Celestina is an interesting book full of
illness, love, desire, witchcraft, and religion. Celestina, the main character uses
language as a powerful tool to get people to do as they need to profit from
them. For example, Celestina has a profound knack for curing illnesses of all
sorts. The most common illness is heartache and despair. Today, heartache is
not an illness, but back then it was the largest, yet most fatal disease. At
one point Parmeno msays, “Then is it madness to love, and I am crazed and have
no sense? For if madness truly equaled pain, wailing would never wane.” I
thought this was interesting as in previous classes we discussed love being a
mental illness. Sometimes I think about how crazy I can be when it comes to
someone I care about or even love and I think it could be just that; a mental
impairment.
I found
it particularly interesting that Celestina had such a way with words that she
could get the individuals to desire and need another without even getting the
two together. For example, Calisto could not live without Melibea for she is
all he longed and desired for, but that had only brief interactions. During
those interactions Melibea claimed that he was a crazy person who yelled and hollered
things at her. When Celestina went to talk to Melibea about Calisto’s suffering
she wanted to hear is name no more. Yet, by act ten, Melibea was asking for
Celestina to meet her immediately and remedy a cure. How is it that two people
don’t have to have any interactions, but can manage to need each other desperately?
I found
it particularly disturbing that Celestina was boasting about being a whore. She
also boasted about the fact that women idolized her when I don’t think she was
a role model at all. She tricked people into believing that they needed a man
or another, even when they said they did not. For example, Parmeno desired
Areusa and when Celestina went to talk to her on behalf of Parmeno she
practically forced Parmeno in bed with Areusa. Areusa said that she had someone
who cared for you her and watched over her, but Celestina was so persistent in
getting them in bed together.
I think
that Ceslestina is a selfish, awful, dreadful, and dirty woman. She had no
regard for other’s wellbeing if she was able to profit from it. I think a lot
of it was an act so that she appeared to be something she wasn’t.
The
packet reading was also intriguing as I learned quite a bit about prostitution.
The author writes, “A Christian woman who lived among the minorities or gave
birth to a child of mixed blood was branded ‘bad’ woman who deserved to be
flogged or expelled.” I found this in some aspects to be relevant in today’s
society. Interracial relationships are frowned upon by some people and to have
a mixed baby might be even more of a wrong doing. I think this shows the roots
to where our problems with interracial dating might stem from.
Sex was
only supposed to be for those who were married, which is very different from
today. The majority of people today do not wait until marriage as sexual
relations is such a huge aspect of many relationships. I personally could not
wait until marriage to find out if the man I loved and I were compatible in
bed. That would be torture, because what if the chemistry wasn’t there?! That’s
crazy!
Overall,
both readings were thought-provoking. The functioning of earlier societies are
so different from today, but you get a better understanding as to why some things
are the way that they are.
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