The movie

I think that the movie begins with young Indy searching for the cross because it shows us that even early on in his life he had this urge for a quest, and what exacrly he'll do in his quest for something. He was so seriuos about that cross belonging in a museum that he was willing to risk his life in truck with a huge lion to get it. Once Indiana starts something he will keep going to until he attains it, whather it costs him his life or not. Young Indy is a born leader, and very resourceful. He also shows his courageousness going up against thosethugs to get the cross. He's also very stubborn. As he says later on, he had been searching for that cross "all his life." he doesn't seem capable of letting things go.

Day 3 Part 3 Small World

One of the craziest turns that the book took- Joy is alive. Not only that , but she has a little baby by Swallow. What should Swallow do? As in the romances, I'm not entirely sure that Swallow actually loves Joy, but loves the idea of her. His life revolves around these horrible conferences filled with people he doesn't actually like. Joy is like a breath of fresh air. With her, he can escape the montony of that life, and his marriage. He has sex with Hilary just to (excuse my language) get off. He doesn't actually enjoy it, there's no intimacy there. With Joy there is. She is the forbidden, and as in every story we have read the forbidden is near irrestible. That is most likely the reason for all infidelities that happen. But like most unfaithful people, Philip won't leave his wife. Not only did Hilary greet him as if she was truly happy to see him, he just completely loses his nerve. There is a part of him that realizes that Hilary doesn't deserve something like this. Who knows what will become of Joy now?

Day 1 Perceval

Perceval seems really slow. He doesn't pay much attention and doesn't even care about is being said. He doesn't grasp the importance of what his mother is telling him. She is telling him her history and therefore his too, but he dismisses her as if she was telling what was for dinner. He doesn't have any empathy and that can get him into trouble later on. He doesn't listen unless its what her wants to hear. As with the episode with the knights, he completely ignores what they have to say so that he can learn what he wants to know. He is a bad example of what a knight can be. He's too interested in having his needs be met and not seeing the consequences of his actions. His mother is the only person he has. She sheltered and protected from the life that she did not want for him ( maybe a little too much), but she meant well. She is weeping and begging him not to go and finally falls over, but he still continues on his way as if she had been waving at him happily and commending him to God. H should not have left the way he did; he is selfish.

The Film

This movie is from Matthieu's POV because this is his interpretation of events. He is the protagonist, the hero of the story. Your really start to feel for him. I don't think that he loved Conchita, he's more obsessed with her, the way Calisto is obsessed with Melibea. But Conchita is playing with him, and that's what's unacceptable. The story makes the most sense from Mattieu's POV. I'm convinced that Conchita is insane (though I enjoy her greatly). But because one the people he was telling the story to was a psychologist, maybe Mattieu is too. He does go off with her in the end, which doesn't say much about the state of his mental faculties or Conchita's. They both need a good long sit down with a psychologist.

I think that terrorism is always there in the film because it foreshadows the destruction of Mattieu and Conchita. Terrorists are fanatical, and prone to terrorize. This movie is about a man who is obsessed with this woman. She does great taking a page out of the Anne Boleyn handbook to keep him with her for so long. The obsession and fanaticism that terrorists have destroy everything in their paths. Mattieu and Conchita are, in a sense, terrorists. They destroy each other. First off, they become entirely different people. Mattieu doesn't seem like that kind of guy who would be involved in a domestic violence dispute. And although I'm not sure how nice of girl Conchita actually is, she feels that he is trying to own her so she does something dramatic. She tries to prove to him that he doesn't own her. Mattieu is doing everything he can to please her. This is isn't working; they're never going to work out the way they are. It seems like death is the only way out for both of them. For a terrorist, sometimes death is the only way out. I think that it is safe to say that they are the most dysfunctional couple ever.

Day 4 Celestina

"Alas, it is. I feel the wound now that it is cold, now that my blood has cooled which was warm yesterday, now that I see the gap in my household, the loss of my servants, the wastage of my patrimony, the disrepute into which I have fallen." -Calisto

I think that this quote pretty much sums up desire in general. Like a romance novel that will wait to the end for the lovers to consummate their passion, the anticipation provoked more fire than the act itself. He seems almost disappointed. In the beginning all Calisto could think about was Melibea. He lived for her, breathed for her, Sempronio and Parmeno often commented on how foolish he was to allow himself to be taken by one woman. Now that he got what he wanted and he asks himself: was it worth it? Was being with Melibea (which didn't last that long in the first place) really worth the loss of his honor and hers? He can clearly see now everything that this love affair has cost him. He expected to be over the moon. A part of him is satisfied and liked it so much that he intends to go back to have her again, but now he seems more patient about it. He has a very Juliet line about Phobeus coming on a steed so that night will come again, but he also follows that by saying he can't go against nature, and he has to wait until nature says that night should come so he can be with Melibea again. This is different from the beginning when he was talking about the fire in his veins and praying to God that Melibea would give him what he wanted. Even when he first went to Melibea and was almost begging her to give it up because he wanted it so badly, it seems like now that he has what he wanted and knows what its like, he can wait until the time when he can be with her again.

