The ending of the book was predictable. Everyone who was still alive died in solitude. In the end, Aureliano was the only one to figure out the curse of the people of Macondo, and only through the prophecy of Melquiades. Everything starts dissipating with the occurrence of ants, who enter the house. Santa Sophia de la Piedad gives up on keeping them out. This is symbolic of how everyone gives up before they find a way to fix their problems, since no one is a critical thinker. Fernanda's things move. This isn't because of elves, but probably because she's going senile or something.
Amaranta Ursula seems to be smart since she went away to school and got straight As. She should have common sense, but she still falls in love with her cousin and has a child with him. This doesn't make sense at all. It also doesn't make sense when Gaston, Amaranta Ursula's husband doesn't do anything when he knows that his wife and Aureliano are sleeping together. This shows the non-existentialist characteristics of these people, yet again. Jose Arcadio, who also went away to school should have some social skills. He should know how to deal with Aureliano (who is a little bit crazy), but he is unkind to him. This shows that sometimes a formal education doesn't teach useful life skills.
The theme of cyclical history continues in the end, when Mr. Herbert is mentioned again, with his banana plantation. The ants are symbolic of the end of Macondo, since it's always detritus feeders and decomposers who come after a major death has come and there's a lot of detritus to eat. The tragic mistake of the first couple of Macondo is repeated by the last because they never were taught about their mistake.
The theme of a lack of how communication and isolation leads to ignorace and death is finally represented by the death of the last baby of Macondo. It didn't even get to live to have the chance to repeat the mistakes that everyone made before. The ability to learn from mistakes truly is a skill to be learned.
I think that Melquiades' prophesy is representative of an oracle's prophesy in Greek mythology. The oracle would tell the person their fate. It is interesting how the prophecy occurred before Aureliano could do anything about it, though. I think that Marques is trying to say that people need to figure out their faults by themselves. You can't wait for a prophecy to fix your life.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Active Reading for Chapters 18-20
The first occurrence of magical realism in these chapters was when Aureliano was talking to Melquiades. This is also an example of an apostrophe (since Melquiades is dead). The ants that take over represent detritus feeders. They are feeding on the dead town of Macondo and cleaning it up, since that is their job. Everything is moving on Fernanda. Also, Amaranta Ursula leads Gaston by a leash (characteristic of some marriages). Amaranta Ursuala and Aureliano's son has a pig's tail, making the curse come true...he was then eaten by ants. Since the ants were cleaning up, Aureliano (the baby) was obviously the last child of the dead Macondo. Aureliano was read the entire history of Macondo as Melquiades had written it. It was completely correct.
Jose Arcadio is greedy and kicks the children living in the house after he found Ursula's gold. However, he is then killed by the vengeful children in a bath.
Cyclical history continues when Amaranta Ursula and Aureliano, who cousins, fall in love and have a child. Because of Ursula and Jose Arcadio Buendia's first mistake of not listening to a good advice and being impulsive, then not warning their children, Amaranta Ursula and Aureliano have a child with a pig's tail. Amaranta Ursula dies in child birth.
Many people give up on their tasks, jobs or ambitions. For example, Santa Sophia de la Piedad gives up on keeping up the house and moves away.
Pilar Ternera died, and according to her wishes, she was burried in her rocking chair.
The main theme of how solitude leads to ignorance and death is repeated over and over. This is especially exemplefied with the death of Fernanda, when she just stays in the house, locked up, and doesn't tell anyone about her troubles, then dies.
"there was not much room for thinking about other people's happiness" (358). Because of the disconnectedness and isolation of all the people of Macondo, no one has good relations and therefore, no one can progress by working together to solve problems.
"Hello, cannibal," she said to him. "Back in your cave again?"(391). With isolation also comes misconceptions, and therefore ignorace.
"It was the history of the family, written by Melquiades, down to the most trivial details, one hundred years ahead of time" (415). Melquiades had written the entire history of the town. He knew that with the ignorance of its founders, JAB and Ursula, nothing good could come.
Jose Arcadio is greedy and kicks the children living in the house after he found Ursula's gold. However, he is then killed by the vengeful children in a bath.
Cyclical history continues when Amaranta Ursula and Aureliano, who cousins, fall in love and have a child. Because of Ursula and Jose Arcadio Buendia's first mistake of not listening to a good advice and being impulsive, then not warning their children, Amaranta Ursula and Aureliano have a child with a pig's tail. Amaranta Ursula dies in child birth.
