Reflective Blog for Chapters 18-20

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Active Reading for Chapters 7-11

Magical realism occurs all the time in the story (subtly sometimes). One example is when
The motif of solitude is repeated very often: Colonel Aureliano Buendia is in solitude when he's in jail, waiting for his death; Rebeca becomes solitary after she shot Jose Arcadio. It is also magically realistic when the blood follows a path all the way to Ursula (as if it had a purpose). The fact that the Wandering Jew created a heat wave is also magically realistic. It is also magically realistic how one moment, General Aureliano Buendia is going to be executed one moment, and the next, he is reinstated as a war hero. This would never happen in "real life".
Rebeca's slightly crazy, different, and outcast character is supported by the fact that she killed Jose Arcadio (who she supposedly loved) for no known reason and afterwards became a total recluse.
Jose Arcadio Buendia also dies (after living tied to the tree for so long- also magically realistic). After his death, flowers fell from the sky. This is symbolic because he was the founder of Macondo, and his death marks the birth of a new era (marked by flowers, which are symbolic of spring, the season of new life). At this time, Ursula is 100 years old.
It is magically realistic when Areliano shot himself in the heart, yet didn't damage any organs. Another magical thing occurance is when Jose Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo dream the same things, they are connected. This is symbolic of the repetition of history. Areliano opened Mequiades' room after being locked for so long. It was also symbolic when it was unchanged because it shows how the lack of curiosity of the people of Macondo keep them locked up and solitary and unchanged.
Amaranta is the girl who can't dedicate herself to someone. She declines Aureliano.
The men seem to become like their fathers (ex. Aureliano Segundo and Arcadio Segundo). Aureliano Segundo married a woman he didn't love (why?). This is an impulsive decision). His second wife was very much like Ursula (repeating the theme of repetition of character). A train arrives in Macondo and finally ends their solitarity.
There are many premonitions, also. One example is with Colonel Aureliano Buendia when he senses someone coming (it turns out to be someone coming to save him).
The motif of aging is presented in all the characters and in the town, when CAB sees that the town has aged.
The motifs of ignorance, lack of common sense and awakening are supported with the fact that GAB says that he is only fighting because of pride. Even though that's bad, it's good that he is questioning his motives and actions, unlike everyone else in the town.
Ursula is a perfect example of a matriarch who cares for her children so much.
"A trickle of blood came out under the door. crossed the living room, went out into the street, continued on in a straight line across the uneven terraces, went down steps and climbed over curbs...(131-132)" This is an example of magical realism. It shows that sins can't be hidden from the world and affect everything around you. The blood's purpose was to expose this mistake. However, no one did anything about it, and therefore, no one learned from Rebeca's mistake.
"What General Moncada knew and what he did not whish to reveal at lunch was that Colonel aureliano Buendia was already on his way up the most prolonged, radical, and bloody rebellion of all those he had started up till then (151)". A bipartisan democracy always creates problems, as is seen throughout the book. Battles without discussion get everyone into trouble and show impulsivity.

