"That Obscure Object of Desire"

2. Terrorism is a huge factor in this movie for several reasons. A group, under the quite humorous name Revolutionary Army of the Baby Jesus, is continually causing death and explosions throughout the film. I believe Buñuel did this to demonstrate how obsession could cause blindness to the world. Though Matheiu
was well aware of the danger surrounding him, he was robbed and car jacked, he did not care. All he could focus on was the hurt he was feeling from Conchita or the unresolved sexual tension. The moral of the terrorists acts to portray how people turn a blind eye to everything except the one object the obssess or desire after.

3. I believe Buñuel uses two different actress for the character of Conchita to portray the power struggle between the couple. The first woman, Carole Bouquet, represents the more quiet and passive Conchita. This is the actress whom Mathieu can easily manipulate, showing one side of the power struggle. This Conchita is timid and appears to be easily swayed. Mathieu asserts his dominance when he is around this character. However, when Angela Molena plays Conchita Mathieu is powerless against her antics. When Angela is acting she uses her sexuality to conquer Mathieu. Conchita knows that Mathieu does not really love her, but instead lust for her. When Bouquet is scorned  Molena comes out and uses her one tool, her sexuality, as a vice to torture Mathieu as he does to her with his "love". The usage of two actresses allows for one character but two different personalities, and two different relationships. When they are merged it resulted in one convuluted relationship.

CELESTINA day five

ACT 18 :  Areusa's motives for plotting Calisto's death is revenge. She wants to avenge her "mother" for the acts that this man caused and as a form of consolation for Elicia. Throughout the whole novel, Calisto has only been concerned with his infatuation with Melibea. Even after the deaths of his loyal servants, Parmeno and Sempronio, Calisto only cared about Melibea. The duo, Areusa and Elicia, decided to take destiny into their own hands and punish Calisto for his selfishness and, in a way, his stupidity.

ACT 19 : I think it is better that Calisto died as an accident, then an intentional death. I say this because it is not revenge, though Elicia will still get the same satisfaction. Instead of dieing as revenge for the death of Celestina, he is dieing from a silly error. This misfortune also suits Calisto, because he left trying to show off for his love, which was foolish much like his character traits. I am quite surprised by Melibea's reaction. She pushed Calisto so far away in the begining of the novel. She made fun him for even considering going out with her, but now she is crying her eyes out because of his death. She is finally acknowledging how much he meant to her. This is the most vulnerable we see her character, however I do believe that he reaction is quite embellished. She is milking it a litte, but I believe the feelings are there.

CELESTINA day four

1.  I do not really know how to feel about the death of Celestina. I think Parmeno deffinitely betrayed her, given their past history. The servants deffinitely acted in greed, when they attacked Celestina. Their motive was to recieve their piece of the reward from Celestina, and I beleiev the greed got to them, plus the anger from their missing weapons.  I do not believe that Celestina deserved to die, because Parmeno and Sempronio knew what they were getting into when they entered into a ploy with her. They knew the way Celestina worked, especially Parmeno, whose mother was quite like old Celly. I kind of sympathize with Celestina because she was unjustly killed. She did not deserve the act, although in all honestly she probably knew where the chain was located. She did not directly harm either of the two servants in such a way that deserved such a retailiation.

2. Calisto  is very upset by his servant's death because of the way his reputation will be precieved. He is most upset in Act 13 because he is fearful of the whole town knowing all of his secrets, including the reasons he was consulting with Celestina. He was more focused on his on own downfalls than those of Sempronio and Parmeno, as well as his almost loss of communications with Melibea. I dont think he is even grieving for the loss of life, just for the loss of possible sex. This is very unfortunate for his two trusted servants, as well as his "miracle worker" Celestina.

