Celestina (ch. 1 & 2)

1.) Analyze the opening scene in Melibea's garden. Why a garden? What might a garden signify? How do you interpret the words of Calisto and Melibea? Why does Melibea react in this manor? Can we read these words as genuine?

In the opening scene in Melibea's garden, Melibea nearly rants about how she doesn't return the feelings that Calisto has just proclaimed for her, to her. A garden symbolizes life and fertility (in  healthy garden like Melibea's of course). In this sense, the garden can be seen as a part of who she is. She is a healthy woman who is ripe for marriage and children. However, she proclaims her chastity in the hopes of ridding herself of Calisto and any chance he might have thought he had at picking her forbidden fruit. On that note, the garden can also resemble the garden of Adam and Eve in that Melibea (Eve) has her virginity (the forbidden fruit) and is being coaxed by the Calisto (the snake) to give into temptation. Calisto isn't trying to be deceptive or trick her though, so he could also be seen as Adam if not the snake. Melibea is the one being deceptive with the way she spins her words. A desperate woman will do almost anything to rid herself of a man she cannot stand. Therefore, her words are most likely not genuine and also explain why she is behaving in such a way.

3.) What are our initial impressions of Celestina? What type of character is this? What does she say that influences your analysis? What about her later exchanges with Parmeno? (And this back history with Parmeno's mother - what do you think happens here?)

Our impression of Celestina is that she is an 'old whore'. Even Parmeno takes his time talking about how much of a whore she is. However, she is also cunning and smart. She is clever in the way she says things and who she says them to. She asks for Parmeno's help in taking advantage of Calisto because she knows he has money and that he wants Melibea. If he is stupid enough to be deceived by her and think she can work some kind of magic with Melibea, Celestina believes it is right that he has his money taken by her. That is her job; to be cunning. That cunning can also potentially get Melibea to consider Calisto, if Celestina decides to come through with her end of the bargain, which she probably wont. She asks for Parmeno's help with convincing Calisto, but Parmeno tries to do the opposite and warn him of Celestina. Calisto is a stubborn fool and doesn't head the warning. Parmeno was the one asked, I believe, because Celestina already remembered that he had worked for her. He tells her that she is just a whore and she replies that his mother was also a whore. Meaning that the respect he shows her is possibly the same respect he shows towards his mother. It is most likely that he didn't know that his mother was a whore though so perhaps this symbolizes how he will connect with Celestina in the future.

Talk To Her

I liked Lydia. She was supposed to be the female bullfighter; a hero to women. She is courageous and heroic, as a bullfighter should be. However, she is terrified of snakes. In the romances we've read so far, there has always been a recurring theme of women playing the hero. In this film "Talk To Her", Alicia was one of these hero's and Lydia was the other. Both women had an extreme flaw to their heroism, though. Alicia's was that she was comatose (as well as Lydia later on) while Lydia's was that of her fear of snakes. The snake is always symbolic of evil or treachery. I thought that after Lydia saw the snake, it meant something bad would happen to her that dealt with El Nino, who was a treacherous snake. Marco kills the snake though, making him not only heroic, but a prevention of malicious things. Of course, once Lydia is in the comma, she can't be afraid and therefore, Marco's protection does little to nothing.

Run Lola Run

In this film, "Run Lola Run", there was a reoccurring theme that related to gender roles. In stereotypical romances there is some form of maiden or woman (the heroine) who is in need of help as well as the prince or man (the hero) who saves her. However, in this story of Lola and Manni, the girl is the hero while the boy is the damsel in distress. The whole movie revolved around the actions that made this so. Manni was in trouble and needed Lola to save him. Lola, being the heroic type, always tried to save Manni. In each of the three scenario's her heroic personality changed as well as Manni's "heroine" type change. For the most part Lola is ruthless and steadfast, refusing to take no for an answer until she saves Manni. However, Manni becomes more heroic and less vulnerable as well in the third time change when he chases after the hobo. In conclusion, although Lola starts out as the hero and Manni is still the heroine, he grows into a hero as well, or at least someone on the same level of heroism as Lola.

