That Obscure Object of Desire

1. Why do you think the film is titled That Obscure Object of Desire? What is this “obscure object”? How does the film present it as such? Use specific imagery or scenes from the film in your answer.

The film is titled That Obscure Object of Desire because the 'obscure object' represents sex or, more specifically, and orgasm. I also noticed later that 'orgasm' begins with the same letter as the words 'obscure,' and 'object.' I believe this is a deliberate use of alliteration in the title. The entire movie is about sex, so it makes sense. Matthieu lusts after Conchita and chases her but is unable to catch her; she leads him on over and over again. This reminds me of the story of Calisto and Melibea; she leading him on and he burning with desire to catch her and make her his. However, since he loves the surreal image of her rather than Melibea herself, he quickly loses all passion once he sleeps with her. This is the exact same with Matthieu; once he gets to sleep with Conchita he is denied his pleasure which makes me believe the importance is in the hunt rather than the catch.

4. What do you make of the animal imagery in the text (the mouse, the fly)?


 There is a lot of animal imagery seen throughout this film, although the main ones are the fly and the mouse. This is interesting because both animals are prey, the ones who are hunted. The mouse, trying vainly to get some cheese, gets caught in a trap. This relates to Matthieu, who I believe is a lot like that mouse; he goes after what he wants without realizing the dangers and because of that he is often tricked by Conchita and stumbles into traps, just like that poor mouse.

Celestina Day 5

 Act 18 - What is Areusa's motive for plotting to murder Calisto? Is she just being cruel or does Calisto deserve it? Why do you think Elicia says, "Punish him with a beating, but don't kill him." Is she being sincere when she says this?

According to Areusa, she wants revenge on Calisto for upsetting both her and her cousing Elicia. Calisto’s a fool, but I don’t think he deserves to be killed for such a petty revenge as hers. She’s being a bit cruel, saying “why be merciful? Let him get on with it and kill him however it takes his fancy. Let Melibea cry like you have.”

And when she states, “punish him with a beating, but don’t kill him,” she’s being insincere, since she really wants him dead. 

Act 20 - Did it surprise you when Melibea commits suicide or were you expecting it? Were you expecting her to go through with it or did you think Melibea's father would somehow stop her?

Oh, I was completely expecting it. That’s why this story is categorized as a comedy/tragedy. The whole 'Romeo/Juliet' tragedy is so typical, that if Melibea didn’t kill herself I think I’d be really shocked. Her father tthought it is an illness he can cure, but it's impossible to cure a broken heart with "herbs, stones or words." He tried to stop her, but since he didn't understand her feelings it was impossible for him to. She distracted him by telling him he could help by bringing a stringed instrument, so she can plan the way she will die. In death, she plans to meet up with Calisto again.

Celestina Day 3

Chapter 8

On page 98, Sempronio says: “not everything is white that isn’t black and not everything yellow and shiny is gold.” What do you think this means?

This philosophical phrase means that nothing is straightforward; there is no clear-cut beliefs and thoughts, and the world isn’t just black and white. There are gray patchy areas, and I believe at the moment Calisto is stuck in one of them, lamenting his love for Melibea and how it will ruin him, and wondering why she hasn’t come to satisfy his desires yet. Only outsiders can see how ridiculous he looks; he can’t recognize it himself. A night and most of a day passes by without Calisto even noticing. 

 ---

Chapter 11

Calisto describes himself as a captive of love, as Melibea’s vassal. Is this true, given Celestina’s role in their affair?

Calisto definitely is a captive of love; although he may not consider himself so, his companions Parmeno and Sempronio see him as a love-struck fool. All he thinks about day and night is Melibea. Therefore, he can be considered as love's vassal, it's captive, but he is not a vassal to Melibea. I believe that both he and the woman he loves are Celestina's vassals, since it is Celestina who holds all the power in this story. She is the connector between Calisto and Melibea; she holds tremendous power over both of them, which I find to be ironic since not only is she a woman, she is an old woman, scorned by everyone while Calisto, a wealthy man, holds no power over himself and others; none over his servants, none of Melibea, and certainly none over the wily Celestina.