CELESTINA day three

2. The statement, "Not everything is white that is not black and not everything that is yellow and shiny is gold," is alludes to the trickery shown throughout the novel. Celestina constantly feeds half truths throughout the novel, promoting this statement. just because Celestina does not tell the truth (black), does not mean the everything she is saying is a lie (white). For example, though she tells Meliba that Calisto is very sick and needs her love, it is true that Calisto needs her love. The statement "everything that is yellow and shiny is  gold," is also a reference to the same concept, except a bit harsher. the former allowed for a little wiggle room within the lines. The yellow and shiny define a more specific trickery where, in my opinion, there is no truth whats so ever. This also incurs frequently between the characters.

3. I believe this quote is related to trickery, because Sempronio and Parmeno are in a ploy with Celestina to make Calisto happy and steal his money, but they are also in a ploy together to get half of what Celestina is receiving as a reward. Naturally Celestina would keep most of the reward Calisto is going to give her for successfully bring himself and Melibea together, however the two servants have a much different idea. They would like half, thus the trickery comes into play. I don't think the two trust Celestina fully, but they her enough to know that she going to follow through with the trick to receive her payment. The quote, "Out of goodwill or under pressure from us, Celestina will at least give us a piece of whatever  she gets," is a perfect example of their distrust. They are hoping that they can receive their half of the reward willingly, but in the back of their minds they know that Celestina will not go down without a fight. There is no real form of trust throughout the novel, even the relationships that seem to be stable reflect a notion of apprehension.

CELESTINA day two

1.  I believe this quote shows the way men percieve a relationship should be. Men are very selfish creatures and thus they want what they idealize the moment they think of it. Women tend to take the time to think things out, even to the point of over analyzation, but men pefer to act and deal with the consequences. This reference, which fits Calisto's character, suggests that men follow their first thoughts. When they see a beautiful woman, they immediately want to pursue them. I believe this quote is true because men are strictly doers. For example. when women get into a fight they are petty and hold grudges, while men punch each other and are friends again within ten minutes. The same concept rings true with love, especially swince girls are very keen with reputation thus making them less spur the moment. Men just go with things, and that is what makes this quote true.

2.  I think this quote is saying that the upper class has a harder life.  This quote is quite funny, because Celestina is considered the lowest of low class. She works several jobs, one of which is running a brothel, and yet the quote suggests that life is easier for her than everyone else. I  Although it may seem strange, I would have to believe this. I say this because the people who love Celestina and consider her a friend, love her for her. They know evertything about Celestina, from her exile from town to her unruly job, and yet decide to friends with her. This shows how pure the friendship between the two individuals are. However, if an individual is rich, the motives behind the friendship become blurred. One can never tell is the person is being geuine or if they are trying to their money or connections. The class separation is also shown later on in Act 4, when Melibea's mother did not know who Celestina was. This shows how uncouncious the upper class is of the lower class.

CELESTINA day one

1. The opening scene takes place in garden with Calisto and Melibea. Immediately I thought of the Garden of Eden, and the symbolism it has for this part of the novel. The  opening scene is one where Calisto confesses his newly found, undying love for Melibea. Despite all the sweet things he claims, Melibea turns down his attentions and says she does not care for him in that way. I compared this to the Garden of Eden for several reasons. The famous biblical story begins with Eve taking a bite of the forbidden fruit. she then convinces Adam to take a bite of the fruit as well. The introduction parallels this, because Melibea is the ultimate demise of Calisto. She, in a literary way, tempted Calisto with the forbidden fruit, which in this case would be her body. Thus, at first glance Calisto fell in love, leading to his downfall, or at least the downfall that I anticipate will be coming up soon in the story.

3. My intial impression of Celestina is that she is a very confident. The whole passage was a man trying to degrade her for being a very "loose" woman. Despite the constant degrading, Celestina continually maintains her wonderful demour. She embraces her reputation and wears it with pride because she is not embarassed by the things she has done. She understands the consequences of her actions, and participates in the sexual acts willingly. She enjoys the pleasure, thus she is not murked when people point out the obvious. She does what makes her happy, and forgets what others would appreciate. Though I understand the importance of caring for others, I find it admirable the way Celestina goes about life. This is shown through the novel when she finds allies to help trick Calisto out of his money.