Active Reading for Chapters 3-6

Through chapters 3-6 there is much magical realism. The exotic nature of the people of Macondo is established once again when Arcadio and Amaranta drink lizard broth and eat spiders' eggs. The people of Macondo seem to be obsessed with living forever, because Jose Arcadio Buendia discovers a way to make almond trees live forever. Ursula has a very successful business of candied animals. Jose Arcadio Buendi is tied to a tree because he's crazy. (Even though he seems to be the most skeptical and rational person.) Areliano is a psychic and forsees someone important coming. This person turns out to be Rebeca. Rebeca comes carrying a rocking chair and a bag of her parents' bones. Rebeca has an amulet on her neck of a carnivore's fangs. I think that this is symbolic of Rebeca's personality since she is an introvert and her outer shell is hard to break through. (Carnivores tend to be stereotyped as more solitary and less friendly.)
Rebeca eats damp earth and "cke of white wash" off walls. This is ironic since no one in this world would take comfort in eating those. However, these habits illustrate her character more. These actions show how she is sort of an outcast in Macondo and doesn't fit in. Therefore, this causes her to be solitary.
Rebeca "catches" insomnia, and soon the entire town has caught it. No one sleeps and everyone is in a haze. However, they find the silver lining by seeing that sleeping is a waste of time. Instead, they count the numbers on a clock and tell eachother stories. Soon they begin to forget their own names, and then the names of everything around them. They quarintine the disease to the edges of the town. A visitor, Vistacion, comes and doesn't have insomnia. He thinks the situation is funny. They are finally healed from this "disease" when Melquiades comes back to life and back to Macondo.
When Melquiades comes back, he has a camera. The camera is a mystery to the villagers. (I think he probably didn't die. Maybe he just went away to modern society.) Another transition to modern culture is the appearance of Father Nicanor, who wants to build a church and convert people. He levetates himself in order to provide evidece. However, this isn't scientific enough for Jose Arcadio Buendia. It is ironic how materialistic Father Nicanor is. Isn't religion about spirituality and not about building a large grandiloquent church?
Catarino is introduced as a store owner.
The personal conflict that Pilar has is introduced. She has to pay for her grandmother's house that burned down by sleeping with 70 men a night (magical realism).
A motif of growing up and dying is introduced, also. Rebeca and Amaranta have grown up to be pretty young ladies. Aureliano sleeps with Pilar. This marks the beginning of his manhood. Eventually, Aureliano becomes a colonell and his character is entirely changed. He becomes an extrovert and has more brawn than brain.
One motif is that of healing. This occurs when Mequiades comes back to life and when Rebeca is healed from her habits.
One theme is the repetition of history. Aureliano is like his father in that he is very logical, slightly skeptical, diligent and very scientific. He is a silverworker.
It is shown that the people of Macondo have been exposed to Christianity. How are all of these people coming in whilst most of the people of Macondo have never been outside of their town?
Memorable Quotes: "...he found her only in the imge that saturated his private and terrible solitude." This quote illustrates the motif of solitude. Aureliano gets rid of his solitaridy when he marries Remedios.
"Love is a disease." Through chapters five and six, there are many complicated relationships that occur. First, the relationship between Aureliano and Remedios is the motif of forbidden love. Jose Arcadio and Rebeca are "brother and sister", even though Rebeca is adopted. The motif of tough love is illustrated when Amaranta won't marry Crespi even though he does everything for her.
"I have found immortality." This quote from Melquiades makes many questions arise. What is the real purpose of life? With the Macondo people it seems to be that they are a bit materialistic. Is quality or quantity of life more important?

Reflective Blog for Chapters 3-6

There were many interesting motifs and themes intertwined within chapters 3-6 of One Hundred Years of Solitude. I thought that the constant changing of time periods actually had a flow and I could understand it, for the most part. It is interesting how within only three chapters it seems like a whole book has passed because Marquez has already illustrated the lives of the Buendia family through three generations. The theme of solitariness is intriguing if you analyze its cause. Solitude comes from losing relationships, whether it is a loss from their memory, reality or sanity. Solitude is also born from loss, sickness, sin or fear. Solitude came from outside events and, for some people (like Rebeca) from their internal character.
It was interesting how the theme of rebellion was sustained. From the last chapters, Jose Arcadio rebelled when he left with the gypsies; as did Ursula. Jose Arcadio Buendia also rebelled with his bold inventions and his explorations of the world beyond Macondo. However, Marquez has become creative in representing this theme. For example, It is ironic how Rebeca takes comfort in eating dirt and peeling crusted paint from the walls. She rebels by continuing this habit even when Ursula puts "cow gall unto the coutyard and...hot chili on the walls". They are trying to tame nature. This could be symbolic of h ow Europeans try to tame natives. This could possibly be foreshadowing for when colonists come to Macondo with their own societal expectations.
I thought that it was funny how Cataure, the Indian, thought that Insomnia was contagious and how everyone "caught it". It was really funny how Jose Arcadio Buendia puts a sign on a cow telling everyone what to do with it.
Jose Arcadio and his brother Aureliano are a juxtaposition. Jose Arcadio has a free spirit while Aureliano is more rational and scientific.
It's very interesting how the society of Macondo seems to be evolving to become more modern in such a short period of time. They have already been exposed to Christianity and they have a slight democracy (with a two-party system). I think this evolution is occuring so fast because the only people who seem to be skeptics is Jose Arcadio Buendia. However, this fast evolution caused a war for stupid reasons.
I was pretty frustrated with Amaranta when she wouldn't marry Crespi and causes him to kill himself. That was pretty selfish.