Celestina Day 1

1. The ‘garden’ is thought of as an image of innocence and purity. It is also symbolic of a woman’s virginity. Melibea and Calisto exchange their feelings for one another in a garden in the opening of chapter 1. Calisto is overwhelmed by her beauty and desires her, whereas Melibea asks him why he bothers pursuing a virtuous woman like her, and scorns him “Begone, you selfish fool.” Although the garden symbolizes a woman’s virginity, and Melibea is first seen in a garden, I believe that she is a trickster, and also a harlot like Celestina. I cannot believe her to be virtuous or chaste at all, like she claims to be. In this instance, the garden is acting as an image of the Garden of Eden, where Adam is tricked by Eve. This is implying that women are tricksters.

2. Calisto and Sempronio discuss Calisto's malady. As it happens, he is truly and hopelessly love-struck by Melibea. Calisto waxes on about Melibea and her flawless charms, alternating between anger and grief. Sempronio, having no loyalty for his master as far as I can see, listens to him just to save his own skin should something befall Calisto. Meanwhile, he mocks him and Melibea under his breath. Calisto is so blinded by love he scorns God, saying that his 'god' is Melibea and there is no other. This blasphemy is something I believe no man in his right mind would say willingly, and just further proves what Rojas seems to say in the first two chapters that women are all tricksters and push men to madness. 

Decameron (Day 6)

9.2: How do the Abbess actions/ her physical appearance
change the outlook of the Nuns at the end of the story?

This story is very similar to a previous story I remember reading. In story 9.2 the other nuns play a trick upon a nun who is sleeping with a man. However, when they tell the Abbess to hurry up and catch the nun in the act, she herself is in bed with a priest. I found this very ironic; in another story Boccacio mentions that priests commonly sleep with women, yet I think it's a whole different thing for a priest to sleep with a nun. Talk about taking lust to the next level. Trickery is a prevalent theme in this story- the nuns trick the sinful nun, the Abbess tricks those very same nuns and attempts to chastise the nun who had been committing the exact same crime she was. And after the Abbess was found out because she mistakenly placed the priest's pants atop her head. I found this hilarious, especially how she so quickly changed her tune after being caught herself, and how both nuns from that point on got to continue fulfilling their desires. 

9.3: What is Boccaccio trying to show with the reoccurring
theme of women causing conflict and the physical abuse that
result from it?
I also really loved this story because of its comedy and sense of uniqueness. Trickery is the main theme here, too. Calandrino is tricked into believing he is pregnant and that it is his wife's fault for -of all things!- sleeping on top. The top is considered a position of power and control, and in the Middle Ages and even, sometimes, in this day and age the bottom is considered the proper place for women. Calandrino's wife Tessa is a modest woman, although apparently this is mostly an outer facade since in story 9.5 she physically and verbally abuses her husband. However, in this story Calandrino says that if he were well, he'd "give her such a beating {he'd} break every bone in her body."

Decameron

7.3 Question --- What is the central theme that drives the main characters’ actions in this story? What, if anything, does Bocaccio have to say about this theme? Use examples from the text to support your answer.
The prevalent themes that drives Rinaldo are lust and gluttony. He lusts for Madonna Agnesa, and constantly pesters her. His lust causes him to go so far as to become her child's godfather. When she denies him, and become a friar. Then his gluttony emerges. Even as a friar, Rinaldo buys expensive clothing and drinks, and sins as much as he wants. Boccaccio states that this is quite common, however; "Is there a friar that does not act this way?" (pg. 498) After the Madonna accepts his urges, he also uses trickery and wit to get through a tough situation.

"All About My Mother"

6. A character study of Agrado (especially her speech - how can she claim to be "very authentic"?), Manuela, Huma, or Rosa.

