Week Five Discussion - Bel Canton

This week's Questions: When the hostages are finally rescued, Mr. Hosokawa steps in front of Carmen to save her from a bullet. Do you think Mr. Hosokawa wanted to die? Once they all return to their lives, it would be nearly impossible for him to be with Roxane. Do you think he would rather have died than live life without her?

Week Four Discussion - Bel Canton

Questions this week:

At one point Carmen says to Gen, "'Ask yourself, would it be so awful if we all stayed here in this beautiful house?'"And towards the end of the story it is stated: "Gen knew that everything was getting better and not just for him. People were happier." Messner then says to him, "'You were the brightest one here once, and now you're as crazy as the rest of them'" . What do you think of these statements? Do you really believe they would rather stay captive in this house than return to the "real" world?

Week Three Discussion - Bel Canto

This Week's Questions:

The garua, the fog and mist, lifts after the hostages are in captivity for a number of weeks. "One would have thought that with so much rain and so little light the forward march of growth would have been suspended, when in fact everything had thrived". How does this observation about the weather mirror what is happening inside the Vice President's mansion?

Bel Canto - Week Two Discussion

This Week's Questions:

Even though he is given the opportunity to leave the mansion, Father Arguedas elects to stay with the hostages. Why does he decide to stay when he risks the possibility of being killed? As the narrative states, why did he feel, "in the midst of all this fear and confusion, in the mortal danger of so many lives, the wild giddiness of good luck?" Isn't this an odd reaction to have given the situation? What role does religion play in the story?