The Decameron DAY 5

2.      Story 7.5 –  The prologue to this story paints the husband in a bad light. He is given the persona of a over controlling, conniving husband. It sheds light the viewpoint in such a way that women were to be controlled and kept safe like a diamond from burglars. I believe society has progressed a little, but not much from this point. Several guys get into physical fights over a girl, just as Rimini is always on guard for the incoming advances from other men towards his wife. This prologue also conveniently leaves out the woman’s perspective. I think today’s society observes the woman’s point of view much more than the olden days, perhaps even much more than men. Today women are the victims, and men are the abusers. Regardless of what happens, it is always the poor girl over the man, who may be victim to the woman’s evil plans much like Rimini was at the end of this story. Overall, society has changed its view since the prologue of this story, but I can not decide whether it is a step in the right direction, or the wrong one.

1.      Story 7.3 – I found this story to be quite strange. Rinaldo wants to get with a woman, whoms son he is godfather of, and befriends her husband to try a make his pass. I find it extremely ironic that this event eventually happens, but Rinaldo has first turned into a friar. It is like Boccaccio is trying to show his view of the church. It took a deprivation of human society and a title of much honor for the two to finally consummate their wants. The woman was fairly easily persuaded, and the most disturbing fact was that the godson was present for this moment. I think this parallels to the church, and how the friar is meant to be a guiding light for young boys. However, reality is much different than one’s ideals as the book demonstrates. For instance, the young boy is present because it sets the stage for the friars influence and example. Overall this story demonstrates Boccaccio’s idea of the church and its clergy.

All About My Mother

6.      Agrado is a very complex character to analyze. At first appearance, everything about this “girl” seems false. From her expensive silicon boobs to the various plastic surgeries done on her face. She wants to be a woman, not just an ordinary woman, but the perfect woman. She wants the exact measurements, and the best looking body. But if you look past the physical and get down to the actual person, there is a much truer story. Agrado aims to please everyone around her, just as she says her name is Agrado because she likes to make everyone agreeable. She is always there for her friends, and has quite an emotional side. It is hard to determine whether she is so helpful because she wants friends, or just because that is her personality. Regardless, she is very much true with herself, despite the daunting façade of fake. She stated she didn’t like goodbyes, but she hated not getting a good-bye. This proves the strength of her character. She can deal with all the mishaps that life hands her, but she cant deal with avoiding problems, which is why she deals with everything head on in this movie. When people question her about her gender, she doesn’t become bashful and hide, she lays everything out on the table. Overall, her character is one composed of truth and facades.

The Decameron (Day Four / 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 6.7, 6.10)

5.8 - I believe the men have the power in this story. Many people believe that men have no feelings, or no emotions. This story emphasizes the power of that men can exert over women. The whole story revolves around a man trying to have his wife hurt, or at least live in fear or hurt, as much as he did. The tragic tearing apart of the woman,literally,  makes the woman fear for her life. The man exerts a stigma of loss that petrifies the girl. It is very obivious that the man has power in this scenario.

6.7 -   This story is a perfect example of woman rights, because it shows the prejudice men and society hold against women. The statute in Prato was specifically designed to protect men against the adulterous acts of women (ex. a woman caught commiting adultery by her husband would be burned alive). However, Madonna saves her life by flipping the scripts on the court. She justifies her actions, by pointing out the fact that her male counterpart could commit the same crime and go free.  She stood up the court, and walked in confidently. She told the truth, and empowered women everywhere. In fact, the law was changed after this court case. Overall, Madonna showed the common prejudices held against women and continues to defeat the opressor.

