According to Karl Marx, getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities. When the captain receives a shipment of food and he keeps it locked up, how might the captain’s actions support Karl Marx’s views? (Feel free to refer to other actions if you feel they support Marxist views as well.)

How do both the Captain and Ofelia’s mother comply with traditional gender roles? What is the dynamic of their relationship like?

Throughout the constant interactions between the faun and Ofelia, Ofelia is given a piece of chalk, which is capable of creating doors to wherever she wants. Using psychoanalytic theory, explain how this can be viewed as repression. You can use multiple symbols, seen throughout the film in your answer.

Pan’s Labyrinth is actually a fairy tale, a horror fairy tale. In this fairy tale, like many, there is a recurring theme of choosing between good and evil, right versus wrong. There are multiple instances in which disobeying orders proves to be the correct route to take in order to do what is right. In which scenes is this represented? With that being said, what might the significance of fairies be as a motif in Pan’s Labyrinth? (A motif is a literary technique that consists of a repeated element that has symbolic significance)

The frog living in the tree is described as greedy. How would the frog’s impact on the tree demonstrate a critique of the bourgeoisie?

The Captain is shocked upon discovering Mercedes’ true identity, as he never suspected such a thing. How does the Captain’s misogyny in this scenario ultimately fail him? In which ways does this scene critique a patriarchal ideology and depict gender as a social construct? Make reference to the statements made during their encounter.

During the second task, Ofelia must retrieve a dagger from a magic realm. She was specifically instructed by the faun, not to eat any food on the table while she was there. She disobeys the faun’s order upon her exit, as she is captivated by the cluster of grapes on the table, and eats two. The monster is awoken from this action and attempts to eat Ofelia, but she is able to make a swift escape. How does this scene relate to Freud’s tripartite psyche?

The focal point of lighting shifts between war-torn Spain and the fantasy world that Ofelia indulges herself in. What type of lighting is used in these two differences? What is the effect of the different lighting used and why?

Does del Toro critique the hegemonic ideology of the Nationalist party? If so, how does the way he depicts the Nationalists prove this? (Hegemony definition: leadership or dominance, especially by one or social group over others).

In which instances does the Captain suggest his true intentions regarding his pregnant wife and unborn child? How does this represent a patriarchal view of society? Consider the statements and assumptions made regarding his child and their gender.

How does the monster at the head of the table resemble the Captain at the head of the table? (He says he’s sorry that his wife says things that nobody cares about, in other words, that he doesn't care about it) How does the monster parallel this lack of concern?