The Kiss of the Spider Woman | Themes

The Kiss of the Spider Woman Themes

Fantasy and Escapism

As in many of Puig's novels, Kiss of the Spider Woman focuses on the theme of escapism through fantasy. In particular, Molina uses his memories of classic movies as a means of escape. He is particularly drawn to melodramatic movies with a strong romantic theme, which is the central focus of his retelling of the movies. On one level, Molina wishes to escape the oppression and boredom of his prison cell. He retells the movies to Valentin as a means to entertain them both during their long hours of imprisonment. For Molina, however, the movies also function as a form of escapism from the social oppression he suffers as a homosexual. Furthermore, Molina identifies with the female characters in all of his movies; the movies then represent for him an escape from his designated sex as a man, for he prefers to think of himself as a woman. Valentin is...
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