the decameron DAY TWO

1.      Story 5 (pg. 99) – This story had a theme of wicked trickery and misplaced trust. Andreuccio was a man who had trusted the people around him too easily. He was very open with himself, his mental state, and his money, which got him into this problem in the first place. His “sister” had very easily tricked him into to believing he was kin to her, with the help of an old woman. It would appear that Andreuccio’s intelligence level is very low, or at least when it comes to street smarts. Towards the end of the story, after misplacing trust in two using groups of individuals, Andreuccio learns from his previous mistakes, and takes his fate into his own hands. There are two morals of this story for me. The first moral that stands out to me, is the fact that you can not trust anyone, such as when Andreuccio trusted the woman about being his sister. The final moral that stands out to me is that intelligence is more than just books. The whole story is centered on human behavior and the outward expressions of inner motives. For Andreuccio to interpret the situations surrounding him, he would have needed street smarts.
2. Story 7 (pg. 127) – This story strongly relies on the gender roles of the time. Many of the men did not know the soon-to-be Queen. The men were fixated on the beauty of the woman, and not the personality. Men were killed left and right, for no reason other than to sleep with this girl. It says a lot about the male character. The female was portrayed as a simple minded girl who was easy. She wanted to hide her past when she found her old servant. I feel the roles in this story explained the sexual desires of humans, but not the actual bonds people need. This also showed the power lust has over an individual. To commit murder, over a chance to get with a girl is quite shocking and disturbing. There is no real connection, or even common thread. The body is what was pleasing, and the males thrived over that. They couldn’t even communicate because of the language barrier. It was astounding they fell in love, but I guess it shows the strength of a good intimate life.

The Decameron DAY ONE

1.      Story 2 (pg. 42) – “At his request, they did so immediately…and worthy man who lived a holy life.”
       - I found this quote interesting, because the story changed Abraham’s name to Giovanni. Abraham had decided to convert from Judaism to Christian because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Some of the holiest men in the land catered to a life of sin by giving in to the lust presented by whores and young boys, but Abraham was confused as to how such heinous acts would promote such positive feedback for the religion. He deduced that the Holy Spirit was what carried, and possibly expanded, the religion. Thus, Christianity must be a good religion, despite all of its less than perfect qualities. I feel the name change, however, was a sign of assimilation. It is odd to me, because it is suggesting that Christianity is a sort of cult. Though I agree, Giannotto should not have attacked Abraham’s religion in such a way, it appears as if there is a “Nazi,” feel going on in this story.
2.      Story 3 (pg. 43) – “…stupidity can often remove one from a state of happiness…restore him to his secure state.”
         - This quote is very accurate to me. There are many times when people think before they speak, and unintentionally put their foot in their mouth. A perfectly good moment could drastically change to a moment of great grief, such as Saladin trying to tear down Melchisedech’s good day. Luckily for Melchisedech, he was wise and thought out the consequences of his actions and answered the double edged question with a neutral answer. If I had to analyze the statement, I would say it means that life is unpredictable but it is very possible to have a say in your destiny or future.
3.      Story 4 (pg. 48) – “No one will ever know, and a sin that’s hidden is half forgiven!”
             -GThis is a very pivotal statement in the plot of the story. The Abott is about to confront a young girl for committing a cardinal sin with a monk. While walking over to speak with her, he is mentally preparing himself for the talk when his mind wonders. He begins to think that no one will know what happened between them in the room, and perhaps the monk was on to something. I find this statement to be very true, because most people think like this. If a human being can not witness the crime, the criminal feels like it is okay to commit because the only issue left is their conscious.  Obviously, the Abott would not feel guilty ever, thus this would be the perfect crime if it were not for the wise monk. However this statement just shows how a person may try to justify an act that may be deemed unjust in normal standards.