Many people give up on their tasks, jobs or ambitions. For example, Santa Sophia de la Piedad gives up on keeping up the house and moves away.
Pilar Ternera died, and according to her wishes, she was burried in her rocking chair.
The main theme of how solitude leads to ignorance and death is repeated over and over. This is especially exemplefied with the death of Fernanda, when she just stays in the house, locked up, and doesn't tell anyone about her troubles, then dies.
"there was not much room for thinking about other people's happiness" (358). Because of the disconnectedness and isolation of all the people of Macondo, no one has good relations and therefore, no one can progress by working together to solve problems.
"Hello, cannibal," she said to him. "Back in your cave again?"(391). With isolation also comes misconceptions, and therefore ignorace.
"It was the history of the family, written by Melquiades, down to the most trivial details, one hundred years ahead of time" (415). Melquiades had written the entire history of the town. He knew that with the ignorance of its founders, JAB and Ursula, nothing good could come.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Reflective Blog for Chapters 14-17
Fernanda reminds me of an evil stepmother. She is mean to Meme, yet she is nice to her younger child, Amaranta Ursula, who is "mischievous and sickly". I think that she regrets killing Mauricio and sending Meme away, since she is isolated from everyone for the rest of her life. I actually think that Fernanda cares a little bit foor Meme since she feeds her, but she just doesn't know how to express it well. It was really intersting how Mauricio had personal butterflies following him. Who wouldn't fall in love with someone like that?! I want to know why Fernanda didnt like Mauricio. It was illogical that Amaranta didn't like Rebeca. Rebeca was always nice to her. Because of Amaranta's illogical bitterness she dies before Rebeca.
I was amazed by the massacre of 3000 people in the Banana plantations. It shows that all massacres are ignorant and don't help any situation. Even if the government told the people I really doubt that they would do anything about it. (Maybe Jose Arcadio Segundo and Ursula woudl do something.)
The rain for four years was very revealing of the character of the Macondon people. They stay inside their houses for the whole of that time. Personally, I would find a way to keep living my life. I wouldn't become idle like Fernanda. She lets her house become unkept. How can they survive without going outside, anyway? Don't they need to farm? This is an example of isolation.
It is amazing how Ursula is still alive after more than 120 years.
It is interesting how Gabriel Garcia Marques mostly talks about the social aspects of the lives of the people in Macondo and not about how their economy is proceeding and if they have any discoveries or technological advances. Is that all they worry about, their social lives? It is very apharent that the town of Macondo will die very soon. But, I'm not really sad, since most of the interesting people have died. No one really takes control of their lives or the direction in which their town is going, so I don't think they deserve to live...
Ursula is the only one who realizes the tragic flaw of her people. Jose Arcadio Segundo is the only one who tries to help the town. Unfortunately, like everyone else, he goes crazy too.
I was amazed by the massacre of 3000 people in the Banana plantations. It shows that all massacres are ignorant and don't help any situation. Even if the government told the people I really doubt that they would do anything about it. (Maybe Jose Arcadio Segundo and Ursula woudl do something.)
The rain for four years was very revealing of the character of the Macondon people. They stay inside their houses for the whole of that time. Personally, I would find a way to keep living my life. I wouldn't become idle like Fernanda. She lets her house become unkept. How can they survive without going outside, anyway? Don't they need to farm? This is an example of isolation.
It is amazing how Ursula is still alive after more than 120 years.
It is interesting how Gabriel Garcia Marques mostly talks about the social aspects of the lives of the people in Macondo and not about how their economy is proceeding and if they have any discoveries or technological advances. Is that all they worry about, their social lives? It is very apharent that the town of Macondo will die very soon. But, I'm not really sad, since most of the interesting people have died. No one really takes control of their lives or the direction in which their town is going, so I don't think they deserve to live...
Ursula is the only one who realizes the tragic flaw of her people. Jose Arcadio Segundo is the only one who tries to help the town. Unfortunately, like everyone else, he goes crazy too.
Active Reading for Chapters 14-17
Magical realism in this novel often is a hyperbole of major worldly problems or events. Fernanda sees invisible doctors. This might be symbolic of how much of the underdeveloped world doesn't have health care. Amaranta had to make her "death clothes" and when she finished them, she would die. Death is personified. This could be symbolic of how many people kill themselves by being reckless and not being critical thinkers through their actions (i.e. smoking). Butterflies follow Mauricio (who is in love with Meme) wherever he goes. This is symbolic of how wonderful and perfect he is in Meme's eyes. Jose Arcadio Segundo thought he saw a train full of dead people. This is forshadowing for the eventual demise of Macondo. Another occurance of foreshadowing is when it rained for four years straight and then there was a drough for ten years. People just stayed inside their houses during this rain when they could be doing something to make use of it or make roofs outside, etc. They are the opposite of existentialist. Jose Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo die at the same time, as they were born at the same time and they put them in the wrong graves.
