mother gives him the ability to express his nurturing feelings without romantic attachment. This ultimately reveals that love lacking sexual desires is the most unconditional kind. Molina’s feelings toward Gabriel and Valentin are both caring and sexual and are complicated; however his relationship with his mother is strictly nurturing, and is very concrete. Although sexual attraction suggests enhancement in a relationship, it creates superficiality. And while the loving feelings may be genuine, those loving feelings are unable to flourish- and instead get masked and overshadowed behind the dominating sexual desires.

Word Count: 1,101