Let Her Talk - Video Blog

1.      The relationship between Alicia and Benigno was completely unconstituted in all sense of the word. To begin, Benigno had watched Alicia for several months before he was, “convienantly,” introduced to her when she dropped her wallet. He would sit and watch her like it was a religion, even his own mother, in one scene, mentioned how he was at the window all the time. Though it was strange, this method of watching her was quite harmless. However, after he walked her home, he made an appointment with her father who happened to be a psychiatrist. While he was in the house for his evaluation by the doctor, he creeped into Alicia’s room and stole her hair clip. This was a bit much for me, especially coupled with the strange watching. Unfortunately the innocent Alicia was hit by a car and went into a coma. This was a blessing in Benigno’s eyes because he then had the opportunity to worship Alicia the way he wanted to. He was in lala land throughout the whole movie. He was so sure of the relationship he believed he was in, that he didn’t think twice when he raped her. He thought it was natural, and it was the way things were supposed to happen. Though it was very disturbing, to Benigno he was making love to the willing woman of his dreams. To the very end of the film, all Benigno cared about was Alicia and how she was feeling. His very demise was his eternal want to be with her, which was why he took the various pills. He was benign, just like his name suggests. When I hear the word benign, I think of tumors and how they exist within the body but are not an immediate threat. I see the parallels between Benigno and this definition. He was always in the picture, though Alicia never noticed. He was very much like a silent killer; he had the potential to seriously harm her (and I can not honestly say that he didn’t harm her) but he existed in existence with her. Overall, the relationship between these two people was anything but average.

Run Lola Run - Video Blog

                      The movie, “Run Lola Run,” parallels the story Erec and Enide is several aspects. In the beginning of the movie Manni tells Lola that he lost the money, and that it was her fault because she was not there to pick him up.  This is much like Erec and how Enide is the “cause,” of his lost of chivalry. Then, both female characters are on a journey of restoring their men’s honor and dignity. The rest of the story revolves around the two women trying, “save,” their lovers.  The movie proceeds with three different scenarios, all in which Lola tries to get the 100,000 marks to save Manni. In two of the scenarios, one of the lovers achieve death. This is comparable to the way Enide was tested several times when the knights in the woods appeared to kill Erec. Enide was forced to decide whether or not to tell Erec about the attackers, despite his warnings of being quiet.  Eventually things between Erec and Enide simmer down, and they also achieve a, “happy,” ending.
                    The music was also a key factor in the movie. Whenever a high pressure situation was going on, such as when Lola would take off running from the apartment, fast high paced music would set the atmosphere. The same is true for when the music slows when Lola was too late to reach the market.  The notion of time was also utilized. For instance, when Lola receives the very first call from Lola, she screams so loud the clock breaks. This represents that time is lost. I say this because the clock broke, meaning time stopped. Lola ran for miles and if the problem did not resolve in a positive fashion, she would simply go back to the same spot in time she started.
                  To conclude, I would like to speak of the gender roles. In most fairy tales, the male character is the one who sweeps in and saves the damsel in distress. For both of these stories, the woman was the one who saved the day. The roles were most definitely switched, and it was interesting to see. It was odd to see a guy in a vulnerable spot, seeking to woman’s help whether it was obvious or not. Overall this movie was a good supplement to our reading because the stories were very similar and relatable.

The Knight with the Lion (pg. 353-380)

1. I feel that this romance was a bit off. I did not like the way things came full circle, or perhaps it could be called double circle.  In the beginning of the novel Yvain married Laudine out of the trickery of Lunette, just as in the end Yvain remarried Laudine out of trickery. The obvious message Chrétien is trying to get across is that when true love breaks apart, it will inevitably come back together. Before this reunion could be established, Yvain had to basically be reborn. Although Yvain went away the first year or two without heartache, he was hit by a train with an emotion soon after.  He was tearing at his eyes and ripping his clothes while running into the wild, or in simpler terms he was resorting to his inner nature. He lived naked in the woods and ate animal flesh, such as when man started out as cavemen. Next, he found the lion which represents him learning how to be a real man, courageous and brave. The final part of Yvain recycling his life is his battle between Gawain. Gawain and Yvain fight from sunrise to sundown, without knowing each other’s true identities. This shows how Yvain has progressed from an immature being, who sneaks out in the middle of the night to avenge an old mishap with Calogrenant to a mature person who stays and fights his battles with people head on. The whole journey is about how Yvain deteriorates and builds himself back up to the same level where he can accept love for what it is.