Even though Mama is happy with Mauricio, she has him shot and sends her daughter away when she's pregnant. It's sort of ironic how Fernanda lets her husband have an affair so that he'll be happy, but she won't let her daughter be with Mauricio, who seems like a really great guy. This shows how authority figures can be wrong.
Amaranta Ursula, the daughter of Fernanda, is very different from Ursula, since she is sick and sly. She isn't a matriarchal figure. She is the first person to have the repeated name of Ursula. When she was young, Ursula was logical and didn't have much magically realistic about her life. However, as she got older and blind she sees her ancestors and she sees JAB under the chestnut tree. However, she still seems to be the most observant and thinking person, since she knows that Meme is getting drunk and is not really sick.
Meme has a really good relationship with her father, but not with her mother. Her harsh relationship with her mother causes her to go from being a good student and musician to an alcoholic who chases after a boy. Fernanda is the archetypeo of a bad mother who loves one child and not the other.
Amaranta is isolated from everyone else. She died suddenly. Fernanda was isolated after she decided to banish Meme without the consent of her husband. Meme is isolated because of her banishment.
The theme is still how history repeats itself, circular history.
"Then she asked Ursula for a mirror and for the first time in more than forty years she saw her face, devastated by age nd martyrdom, and she was surprised at how much she resembled the mental image that she had of herself (282)." Only by looking at yourself and reflecting your life can you change it for the better. Fernanda looks at herself too late in her life and can't change anything she did to create that face for herself.
"It's as if the world were repeating itself (298)." Ursula again sees that history repeats itself in every way. Everyone makes the same mistakes, in their ignorance.
'"You must h ave been dreaming," the officers insisted. "Nothing has happened in Macondo, nothing ever will happen. This is a happy town (310)." This is true because nothing that changed the world or the town for the better ever happened in Macondo. They never had any breakthoughs. All that happened was that people were born, they made mistakes, and they died. This vicious circle continued for about 120 years so far.
Even though Mama is happy with Mauricio, she has him shot and sends her daughter away when she's pregnant. It's sort of ironic how Fernanda lets her husband have an affair so that he'll be happy, but she won't let her daughter be with Mauricio, who seems like a really great guy. This shows how authority figures can be wrong.
Amaranta Ursula, the daughter of Fernanda, is very different from Ursula, since she is sick and sly. She isn't a matriarchal figure. She is the first person to have the repeated name of Ursula. When she was young, Ursula was logical and didn't have much magically realistic about her life. However, as she got older and blind she sees her ancestors and she sees JAB under the chestnut tree. However, she still seems to be the most observant and thinking person, since she knows that Meme is getting drunk and is not really sick.
Meme has a really good relationship with her father, but not with her mother. Her harsh relationship with her mother causes her to go from being a good student and musician to an alcoholic who chases after a boy. Fernanda is the archetypeo of a bad mother who loves one child and not the other.
Amaranta is isolated from everyone else. She died suddenly. Fernanda was isolated after she decided to banish Meme without the consent of her husband. Meme is isolated because of her banishment.
The theme is still how history repeats itself, circular history.
"Then she asked Ursula for a mirror and for the first time in more than forty years she saw her face, devastated by age nd martyrdom, and she was surprised at how much she resembled the mental image that she had of herself (282)." Only by looking at yourself and reflecting your life can you change it for the better. Fernanda looks at herself too late in her life and can't change anything she did to create that face for herself.
"It's as if the world were repeating itself (298)." Ursula again sees that history repeats itself in every way. Everyone makes the same mistakes, in their ignorance.