Agrado is a fascinating character. She speaks gruffly and is constantly calling her best friend Manuela a ‘bitch,’ but she means it as an endearment. She has silicone breasts, and her nose, cheeks, and butt aren’t natural either. (Neither is her dick). She is always wasting her money on the newest plastic surgery the market has to offer. She dyes her hair and is always wearing a ton of make-up.

However, I believe she can claim to be very authentic because she speaks her mind. She cares for her friends, knows who she is, and is content with the person she sees herself as. She hates goodbyes, but hates not saying goodbye even more. She is a confidant and tough lady who can take care of herself out on the street, and she is eventually able to find a better job. 

2. The theme of communication or the lack thereof in the film. How does Almodovar emphasize this in the film, among which characters, and why?

Communication (more like, the lack of it) is very present in this film. Esteban writes his wishes in a notebook instead of telling them to his mother directly. He wanted to know more about his father since all he'd been told was, "your father died long before you were born." Manuela would have told him all about his father, i'm sure, if only he'd made clear how empty he felt and how it felt as though half of his life was missing.
There is also miscommunication between Manuela and Lola. She doesn't tell him about Esteban; rather, she runs off and doesn't see Lola again for 18 years. Only then does he find out, and it is such a shame. He is delighted to know he had a son and desires to see him, but he cannot because Esteban is dead. This was my favorite part of the film.

The Decameron (Day Two)

3. In story 2.7, women are treated are prizes and trophies. Pericone is murdered by his brother, who desires Alatiel because she is 'extremely beautiful and most gracious.' By killing his brother, he 'wins' the lady and takes her for himself. We also see the idea of 'beautiful, silent' women in this story; this can be seen when Alatiel washes up on shore and Pericone desires to take her for his wife. He states that he is very happy they cannot understand each other's language. She is, essentially, mute.

It seems as though women in this story have basically no control over their lives, and it is the men deciding everything for them. Boccaccio seems to be saying through this story that it is the fault of the women that the men commit heinous acts.


 5. Story 3.1- The main difference between this story and 2.7 is that the woman didn't speak because she didn't know the language; basically, she was unable to speak. However, the man, Masetto, hid his ability to speak in order to achieve his goal. A similarity between both stories is that both main characters got laid, many many times, and this was both of their main goals. I believe that Boccaccio is saying that trickery and cunning is necessary to get what you want; that's how I interpret Masetto's muteness. To me, it seems as if both men and women share a similar sort of power when it comes to sex. I found it interesting that in this story a man decided to stay silent, because it is usually the women who end up doing that.

"Talk to Her"

The story of Sleeping Beauty goes like this: a beautiful baby princess is born. She is cursed by a witch to sleep forever until she is kissed by her true love. She gets kissed and then lives happily ever after with her prince. 

This idea ties back to the Middle Ages, when such a thing was common. What I mean by this is, it was a knight's duty to rescue a damsel in distress, particularly a beautiful one.

I believe that the film holds similar ideas to the Sleeping Beauty fairy tail. In 'Talk to Her' Alicia and Lydia are the sleeping princesses. Alicia is able to wake up because of Benigno's 'kiss.' He wakes her up with his touch because he is her 'prince,' there to rescue her from her deep sleep. However, Lydia is not as lucky. Marco is unable to become truly comfortable with her in her comatose state, especially after he finds out that she and her ex have gotten back together. Depressed, he stays away. Lydia, without her prince to rescue her, dies a year later. There is no 'happily ever after' for her. In truth, there is no happily ever after for Alicia and Benigno either. She wakes up, but her prince is gone and it seems she doesn't realize that he is the one who rescued her. Benigno, believing he has failed to rescue his love, then commits suicide. However, it then seems as if the 'true' prince and princess from this story find each other at the end (Alicia and Marco), and it seems as though they will live happily ever after together.