Yvain ( Day 3)

As brought up in class discussion, I wish to post this blog on the topic of the meaning as to the symbolism of the fountain. To me, the fountain was the symbol of Laudine's trust. At the beginning of the romance when Laudine and her current husband are guarding the fountain (before Yvain arrives), it can be assumed that there is trust between Laudine and her husband because she asks him to faithfully guard the fountain, and so he does. While he is guarding it, Laudine has put her trust completely in it being guarded. When Yvain kills the knight, her trust is broken like her relationship with her former husband, until she marries Yvain in the hopes that all will be well. It is her intention that he will guard the fountain and so she puts her trust in him when they wed. Unfortunately, the trust is once again broken not only when Yvain leaves with the fountain unguarded, but when he breaks his promise to return in a years time. After the year is over, Laudine is furious at Yvain and the symbolic fountain of trust knows it. In my opinion, this was why the storm came. Finally, Yvain returns and Laudine is still upset with him. The fountain and storm rage on. However, once she accepts Yvain back into her life under the condition that he guards the fountain, all is well. There is trust between Yvain and Laudine, there is a knight to guard the fountain, and the storm ends.

Yvain ( Day 2)

Questions 1&4


1.) Gawain's speech gives Yvain the courage he needs to ask Laudine for his permission to leave with his friends and comrades. When Yvain and Laudine make the agreement, he states that a year is too long for him to be gone. This means Yvain should be home shortly and wont break his promise. However, if he did not feel like he could keep this promise, he should have asked her for a bit more time. I like the idea of this agreement because it is a fair amount of time that has been generously given.

4.) The lion represents courage and bravery while the serpent represents evil and temptation. At this point, the lion and the serpent are fighting. This is a demonstration of good versus evil; the lion versus the snake. It also represents Yvain's inner turmoil about leaving his wife. the serpent is his temptation, telling him to stay away from her longer and longer, while the lion is his righteousness which tells him to return to her no matter what. As he and the lion team up to conquer the snake, Yvain is overcoming his selfishness and doing the right thing, which is shown on page 352 when Yvain says, "...I cannot remain a single day in this place until my lady has ceased her anger and displeasure towards me." Thus concluding his self-conquest of good versus evil.

Yvain ( Day 1)

1.)  I thought there was a prologue. It wasn't as deep as the proverb from 'Erec and Enide' but I assumed it existed. It occurs in the first paragraph when Chretien tells the reader of how chivalry is dead. I thought this meant Yvain would prove himself chivalrous and marry Laudine, to oppose the stereotype Chretien has about love in this story.

2.) The oddest thing in the story (to me) was the storm that was created and how it brought so much chaos that a knight had to come to stop and punish him. I took the storm as a warning before it was summoned. Nothing good comes of something so powerful (especially in a story like this) and so I thought the knight was justified in attacking Calorgrenant and fair in not killing him. It felt like the sparing of his life meant less bloodshed for the rest of the story.

3.) Yvain is definitely the reason for the beginning part of the story that I took as the prologue. When he say's, "... for I am destined to be in her power from this time on since Love wishes it.", Yvain is trying to convince himself that although he may be a hurtful person in God's eyes, through the eyes of Love, he is very deserving to whomever he desires. Love, being capitalized to show that it has taken a place similar to God. I believe Chretien plans to show that with chivalry, Yvain can win the heart of the woman he loves, Laudine, thus proving that he is a chivalrous character, worthy of being given love.

Erec and Enide - day three

My topic is that of Enide's trials in the final third of 'Erec and Enide' which throws her into the stereotypical position of a weak, woman. Enide is put to her first trial when she fears Erec is dead from his earlier wounds. She immediately begins her typical hysteria and starts to panic then faint, repeating the processes over and over even while she is being carried away by another man (a count) who wishes to marry her. This becomes her second trial in which she is forced to marry the count while still grieving the husband she believes to be dead. She is still mortified at the thought that she is the reason Erec died and continues to show her sadness through her rebellion of the count. Shortly after, Erec, who had only been unconscious, wakes in the count's kingdom and retrieves his wife, assuring her that her trials are over. At this point, she stops her fits of depression and begins keeping them to herself. However, after escaping from the count's castle, her husband is still too weak and puts himself in danger yet again when he unknowingly fights Guivret, which causes her more strife. Even once he is well, Erec and Enide travel to a castle called Brandigan where he searches for a supposed evil that many men have perished from. Enide, being weak heartened as ever, naturally fears she will never see Erec again. He did return though, and was finally done putting Enide through so much sorrow. He returned to King Arthur with her and they were crowned king and queen, ending the story and hopefully Enide's troublesome trials.

Q: Why is it that Enide continues to fall into the stereotypical trap, when Chretien's story is all about opposing stereotypes?