'"You must h ave been dreaming," the officers insisted. "Nothing has happened in Macondo, nothing ever will happen. This is a happy town (310)." This is true because nothing that changed the world or the town for the better ever happened in Macondo. They never had any breakthoughs. All that happened was that people were born, they made mistakes, and they died. This vicious circle continued for about 120 years so far.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Active Reading for Chapters 12-13
The magical realism in these chapters begins with how the Turkish people changed the pattern of the rains, accelerated the cycles of harvests and moved the river from where it had always been and put it with its white stones and icy currents on the other side of the town, behind the cemetery. This is magical realism because, even though these occurred for farming or because of farming, the Turkish people couldn't have moved the river so far away. I think it is magical realism because it is an everyday thing that is overly exaggerated. Another occurrence of magical realism is when Remedios the Beauty kills four men just by being around them. Her scent is very attractive to men. So much so that a stranger asked her to marry him. When she levitates with sheets and dissapears forever, that is also magical realism. When Ursula speaks to JAB, from his grave, this is an apostrophe and also magical realism. He says that CAB is going to die soon. This is foreshadowing. It was also magical realism occurs when Ursula can sense where and when people have been and about their characters when she is blind. When CAB was crying in Ursula's womb, that is magical realism. Aureliano Segunda almost dies from a very long eating contest with "The Elephant", who is a woman. Also, there are voices coming from the garden.
After the Muslims come and the war is lost (to the Conservatives), the government is overcontrolling and militaristic. (This is like the Taliban in Afghanistan.) For example, Colonel Magnifico Visbal's son is slaughtered after he accidentally spills a drink on a soldier. The Colonel's head is also chopped off. This is a hyperbole of the military control after a war or revolution in a country.
16 of CAB's sons are hunted down and one is never seen again.
When Ursula becomes blind, she teaches herself to become more observant and relient on her other senses. She is very persistent and diligent. It is very characteristic of everyone not to find out that she is blind. I wonder if they ever find out that she's blind. This is another example of solitude because she is separated from everyone by her lack of vision. She finds out that CAB is uncapable of loving. Amaranta is not really bitter, but actually tender. She just has an internal conflict between loving and being scared of being broken-hearted. It is very ironic how Rebeca (with unknown parents) is the only one with courage, which is the only thing that Ursula wanted in her children.
"idiots of the family live so long (235)".This is actually not true. Even though the Arcadios are logical, they are idiots and so are the others, except for Pilar Ternera and Ursula, who are actually wise.
"That's all we need...a Pope!" Even though this is a sarcastic statement, I wonder what the people of Macondo would do with an organized government. Would they be more challenging of authority or be submissive to authority as they are to the progress of life? Except for Ursula, they are not existentialist.
After the Muslims come and the war is lost (to the Conservatives), the government is overcontrolling and militaristic. (This is like the Taliban in Afghanistan.) For example, Colonel Magnifico Visbal's son is slaughtered after he accidentally spills a drink on a soldier. The Colonel's head is also chopped off. This is a hyperbole of the military control after a war or revolution in a country.
16 of CAB's sons are hunted down and one is never seen again.
When Ursula becomes blind, she teaches herself to become more observant and relient on her other senses. She is very persistent and diligent. It is very characteristic of everyone not to find out that she is blind. I wonder if they ever find out that she's blind. This is another example of solitude because she is separated from everyone by her lack of vision. She finds out that CAB is uncapable of loving. Amaranta is not really bitter, but actually tender. She just has an internal conflict between loving and being scared of being broken-hearted. It is very ironic how Rebeca (with unknown parents) is the only one with courage, which is the only thing that Ursula wanted in her children.
"idiots of the family live so long (235)".This is actually not true. Even though the Arcadios are logical, they are idiots and so are the others, except for Pilar Ternera and Ursula, who are actually wise.
"That's all we need...a Pope!" Even though this is a sarcastic statement, I wonder what the people of Macondo would do with an organized government. Would they be more challenging of authority or be submissive to authority as they are to the progress of life? Except for Ursula, they are not existentialist.
Reflective Blog for Chapters 12-13
I love how this book is so philosophical and has so many different layers. Not only is it magically realistic, but it seems to be slightly allegorical to everyone's life and life in general. I think that the most important theme is that of thinking about life and being a critical thinker. Ursula seems to be the only one that takes a step out of her life and thinks about what is happening in the town. Also, she is the only unique person, which is exemplified by being the only one without a repeating name. She seems to outlive a lot of people in her family, also. It was ironic how everyday things/inventions (in our world) are magical to the people of Macondo, however magical things like Remedios the beauty rising up in the air, lost forever, isn't very strange to the family.
The archetype of "wise old men" is repeated with the whores from the Turkish village giving "courage to the timid, satiate the voracious, to exalt the modest man, to teach a lesson to repeaters, and to correct solitary people (227)". It is ironic how the wise people are always women (Ursula) and whores (Pilar Ternera and the Turkish whores).
The cultural fusion and segregation of Macondo with the Turkish is symbolic of the melting pot that Latin America became with colonization of the Spanish.
