The following questions are taken from your blog posts…
On Humour
Did you like the humour aspect of the novel? Did anyone else find it a bit unusual for this topic?
Was there a particular moment or scene in the book that stood out most and made you laugh or something you found funny?
Did you find the book’s comedic aspects funny?
Did Vargas Llosa’s style of comedy work for you? Or were you more disturbed by it?
Do you think that this novel can be categorized under your own definition of comedy? Does it fall under more of a black comedy type as Jon mentioned in the lecture? Or do the satirical elements allow for a very specific type of dark humor to emerge?
What was a specific comedic moment that genuinely made you laugh? How did you feel about some of the ‘dark’ humour used throughout?
What did you believe would make this novel a comedy? Is there anything you found particularly funny throughout your reading?
Are these comedic or humorous elements in the novel are truly intended to take away from these serious topics, or are they supposed to make readers think deeper about what they are laughing about and potentially see the issues in front of their eyes? What do you guys think?
On Sex and Sexuality
Do you think the sexual desires in this story are over-exaggerated or fall to the truth of what soldiers were like back in the day?
Do you think that there would have been a way for the military to regulate sexual interactions besides the special service? Or do you think that the idea of regulating desires, especially in isolated (jungle) conditions will always be set up to fail from the start?
On Pantoja
In the start Pantoja rejects carrying out the special project, and then ironically, he ends up taking part in it himself. Why do you think the author chose to have his character end up like that? Did having Pantoja give up his principles add something more to the overall story?
Do you believe that Pantoja changed his personality because of the “heat” as Pochita describes, or was he always a little more loose than the persona that he used in his professional and personal life?
How much do you think Pantaleon Pantoja was actually influenced by the aphrodisiacal Amazon? Was he just letting his inner self show?
Other
What do you think is the role of the Brothers of the Ark in this story? Is there an underlying message Vargas Llosa is attempting to make, potentially about the dangers of cults? Or maybe of ‘culty’ beliefs as such? Share some thoughts and some examples of why you think what you do.
What you think the purpose of the monks’ involvement in the plot was?
What do you think the broader significance of the cult was, with the place it has within this story?
Did you think of any other reasons why the ‘Special Service’ ended? Was there some way to allow it to continue without preventing chaos? Did you find the book comedic at all? In a parodic sense? Or, did you feel differently about Llosa’s work and Pantoja’s ‘Special Service’? Why did you feel this way?
That horrifying image of the cycle of life or better yet, the cycle of the devoured, seems to have a greater meaning. What do you think it means?
Do you share my perspective on the impact of exaggeration in the book? Why and why not?