Day 2 Celestina

When Celestina is making her thread for Melibea, a different side of her shows. She seems so nervous and anxious. Celestina did not initially strike me as someone who second guesses herself. She was always so confident in herself, positive that she's right and even mocking those who doubt her word. (In the case of Parmeno). But her lack of confidence says that she is lacking her own abilities. She says later on to Melibea that being old isn't that great. Perhaps she lacks her abilities because of her old age. She also sees the danger in messing with the lives of noblemen. She's also blinded by her own greed. She feels that she can't back out of the situation that she's in because of the economic loss that would result.

Day 6 Decameron

9.2- I think that the nun's actions reflect not upon the religion that they represent, but the church. The practive of having nuns and priests are very unrealistic. They put people on pedestals that they don't deserve and can't possibly live up to. These nuns are wrong because they have a vow to God that they will be chaste, and instead living up to those vows to the best of their ability they make a mockery of it. The least they can do is try to find a way out of their vows (I'm not sure if that was possible during this time period). But the abbess was who disappointed me the most. They say that if you point a finger at someone else, you have four others pointing back at you and the abbess proved that saying. She was trying so hard to live up to the view that the other nuns have of her that she forgot her own faults. Sin did became relative in this story, which is not the way it is supposed to be in real life. It reminded of a line from a previous story that a sin kept to yourself is a sin that half forgiven. So long as they don't get caught, they're no doing anything wrong. Is it? Is it right that you would chastise others for having the courage to say out loud something that you won't even admit to yourself? Are you truly forgiven in the eyes of God for getting away with your sin?

10.10- I found this story positively repulsive; I hated all the characters. they have a very twisted point of view of what love is and what it means to be loved. "The one makes you cry is not worth your tears, and the one who is worth your tears will never make you cry." It seems to me that Griselda has never heard this saying. It may be my modern point of view coming into view here, but if you love someone, and give them children, and do everything in your power to make them happy and meet their needs, there is no need for a test. It is insulting to think that anyine would tolerate someone murdering their children to test your obediance. That would equal my loss of love. When you love someone you don't trea them badly, no matter what the reason is. Gualtieri is cruel, end of story. Love is not abusive, it isn't selfish, and most of all its unconditional. It cannot be measured and does not need to be tested. Griselda is a fool for tolerating all of that. But again, I think this way because I am modern woman.

Day Five Decameron

8.7-Do you think that the scholar's revenge was cruel, or do you think that Madonna Elena got what she deserved?

I'm actually torn about what I think of the scholar. Its true that she didn't die and the same thing happened to her that happened to him, but I think it went on the cruel side. She begged him to let her down. Does making someone else suffer make your own suffering less? Does that hurt truly go away? And meanwhile, what does that say about the scholar? That he can be vengeful and cruel, when she was already getting the punishment that she deserved when her lover left her. She repeatedly said throughout the night that she left the scholar out in the cold that she was doing this to prove the love that she had for her lover, but where did that get her. That was the cruel punishment that she got. That was what she deserved. The brilliant scholar showed that he could stoop down to her level getting revenge like that. This did not make me sympathize with him.

7.5-What do you think of the statement that the wife made to her jealous husband? Was she justified in taking a lover?

This statement reminds me of Shakespearean word play at its best. It is also further proof of how language can be used to manipulate a situation. She started by calling him an idiot and continued by explaining to him why he's an idiot and why she isn't, all the while knowing that she does have a lover and that he has been sneaking into her room every night. This very much reminds me of Yseut saying that no one has been between her legs except for King Mark and the leper. She does get her husband off her back, but in the end, he was justified. She was trying to prove to him that she is an honest wife, but she's tricking him. This is the Keyshia Cole song, "I should have cheated." She's not justified because she's proving him right, not wrong.

Day 2 Decameron

I think that this says that women are no different than men when it comes to lust. Even though in these days women would just have to deal with whatever came their way, and men had more of a choice, this said that women could enjoy sex just as much as men do. We also see that perhaps women like to feel safe since Alatiel slept with the men who could take of her. These were men who had something to offer, whether it be jewels and a throne or just giving her a sense of security. It gave a really negative view of men, because all the men in this story ended killing each other over this pretty face. She said absolutely nothing, and yet would claim to have fallen in love with her. Her father believed in everything that she said and sent her off to get married believing that she is still a virgin. Basically: men are fools when it comes to beautiful women. Just as in the story of the Trojan horse men will kill each other, go to war and risk the safety of a nation to satify their own pleasures. But it also make women seem fickle. Alatiel would only go through a very brief mourning period after losing a lover and it wasn't for her lover, it was for herself. She was lamenting her sad fortune and not the loss of her lover. And then she would immediately fall into the bed of whoever could give her the lifestyle that she was accustomed to.

Day 3 Yvain

Yvain recreates himself as the Knight with the Lion so that he can reinvent himself. I would say that he's even better than he was before. He's a better knight and a better man because his intentions don't seem so selfish anymore. What better way to do that than to have by his side an animal that is known for its strength, courage, loyalty, and everything that is good about being a knight. Not only is he recreating himself, but he's bringing back everything that a knight a supposed to be: a soldier to defend the people. After he comes back from temporarily losing his sanity, he does battle not for himself or for his honor but to defend and protect people who can't defend themselves. Its the only way that he can truly deserve Laudine again.