The Knight with the Lion (pg. 324-353)

1. Gawain’s speech convinces Yvain to leave home and participate in several tourneys across the lands.  Gawain feels it is imperative for Yvain to keep up his knight status alive and well. Yvain, feeling pressured to go, strikes up an agreement with Laudine. The agreement states that after a year (eight days after the feast of Saint John) Yvain must return or all of her love for him will dissipate into hatred. I find this agreement a nice compromise on Laudine’s part. Firstly, the only reason Laudine married Yvain was for the protection if the enchanted tree and spring. With Yvain being gone for a year, it allows time for people to attack. Secondly, they are freshly married and have not had a honeymoon time. The love is young and new, and they are in the stage where they want to be together all the time. The fact that Laudine proposed this agreement actually surprises me, and gives me insight into her character. If I were Yvain, I would accept this agreement in a heartbeat.

2.  Yvain’s shame is the fact that it is nearly twice the amount allotted for him to be away, and he has not returned to the woman who holds his heart. The build up employed by Chrétien is the fact that Yvain was in courts with others who had their partners but he was alone. Up until this point it is an accepted fact that the entire two years that he was gone Yvain was winning his tournaments and has not thought of Laudine despite his tearful goodbye.

3. Yvain reacts to Laudine’s messenger with great distress. He just had a revelation about the amount of time he had spent away, and the dismaying news of Laudine’s hatred of him. I think Yvain is still in love Laudine and she still possesses his heart. The news of Laudine new emotions causes a mental breakdown and forces Yvain to run into the wild like a crazy person. He is tearing at himself and does not remember the things he does. I believe the cause of this is the ring missing from Yvain’s ring which was supposed to keep him in good health, hence keep him from heartache. Now that the ring is gone he is acting much like Laudine when her lover was killed, and Yvain was mysteriously wearing the ring. The changes in Yvain show the ways love can drive a person mad. The cure was an ointment provide by a “mysterious” lady. I believe the damsel who helped him was Lunette, the one who aided Yvain earlier in the novel.

4.

The Knight with the Lion (pg. 295 - 324)

1.  While there is no official prologue, I feel like the first paragraph acts as a sort of replacement.  It allows the reader to have an idea of where the story is going. To me, the first paragraph is telling that this is a story of the anguishes and misfortunes of love. Though it is not a proverb, or as profound as the prologue of Erec and Enide, it acts in the same way just without a label. I have a feeling this is not the typical love story, and the reader may actually get to experience misfortune instead of the standard happy, or neutral ending. I feel like the author is indeed laying out the morall of the story within the first few lines but does not mantion it to see who is paying attention. It tell

2.  The very first thing that sticks out to me is that the tale is, “not of his honour but of his disgrace.”  Most stories that knights recount are their victories, however it is strange for a knight to tell the public a story of loss.

Erec and Enide (pg. 90-122)

After reflecting upon the literature as a whole, I could not help but think back to the situation in the garden with Maboagrain and his dear lady. I found great symbolism throughout this part of the novel. To begin, the setting was a garden in which, “ripe fruit all summer and all winter, and the fruit had a peculiar property that although it could be eaten therein, it could not be carried.” (pg. 107) I drew similarities from this setting to an otherwise perfect world. When girls are little, they naturally believe they are princesses and wait for their, “Prince Charming,” to come and whisk them away. However in these fantasies, girls never imagine the heart ache and troubles that they will have to go through to achieve this level of happiness.  I believe the garden is the fantasy land in which dreams and happy endings exist, or in Chrétien’s world, the stereotypical love story. Next there is Maboagrain, who would be comparable to Romeo in this love story. Maboagrain is the so-called perfect guy. To begin he is madly in love with his maiden, and the only pleasure in his life is to be by her side. What girl would say no to that? Although Maboagrain was tricked into it, he also stayed and fought for his woman for many years, which is also very much a story book occurrence. I believe Erec is meant to be Maboagrain’s opposite. Erec is supposed to portray the real man outside the perfect world. Real mean try to prove their masculinity when challenged, where as Maboagrain did it out of love. Another opposite is in the perfect world, Maboagrain’s love for his maiden flowed easily without hitch. Erec’s love for Enide was not so easy, for they had bumps in the road that involved egos, trust, and insecurities. Lastly, Erec was characterized as a jerk more or less; however Maboagrain was made to look like a gentleman. Finally, the maiden represents every man’s fantasy girl. The only role she played was being extremely beautiful and being quiet, whereas Enide represents a real woman who worries constantly, has brains, and causes most of the problems in a relationship. Overall, I think the point of this story was poke fun at the classic love story, by showing the true nature of people within its text.

