Questions for Buñuel's "That Obscure Object of Desire"

Please answer at least two of the following questions:

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?

Celestina - Day Five

Questions from Kailee and Natalia:

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?

Act 19 - Is it better that Calisto dies in an accident as opposed to being murdered? Calisto is dead, so does it make a difference how he dies? What do you make of Melibea's reaction to Calisto's death?

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?

Act 21 - Why do you think the author has Melibea's father make a very long speech about her suicide but does not really show Melibea's mother's reaction? Why do we hear so little from her Why is it for the most part the first time Melibea's parents speak? Why does Melibea's father react to her suicide but not to the revelation that Melibea had been seeing Calisto in secret for months?

Celestina - Day Four

Questions fro Andrew and Zeke

Act 12: Given the respective character/traits of Sempronio,
Parmeno and Celestina, is Old Celly really a victim or does
she get her just desserts? Were the servants justified in
murdering her or were they acting of pure greed? Is it
possible to sympathize with either party? Etc.

Act 13/14: Why does Calisto grieve his servants' and
Celestina's deaths? What motivates him to 'grieve'? Or,
given what happens at the end of chapter 13 and all of
chapter 14, would you say he is really even 'grieving'?

Act 15: "And as that metal has such qualities that the more
we drink the thirstier we get and prompts unholy greed ,
when she saw she was so rich, she swanned of with her
earnings and refused to share anything with Sempronio or
Parmeno, although they'd agreed to divide up whatever
Calisto paid out." (161) The above quote refers to the
golden chain Celestina received earlier in the story. How
does the chain act as a vice to Celestina and those around
her?

Act 16: Initially Melibea had a virginal facade; everyone
thought of her as extremely chaste and she seemed happy with
that. In this chapter, she and her servant overhear the
former's parents planning to marry her off and she gets very
"upset by the idea they have of [her] presumed state of
innocence" (168). In your opinion, has tasting 'forbidden
fruit' changed her outlook so drastically? Is this part of a
rebellion against the wall of oppression her father's made
for her?

Act 17: "However, why do we possess common sense, if not to
look our losses in the eye and see that cosmetics and
clothes can make a lass beautiful, even when she's not, turn
an old lady into a young woman and a younger into someone
even younger? Face paint and birdlime are sticky traps we
use to ensnare men. Let's get out my mirror and some
cleaning liquid, because my eyes are in a proper state..."
(169-170) How does the above quote reflect the theme of
deceit in the story? If clothes and cosmetics changing one's
appearance is an ode to the whole notion of things not being
as they seem, then is there any significance to the latter
part of the quote (cleaning liquid, eyes in a proper state)?

Celestina - Day Three

Questions from Jessica Fallis:

Chapter 7

In Chapter 7, why do you think there’s such an emphasis on the gap between age and youth? What does this gap say about wisdom? Does Celestina use her age to her advantage?

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?

Chapter 9

The issue of trust comes up many times in Celestina. In Chapter 9, on page 102, Sempronio says “out of goodwill or under pressure from us, Clestina will at least give us a piece of whatever she gets.” How is trust related to trickery here? Why do you think Sempronio and Pármeno are so trusting of Celestina, even though she’s tricking Calisto?

Chapter 10

Explain the conflict between Melibea’s family obligations and her desires. What does this suggest about control? Find a modern example of Melibea’s struggle.

Chapter 11

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

Celestina - Day Two

Questions from Devon and Bernie:

Chapter 3 Question 1.
"You expect a man in love to champ at the bit. Any delay is
torture and every moment waiting a pain. They want to put
their thoughts into action and enjoy immediate results."
Analyze this quote. What is it saying about the way men deal
with romance? Do you think this quote speaks true?

Chapter 4, Question 2
"I think people describe life's merry go round as their
fortune finds it, for the rich sing a different tune."
What is the book saying about class separation, and how it
affects people's thoughts about life and how they live it?

In Act Five Celestina tells Sempronio that they will both
get rich off of their pan. Are Clelstina’s words to be
trusted? Is Sempronio foolish for trusting her? Or does it
seem that Celestina is tricking everyone for her own
personal gain?

In Act 6 Celestina speaks to Calisto of her encounter with
Melibea. Does she lie to him or does she fabricate the
truth? What is the meaning upon her giving Calisto the Cord?

Dove Evolution Commercial

Here is the commercial I mentioned in class that reveals how advertisers create impossible ideals of feminine beauty.

Celestina - Day One (Chapters 1 - 2)

Please answer at least two questions:

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 manner? Can we read these words as genuine?

2. Discuss Calisto and Sempronio’s conversation in Act I. How do you interpret Calisto’s illness? His discussion about Melibea? The discussion about women? What occurs here? Use quotes and specific examples for the text to support your answer.

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

4. Analyze Parmeno’s long speeches concerning Celestina. What is her history, profession, etc.? What do you think she represents within the text? How does the entire community view this woman? Why? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

5. Analyze the speech of these characters (you can point to specific examples to formulate your answer). What type of speech is this? Why?