Tykwer's "Run Lola Run"

Red is the prominent color in this film. It is the color of Lola’s hair, the color of the telephone in her apartment, of the guy riding the bike, of a stop sign, of blood, and is also considered the color of love. The ambulance/truck she passes by while running is red, the second hand of the clock is red (it is a warning symbolizing that time is running out for her and Manni), the plastic shopping bags are red, and the name of store is highlighted in red letters. Also, her flashback occurred in a red filmed haze. 

She does so much for him, even though she believes he doesn’t really love her. When he asks her, ‘do you want to leave me?’ she replies that she doesn't know, and at the end of the 'first run' she decides she doesn’t want to leave.

Behind Manni, when he's in the phone booth, there is a revolving hypnotic spiral. 

The stairs Lola runs down are a seemingly endless spiraling circle. I believe this relates to the theme of 'the cyclical and the linear' and relates directly back to the quotes at the very beginning of the film.

The Knight with the Lion (Yvain) - Day Three

I believe the major themes of the story of Yvain are Love, Hate and Reputation. Most usually in Chretien's stories (from what I've seen so far), Chretien sets it up so that the love conflict is between a man and a woman (a "boy meets girl and falls in love" sort of thing). However, there is a section in Yvain's story that I find most interesting because it does not fit into this category. On page 358, the maiden seeks out Yvain and begs his help, telling him that if he does not help "then your reputation has betrayed her." She also goes on to say "You can truly rest assured that if you triumph in this cause you will have redeemed the landless girl's inheritance and added to your own glory." Yvain blindly agrees to her request, unknowing what is yet to come. He is unaware that the knight whom he will be up against is his best friend, Sir Gawain. And, because both knights wish to go unrecognized, they end up fighting each other. "Those who were to fight did not recognize each other at all, though they had always loved one another." (pg.370) This brings up all three themes I previously mentioned. Gawain and Yvain are best friends and truly love each other, yet at the same time they are mortal enemies and fight with great hatred, meeting in combat to protect and increase their own reputations and shame the other. As the narrator expresses, "...it is truly a miracle that love and mortal hatred can be found so close together!"(pg.370)

The Knight with the Lion (Yvain) - Day Two

1. Gawain's speech serves to gently reprimand Yvain, and convinces him to leave his wife and fight at tournaments. Basically, he decides that his reputation as a courageous and honorable knight is worth more than staying at his wife's side. Laudine agrees, adding one condition- Yvain must return within a year, or her love for him will turn to hatred. I personally would never agree to this. It's true that the ugliest hate is born from the deepest love, but one can't set a time limit on such matters.
This parallels Erec and Enide's story; by staying with Laidine, Yvain would become a victim of rumors and lose his reputation. Therefore, he would also lose his wife, according to Gawain, "Indeed, you would suffer afterwards for her love if it caused you to lose your reputation, because a woman will quickly withdraw her love if she finds herself hating a man who has lost face in any way..."
This is in contrast to Erec's story where the man rejects the woman. Here, Laudine rejects Yvain for failing to be a good enough man to keep his promise.
It seems to me, however, that Sir Gaawain is at fault for causing the strife in the later part of the story. It was Gawain's fault that Yvain left and, because he didn't return on time, for a time he lost both his love and his sanity.

The Knight with the Lion (Yvain) - Day One

2. I think Calogrenant's story is typical - 'boy meets girl.' Of course, it is a typical story for the Middle Ages.  The maiden is 'beautiful, tall and proper' and the knight immediately falls in love with her. It's also a story of a knight on a quest seeking adventure to test his strength and courage. He is given an impossible quest by the lord of the wild beasts, and although it is fraught with danger he seeks it anyway; or perhaps, because it is so dangerous. I believe he does so because he is desperate to prove himself a proper man- chivalrous, strong and brave. Something that strikes me as interesting is that in the beginning Calogrenant states, "...I do not speak of a dream, or a fable, or a lie..." (pg.227) However, his story is so incredible as to almost be considered a fantasy. There were certainly magical qualities included in this story, several examples being the tree that remains green all year round or the fact that a vicious storm could be summoned practically out of nowhere.

