How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Pan's Labyrinth.
Quote #4
[Ofelia opens the Book of Crossroads in the bathroom. Instead of reading about the second task a red shape begins to form on the page. Soon the magic ink begins to bleed, covering all of it in a bright blood red. Ofelia closes the book in horror and finds her mother bleeding in her room.]
This is the most blatant combination of fallopian imagery and imagery of the Faun's horns. The world of feminine physiological maturation is closely tied to Ofelia's fantasy world, and it's fair to say it's not always a pretty sight.
Quote #5
CARMEN: Don't worry, your mother will get better soon, you'll see. Having a baby is complicated.
OFELIA: Then I'll never have one.
A journey into adulthood for Ofelia means bearing children…which is something she finds frightening. And reasonably so: Carmen's pregnancy isn't an easy one and it will eventually cost her life.
Quote #6
VIDAL: You can go, Garcès.
GARCES: You're sure, Captain?
VIDAL: For God's sake, she's only a woman.
MERCEDES: That's what you've always thought. That's why I was able to get away with it. I was invisible to you.
VIDAL: Damn. You've found my weakness: pride.
Even after Mercedes reveals Vidal's own mistakes to him, he still doesn't respect her power…at least not until she has a knife in his mouth. Vidal obviously doesn't respect the women around him. In his arrogance, he dismisses them and doesn't account for their willpower or intelligence.