Questions from Kate and Sean for "The Story of the Grail / Perceval" (Day Three / pp. 460 - 499)

Questions: Answer at least two and/or anything that interested you.

1. We find Perceval on a journey in a deserted area where he encounters three knights and ten maidens. What might this group represent? Where might we see a parallel to this group in the text? What do they represent to Perceval?

2. We see Perceval begin to weep as he goes to repent to the Hermit. Why does he begin weeping? What can be said abou this self-image at this point? Who might this look into oneself (possibly in a mirror…or fountain) parallel?

3. The hermit prescribes for Perceval’s salvation charity. Where have we seen Perceval fail to act charitably? What have we discussed in class to be the ultimate act of charity? How can we connect this to Perceval’s new knighthood, his resurrection?

4. For the rest of the story we see the adventures of Gawain and the story cuts off mid-sentence. How does Gawain’s journey connect to Perceval? What is his role in the story?

5. How do you feel about the unfinished ending? Do you have any ideas or thoughts on how the story may have fleshed out?

The Story of the Grail / Perceval (Day Two / pp. 419 - 460)

For Friday we have three enigmatic episodes – scholars are still discussing / debating the significance of these three scenes. We'll save Perceval's final scene in the romance (with the hermit) for Monday.

How do you interpret two of these episodes? Use specific examples from the text to support your ideas.

1. Blancheflor – Her name means “White Flower” (what do you think is the significance of this?) What do you think her role is in the text? How does Chrétien describe her? Why? What do her actions say about her (her weeping – for instance, this is not the first time we’ve seen a woman weeping over a sleeping knight)? Bring up other topics concerning Blancheflor you find interesting if necessary.

2. The Grail Castle and Procession – How does Chrétien present this scene to the reader? Why? What do you think is problematic about this scene? Why the emphasis upon mystery? (If you are familiar with the Jewish Seder meal – how might this procession mirror the meal, especially concerning questions asked during the meal and the significance of the meal? How have Christians appropriated this meal into their own rituals and mythology?) What is the (potential) outcome of this meal? How do you explain this?

3. The blood on the snow – The blood on the snow reminds Perceval of Blancheflor. How do you read it as an image of Blancheflor? What might its purpose be as an image of her? Might you see other meanings though in this very strong image? Blood…hmmmm….where have we seen this before? In what context? Might there be a connection here? (I think so!) In other words, how might this one image fuction on two (or more) levels of meaning -- some of which is still hidden from Perceval.

Questions for The Story of the Grail / Perceval (Day One, pp. 381 – 419)

I want you to read the first third of this text, but we will not have time to explore its full complexity in class. I’ll ask questions up until the episode just before that with Blancheflor and we’ll pick up from there on Friday.

Please answer at least three questions.

1. We have quite a long prologue to this romance. As with Erec and Enide, the prologue always directs the reader toward the specific “path” down which she or he is about to embark. What path does Chrétien send us down here? What themes does he raise here that you think may be necessary in understanding this romance? Reference specific points of the prologue in your response.

2. Describe the first scene concerning Perceval’s encounter with the knights in the Waste Forest. How does Chrétien portray Perceval? And the knights? What image of knighthood does the text portray? And what is Perceval’s perception of knighthood? How do these portrayals conflict with one another? Why do you think Chrétien does this?

3. Analyze the episode between Perceval and his mother. What is her reaction? What information does she try to impart to her son? Why do you think he reacts the way he does? Discuss his departure – how should he have behaved?

4. What does Perceval do in order to become a knight? How do you see this as problematic? Reference specific scenes or quotes from the text in your response. (We have the scene with the “Tent Maiden,” the scene in Arthur’s court, and the killing / murder of the Red Knight).

5. Discuss the scene with Gornemant of Gohort. How does the advice enter into a dialogue with previous advice? Why this need for repetition?

Questions for Buñuel's "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.

2. Why do you think terrorism is an ever-pervasive “background” to the events of the film?

3. Why do you think Buñuel uses two actresses to play the part of Conchita? Refer to specific scenes in which one or the other appears to support your answer.

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

5. Why do you think Matthieu is the narrator of the film? Why is most of the film a flashback? (Think about who is sitting next to Matthieu in the train compartment.)

6. How does the world of Celestina infiltrate and influence this film? Refer to specific images or scenes from the film to support your answer.

7. Do you have any interpretation of the final moments of the film? (The sewing, the music, the explosion….)

8. Why do you think we see the burlap sac at various parts throughout the film, first carried by a passerby, and then Matthieu, and then again at the end of the film?

Ordering Lodge's SMALL WORLD

Don't forget, if you haven't already, to purchase David Lodge's 'Small World.' It's the last book we'll read this semester. You can purchase it from these websites on Amazon -- scroll down to look at the prices, some copies can be bought for just one cent.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0140244867/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1257165202&sr=8-1&condition=used

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0025740601/ref=ed_oe_h_olp

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0446393274/ref=ed_oe_p_olp

Questions from Trina and Shadia for Celestina (Day Five / Acts 18 - 21)

Please answer at least THREE questions.

Question 1: Melibea and Calisto must meet in the dead of night, in the darkness. What does this reveal about the nature of their desire for one another, especially when you consider their references to images of light (i.e. stars, the moon, bright beams radiating form Melibea, etc).

Question 2: Melibea calls what she and Calisto have“love” – do you think either of them really loved each other, or does Melibea’s suicide have more to do with her shame than anything else? Do any of the characters exhibit actual love? If not, why is love referred to so often?

Question 3: What is symbolic about Calisto’s death?Melibea’s? Consider where and how the two lovers died. How do these deaths represent Celestina, what she stood for, and the lovers’ roles in her ‘game’?

Question 4: Did Pleberio really love his daughter? Consider the emphasis and direction of his ending speech: what is he really mourning over? Do any of the characters truly mourn over the deaths of their ‘companions,’ or is their grief more self-centered?

Question 5: Who do you see as the victim(s) in this story? Are there any real victims? Is everyone to blame? Are some characters more to blame than others?

Question 6: Melibea is fighting a double standard throughout the story. What does she represent for both the matriarchal and patriarchal worlds? What does all of this have to say about society’s hypocritical expectations?

Celestina (Day Four / Acts 12 – 17)

These are the questions for next Monday -- questions for Friday are below.

Answer one of these two questions and then choose a quotation from these chapters that you think is important. Explain the reasons for which you have chosen this quote and analyze it. What does it have to say about the text, a character, a theme, etc.?

1. Calisto has quite a long soliloquy in Act XIV. What are the main themes of this speech? He has just achieved what he wanted (sex with Melibea). Does his speech reflect the happiness he expected to have? Why or why not? What might his speech have to tell us about desire and the disillusionment of the desire?

2. There is a dichotomy in the text between Pleberio’s power (a male hierarchy) and Celstina’s power (a female hierarchy). How do these two systems play off one another? What does Act XVI reveal about Pleberio’s power? Do an analysis of his speech here – what does he attempt to do? And the reality of the situation?