3. Yvain is a good character to do a character study on. He is possessed of several distinct qualities,which are like complete opposites; he is brave, yet also very cunning and impatient. Love is very important to Yvain, and he believes that by displaying chivalry he can win over the heart of his beloved. "The power comes from my heart, which commits itself to you;my heart has given me this desire."

Erec & Enide (Day 2)

1. The second part of the romance certainly belongs to Enide because she is in love with Erec as much as he is with her. She's fallen in love with his physical features as well as his personality; "The eyes, which channel love and send the message to the heart, renewed themselves with looking, for whatever they saw greatly pleased them. " Also, "the love between the two of them made the maiden more bold..."   Underneath a "wise and courtly and well-bred" attitude she harbors a very astute intelligence, as well as a boldness uncommon to the other women. Enide is a clever individual, especially for a woman. Women are meant to be trophies to the men; to look pretty, and that's all. However, this trait proves her atypical from most women in the Middle Ages. We first hear of her name on page 62, where it states "Enide was the name given her at baptism."

2. The reader hears Enide speak for the very first time. Her exact words are: "Wretch, unhappy me! Why did I come here from my land? The earth should truly swallow me up, since the very best of knights- the boldest and the bravest, the most loyal, the most courteous that was ever count of king- has completely abandoned all chivalry because of me. Now have I truly shamed him." (pg. 68)  I thought this was a strange thing for us to hear her say, especially since it's the very first thing we hear her say. It gave me a sense of foreboding, like the first hint that things aren't going so perfectly between them.  I'm not sure why she thinks she is shaming Erec; after all, she's perfect in practically every way. Maybe she feels guilty that Erec laid down arms because of her. But he did it because he loved her so much, and I feel that she should hurry up and realize it. She should be happy that they both have the time to spend with each other, rather than worry about his pride and what people are saying behind his back. Of course, Erec is concerned at hearing her speech. He wonders why she called him unfortunate. I think he doesn't even realize that his decision is causing his beloved such grief.

Erec & Enide

2. The paragraph that describes the opening scene in King Arthur's court starts off on a positive note by mentioning Easter. This holiday brings to mind images of festivity, merriment, and feelings of goodwill. I inferred from the text that Arthur is a loved and well-respected king; many people of great importance come to his court- knights, rich ladies and maidens, princesses. When Arthur announces his wish to bring back the tradition of the white stag, I feel that it symbolizes Arthur's greatness. However, this wish also introduces within the minds of the readers an inkling of doubt, particularly when Sir Gawain expresses his discomfort at the idea, stating "great evil can come from this." (pg. 37) Even if Arthur means well, I don't think the tale of Erec and Enide will end happily.  They will have to overcome great challenges, which are foreshadowed in the beginning of this story.

3. Erec and Enide are like Adam and Eve, created unique and perfect. As is stated in the text, "he was so handsome that there was no need to seek a man of finer looks anywhere," and "he was very handsome and valiant and noble." (pg. 38) As for Enide, "the maiden was very beautiful." In fact, "...never was such a beautiful creature seen in the whole world." (pg. 42) I believe the reason we are not told her name is because we're supposed to assume that the most beautiful woman can only possibly Enide.
To a certain extent,  everyone holds a certain fascination for their appearance. Humans gaze at their reflections in mirrors, are always trying to make themselves look prettier, more handsome, more desirable. Perhaps that is why when Erec gazed upon Enide he felt such longing; it was as is he were gazing at his own reflection. 
I can recall one figure from Greek mythology who was so obsessed with his mirror image. Narcissus; a hunter in Greek mythology. He was lured to a pool by Nemesis, saw his reflection and fell in love with it. Unable to leave, Narcissus died.