In “The Kiss of the Spiderwoman”, Manuel Puig uses characteristics of magical realism to deliver the underlying message behind the film. There are obvious binaries between hetero and homo sexuality, and reality versus fiction. While in prison, Molina and Valentin escape their harsh reality by listening to Molina’s dictation of old movies. The movie is a classical Nazi propaganda love story. Whenever Molina and Valentin are experiencing especially bad moments like food poisoning, insomnia, or depression; Molina describes the movie to create an oasis that allows them to mentally escape their pain. Though they have different sources of pain – Valentin’s is his political angst and his love for Marta, Molina’s is his mother and his societal oppression for being homosexual – they both take refuge in this dreamy state. Puig is trying to expose the negative aspects of society and how they affect everyone as a whole. Molina and Valentin are completely different types of people, yet they are both oppressed and restricted by societal problems. Just like the tale of the spider woman that Molina describes, the relationship between him and Valentin grows from within and is mysterious, forbidden, and confused all at once. This passionate interaction and emotion destroys the boundaries that exist between hetero/ homo sexuality and reality versus fiction.
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In Manuel Puig’s The Kiss of the Spider Woman, there are strong sexuality issues addressed that too are shown through magical realism. Puig was a gay activist who felt strongly about his beliefs and lived in exile for most of his life. Spider Woman was a vent for Puig to express his true feelings and convey his message to others. It definitely has magical realism elements like binaries, labyrinths, and subversive elements against institutions. There is a major binary between fantasy and reality. The movie that Molina describes to Valentin is based on a Nazi war film. The background of the movie is obviously real, but what the characters actually do could be figments of Molina’s imagination. Also, later in the story, Molina dies being a traitor trying to help Valentin and his rebel group. This fictional story parallels the plot line of the Nazi movie too, so reality and fiction are blended into each other. There is a labyrinth involved in which Molina sees himself as a woman. He has built this web, like a spider woman, that catches Valentin in it more and more each day. This web, like others, traps what is near it. Because they are trapped in their jail cell, Valentin becomes a victim of the web too. The very reason that Molina and Valentin are in jail in the first place is because they are both considered subversives against the government. Valentin is a rebel political activist against the Argentine government, while Molina is a homosexual that was charged with molesting a child. It fits magical realistic themes that they are both in jail for being subversive, and the story too in general has subversive ideas. The entire scene of the Spider Woman on the beach is very fantasy-like. It clearly represents the relationship between Molina and Valentin. The Spider Woman is Molina, whose homosexual feelings grow from within and he is mysterious, forbidden, and confused all at once. Their passionate interaction breaks all binaries between reality and fiction, and hetero and homosexual tendencies. Puig clearly accomplishes his goal of undermining how people think of homosexuals and how institutions like government and society rules can be broken by love. Love overpowers everything.
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