Opinion
By Al Riley
Do you remember Joel Cairo?
He was the conflicted, tragic, and often unwitting antagonist who worked for the mysterious, obsessive, and disloyal character Casper Gutman in the literary and cinema classic The Maltese Falcon. The myriad characters in Dashiell Hammett’s classic story all have interesting and conflicting personas. Ultimately, the antagonists are all untrustworthy, devoid of moral character, and play each other for their selfish ends.
But Cairo is a character full of contradiction. He is willing to commit murder. He gets his butt kicked by private detective Sam Spade. Cairo gets betrayed and set up by his boss and discovers his prize (and efforts to obtain it) are worthless. Ultimately, Cairo lashes out at his boss for being a fool to go on such a dangerous wild goose chase.
However, when Gutman states the search will continue, Cairo inexplicably utters, “Will you take me with you?”
All the trials, tribulations, and pent-up anger associated with them are totally forgotten. Why? Because of the delusional dream of something hoped for that does not exist and will never exist.
Trailer for The Maltese Falcon
When asked what the Falcon was at the movie’s end, Spade answered, “It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.”
I believe that Cairo knew he was hoping against hope in his search. He knew the chances of finding a golden jewel-encrusted bird were probably slim. But he suspended his disbelief. He hoped that if it were true, he would reach his personal nirvana, devoid of any work.
That is the crux of the Joel Cairo Paradox. That is, latching onto a promise from someone about something that one knows is probably not real. Then, after being shown that the false hopes and beliefs are not real, continuing your futile search.
Cairo will never be “taken along” by the Gutmans of the world if that means being cared for, listened to, and benefiting from realistic, collective benefits available to all.
The Enigmatic Falcon
The Falcon, as selfish, unrequited promises, can be seen in today’s political environment, local and national. Solving collective problems, working with a sense of ethics and character, educating your constituents, and not taking advantage of their actual needs should be the sine qua non of political behavior. This is much better and longer lasting than a party, taking group pictures, or collaborating with people of questionable character.
Just as Godot never came to meet Vladimir and Estragon, nothing good will ever come from expecting fulfillment from people lacking moral character, no matter how much you hope it is true. Hoping so is going on a journey to oblivion.
The Casper Gutmans and Joel Cairos of the world know this fact.
Al Riley (born March 4, 1953) is a former Democratic Illinois House of Representatives member representing the 38th District between January 2007 and January 2019. He was Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives for two terms during his twelve-year tenure. (Source)
