1.      What is the significance of the many physical illnesses that plague characters throughout the film?

2.      Discuss the importance of the narrator.

3.      Discuss the role of ghosts in the film.

4.      Discuss the role of tradition in the film and the impact it has on the characters' lives.

5.      The three De La Garza sisters possess differing personalities. By tracing their trajectories through the course of the film, discuss the way each sister embodies a female stereotype. What statement might the author be making through these types about options in the lives of women?

6.      Compare and contrast the two prime male figures, Pedro and John Brown, paying attention to their respective relationships with Tita.

7.      How is fire used as a symbol in the text?

8.      Several instances of sensual love are described in the novel. Analyze these episodes to discuss the depictions of women in love.

9.      In your opinion, is Tita a strong female figure? A feminist character?

10.  What does the film tell us about the domestic life of women?

(Questions submitted by Dr. Sartori)