Erec and Enide (pg. 60 - 90)

1. The reader finally learns who Enide is during the scene where the royalty is making preparations for the wedding. According to the text, the only reason we find out Enide's name is because Erec could not be properly married without it. This just goes to show how little women were valued back then, aside from their beauty. Plus it shows that Erec is only marrying Enide for her looks, not her personality.

2. Enide's first words spoken in the book occurs during a bedroom scene in which Erec is sleeping and she is crying in his arms. She curses herself because she feels she is the reason her husband has abandoned all chivalry. I think Enide did this because she truly felt guilty and need to let her husband to know on some level. Perhaps she was subconsciously hoping he would hear her cries. Erec interpreted the conversation in a sorrowful manner. He is in such a deep and emotional love with her, that it scared him to hear that he is not as much of a man as he was before. He reacted quite quickly by ordering Enide to get ready to go for a ride. I think he is preparing to find a huge confrontation to prove his manhood, and that he is not, "whipped." I believe he does this because his character is strongly based on ego.

3. I believe Erec is taking Enide with him on this journey to prove to her that he is still chivalistic. Erec's character is very egotistical, which is largely driving this section of the story. Enide's earlier dialogue stripped Erec of his manhood. This whole journey, for Erec, is about redemption and pride.  Erec, himself, even admits on page 69 that, "those who blame me (being Erec) are also right." He is just trying to prove himself out of despair that Enide may be falling out of love with him.

4.

Erec and Enide (pg. 37 - 60)

3. The second part of this question really had me thinking. The author describes Enide as being, “truly one who was made to be looked at, for one might gaze at her just as one gazes in a mirror.” A person generally looks in a mirror to check for, or fix, their imperfections. Usually when one sees their own imperfections in the mirror, they are so miniscule that a group of their own peers couldn’t detect them. Enide is much in the same way; she is the peer looking into the mirror. People are blinded by her, “perfection,” that they do not notice the person within. I have not heard one word pertaining to Enide that didn’t involve her good looks, or eternal wisdom. People are blinded by her, which leaves a lot of room for Enide to be sneaky or otherwise a troubling character. The only mythical character I could think of off-hand, that has to do with a mirror, is Medusa. Her ultimate demise was when a mirror was cleverly pointed at her own eyes, thus turning her to stone. Perhaps a correlation between the two could be that Enide realizes what people see when they look at her, uses it to her advantage, thus creating her own downfall. I do believe that this quote from the book is an immensely important, and even after examining it, I still question its meaning.

4. I believe the sparrow-hawk contest is a test of a person’s manhood. Erec, being a strong leader and scorned from his earlier encounter in the woods with the dwarf, challenged Yder when no one else in the kingdom would. Being quite egotistical, accepting such a fair sided battle is exciting and challenging to Erec. The contest was more of an act of redemption for him than anything else. After being whipped by a dwarf in the woods, the only way to receive his honor back and to restore his pride was to challenge this knight. However this competition not only tests a man’s strength and power, but also his ability to choose a worthy wife. The contest heavily relies on the beauty and grace of a woman. Before any fighting could occur, a woman had to lure the 6 year old sparrow-hawk off of its perch. This competition also shows the way women were viewed back then. Firstly they were prizes to men’s games, and secondly the author depicted them as weeping and praying as the men fought. Surely this ordeal would be saddening, but the author allowed the women to fade in the background versus standing up for their men, or staying strong. Overall the contest is a way for men with ego problems to boost, or prove their manhood.