The main motif in this novel seems to be questioning our modern value system and expectations, especially with the representation of whores and incest.
It was very ironic how Ursula understood and observed things that she couldn't see when she wasn't blind. She understood her childrens' characters better. This shows that sometimes you need to take away the small activities that take up life to find the true meaning of life.
Another motif that is represented in these chapters is that peace is logical and war is idiotic and useless. They fought in wars just so that they didn't have to paint their houses blue.
Remedios the beauty seems to be an outlier, just like Rebeca and Ursula because they don't fit in with everyone else. Everyone else seems to repeat the same characteristic patterns.
The archetype of "wise old men" is repeated with the whores from the Turkish village giving "courage to the timid, satiate the voracious, to exalt the modest man, to teach a lesson to repeaters, and to correct solitary people (227)". It is ironic how the wise people are always women (Ursula) and whores (Pilar Ternera and the Turkish whores).
The cultural fusion and segregation of Macondo with the Turkish is symbolic of the melting pot that Latin America became with colonization of the Spanish.
The main motif in this novel seems to be questioning our modern value system and expectations, especially with the representation of whores and incest.
It was very ironic how Ursula understood and observed things that she couldn't see when she wasn't blind. She understood her childrens' characters better. This shows that sometimes you need to take away the small activities that take up life to find the true meaning of life.
Another motif that is represented in these chapters is that peace is logical and war is idiotic and useless. They fought in wars just so that they didn't have to paint their houses blue.
Remedios the beauty seems to be an outlier, just like Rebeca and Ursula because they don't fit in with everyone else. Everyone else seems to repeat the same characteristic patterns.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Reflective Blog for Chapters 7-11
This section was really interesting because of the many ironic events that took place. Also, the repetition of the motif of repetition of history was intertwined into many of the symbolic events. The female characters seem to play important roles in the transition phases of the men's lives and play important roles in leading the men to the right directions. For example, Pilar Ternera is a fortune teller. Ursula helps CAD. The prostitutes say that they won't sleep with the soldiers because they'll kill CAD. Remedios the Beauty is an interesting character because of her enticing character. I was surprized by many events, including when Rebeca killed Jose Arcadio. Many events in this book are random and I think this is symbolic of the impulsive and disorganized characters of many of the citizens of Macondo. They get off track very easily and don't try to solve their problems. This is exemplified by the war that went on for no good reason, as Colonel Aureliano Buendio found out. Jose Arcadio Buendia's passing and the falling of flowers exemplified the possible start for change. He was the first man to be curious in the town and a slight skeptic. Therefore, the fruits of his labor might be seen.
I think that Amaranta is afraid and unable to take risks. She is a juxtaposition to all of the impulsive men in town. She actually thinks through things. Actually, by declining men all the time, that is an impulsive action. She is just more subtly impulsive. People, such as Colonel Aureliano, are finally begin to question the actions they take (with thee war).
When Ursula becomes blind, I think that this is symbolic of the blindness of the people of Macondo to reality. They are blind to the need for them to move forward and be more critical thinkers. Ursula, even though she is blind, is the only one to see the repetition of history. She discovers the correlation between the repetition of names and the repetition of the individuals' natures and actions.
Aureliano Segundo marries a woman impulsively. He knows that the relationship won't work out, since he doesn't love her. However, he marries her anyway and sees a woman that he loves. By being lazy, he creates more problems. If the people of Macondo learn to be active thinkers and plan their lives before they make drastic decisions, then I think that they will move forward in their societal disputes and in their technology and exploration.
I think that Amaranta is afraid and unable to take risks. She is a juxtaposition to all of the impulsive men in town. She actually thinks through things. Actually, by declining men all the time, that is an impulsive action. She is just more subtly impulsive. People, such as Colonel Aureliano, are finally begin to question the actions they take (with thee war).
When Ursula becomes blind, I think that this is symbolic of the blindness of the people of Macondo to reality. They are blind to the need for them to move forward and be more critical thinkers. Ursula, even though she is blind, is the only one to see the repetition of history. She discovers the correlation between the repetition of names and the repetition of the individuals' natures and actions.
Aureliano Segundo marries a woman impulsively. He knows that the relationship won't work out, since he doesn't love her. However, he marries her anyway and sees a woman that he loves. By being lazy, he creates more problems. If the people of Macondo learn to be active thinkers and plan their lives before they make drastic decisions, then I think that they will move forward in their societal disputes and in their technology and exploration.
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