The reconciliation between Yavin and Laudine is so true and so much better than any of the other reconciliations that we have read about. Between Erec and Enide, Erec was forgiving her even though she had done nothing wrong. Yvain is actually humbling himself before Laudine and admitting that he was wrong and Laudine is the one who takes him back (even if she was tricked into it). This is such a huge difference because it shows the equality and love between the two.

Day 1 Yvain

In my opinion Yvain is very much like Tristan and Erec. He is a knight concerned with honor and glory and although he is seeking the honor of his friend, he really is doing it for himself. When he defeats the other knight, he is looking for proof that he did it so that he will believed. He can put Kay in his place and in a way be able to say that he is a better knight than Calogrenant. Laudine is my favorite of the female characters that we have met so far because she has an identity before she meets the knight. We aren't sure of her name yet, but she can be seen as someone who had a life before she met Yvain. She was a person of importance and she was loved. She knew love with someone other than Yvain. We can also see her cleverness alot earlier. She manipulates the men of her court into believing that marrying is Yvain is their idea. She is much more politically minded. She knows that she has a job to do and is going to do it the best of her ability. The biggest difference is that she chooses to marry Yvain. Yvain isn't just thrust upon her and she has no say in the matter but she chooses him for his honor and valor as obviously being a better knight than her husband.

Erec and Enide Day 2

We finally see Enide's character in the second part of the text as someone who is so devoted to the other people in her life. Its obvious that she is very much in love with Erec and tries to do right by him. She met him as a noble brave knight and wants him to stay that way. She is finally named at her wedding because without her name she isn't truly married. For a moment I thought that Erec was going to fo from calling her "maiden" to calling her "wife." She tries to do right by Erec because she doesn't want anything bad to him nor does she want anyone to speak badly about him, especially if its her fault. In my opinion, she does truly love Erec. Erec, on the other hand, needs to learn how to appreciate Enide, because he's taking her for granted. Everything that she did was to save his life and yet he kept on threatening her. She's not just a beautiful face; Enide is in every way devoted to Erec and he needs to see that.

Day 2

During the three years that Tristan and Yseut were under the effects of the love potion they were living the ideal affair. The love potion made them feel like life was good simply because they had each other. When the love potion wore off however, they were brought back to reality, they realized exactly what they had done. Tristan is horrified that he could have betrayed his king and Yseut feels the same way. Tristan and Yseut realize that they were living the good life at court with the king. Tristan feels that he should be a knight at court with squires in his service and wearing fine things and doing battles in foreign lands for King Mark. Yseut feels the same way. She was a queen with people tending to her and now she's living like a slave in the woods. They both feel guilty that the love potion could have led them astray. They haven't stopped loving each other, however. They just realize that they can't go on living as fugitives. They're both used to the splendor of court and anything less just isn't good enough. The effects of the love potion may have worn off but they love they have for each other is still true. They still want to be together and plan on staying in contact with one another so that they know that the other one is safe. Now that the effects of the love potion are gone they realize that even though they love each other, love is not enough. Their love is strong but not enough that they don't see the reality of the situation that they're in.

The letter to King Mark is more of Tristan and Yseut's lies. They have lied to the king before, and they are willing to do it again only this time, with the blessing of the hermit. They are doing it to save their lives but its still fooling a very trusting king. I am not surprised by the king's reaction because he has shown to be very trusting. Plus, he already forgave Tristan and Yseut since he saw with his own eyes that they don't love each other wrongfully.

Day 1

I would characterize them all as being the stereotypes of what was expected in that day and age. Tristan is the noble, loyal knight who would do anything for his king. he is very true to the king and is only disloyal in one way: his affair with Yseut. As the tragic hero who comes from nobility he is the best and bravest of all King Mark's knights, in contrast to the greedy barons. Yseut is the beautiful princess who is from another land and is loved by all her subjects even when she is guilty. She's so lovely that all pity her when she's going up to the pyre, and rejoice when she gets away. King Mark rules fairly and listens to his subjects, everything a good king is supposed to be. He gets fooled by Tristan and Yseut which would make him an idiot only, who wants to believe that their nephew and the wife that they love are having an affair? While it is unfair to have them sentenced to death without a trial, King Mark is deeply hurt and he does have to think about his pride. I think it was common and expected for men in those days to kill their wives if they were having an affair.


At this point, I feel bad for King Mark. Here he is, with his beautiful wife at his side and he believes that she is loyal and faithful to him and loves him just as much as he loves him and she's cheating on him. With the nephew that he loves an who is the only family that he has at court. I don't agree with his decision to sentence Tristan and Yseut to death but I do believe that I can understand the anger, pain, and jealousy that would bring him to that extreme. I have no sympathy for Tristan and Yseut because they are getting exactly what they deserve. They are swearing to God that they don't love each other anymore than they should, that its all the invention of the jealous barons and its all a lie. King Mark has done nothing more than show his love and favor to the both of them and they are betraying him.