Active Reading for Chapters 1-2

The town of Macondo was "built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones...like prehistoric eggs (1). The village is magical. This simile gives the connotation of an isolated and peaceful town without modern conflicts. It makes the town seem like it's running sustainably. The character, Colonel Aureliano Buendia Macondo is immediately introduced. He is the main character of this novel. The concept of alchemy and gypsies are also illustrated. This shows that the villagers are interested in technology and are curious. It also shows that they are not Christian, and therefore, Europeans have probably not had an encounter with them. The gypsies' culture is connected to the souls of people and a little bit to nature. This is exemplified when a wise old man, Melquiades,is healed. Before that, "death followed him everywhere (5)". This personification of death shows that the villagers believe in spirits and some sort of higher entities. That is also exemplified when they personified mercury as the "smell of the devil (6)". It is a bit ironic how he is healed because the gypsies are younger than him and are more free-spirited and naive. This astounds the people of Macondo, and because of this, fears are suppressed. Even a little bit of knowledge suppresses fear. The archetype of knowledge vs. ignorance is introduced. Ursula is Jose's wife. She has a voice, and disagrees with Jose sometimes. She especially disagrees with him when he becomes obsessed with new technology introduced by the gypsies and by alchemy. He even burns up her gold. The village of Macondo, even though it is isolated and primitive has some scientific knowledge and beliefs. For example, the "seven metals that corresponded to the seven planets". This is almost accurate, since there are eight planets in our solar system. The awe of healing and the unknown, curiosity, is what drives the advancement of technology in the town. It gives them hope. Jose has the perfect family, house and life. "His house...had been the best in the village (8)". However, from the apex, you can only go down. This could be foreshadowing for bad things to come. Even though Macondo is a small primitive village, it is ironic how they don't know the surrounding areas, are not very close to the land and are very materialistic. They are just a primitive version of modern cities. "The world became eternally sad (11)" through their trek to find the shoreline. This is foreshadowing, using the motif of "after the darkest part of the night, light comes". They finally find water. Ursula is the archetype of a careless, free and self-absorbed woman. She even sleeps with her own son and runs off with gypsies without telling her husband. When she finally comes back she acts as if nothing has happened. Like Jose, she is impulsive. However, Jose is impulsive in diving into a new project and is productive in his impulsive actions. This is because of curiosity, which is a reoccurring theme. Macondo is a very interesting and different village from any other modern village or primitive village and this is because of the gypsy ideals it holds.

Reflective Blog for Chapters 1-2

In the beginning of the chapter, the author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, begins with using the phrase "many years later". This immediately captured my attention because it puts the reader right into the story. The author introduced the setting, Macondo as a magical village with "adorable houses" and a ravishing river running along its edge. He illustrated the world in which the villagers lived as innocent and isolated from the modern world. This immediately made me make the connection of this village to the Native Americans and how their entire world was destroyed by the appearance of the "white man". This could be foreshadowing for destruction that might take place in the village of Macondo because of future changes. The motif of dishonest gypsies is introduced. The gypsies seem to symbolize the free soul of the villagers. I think that Jose Arcadio Buendia becomes quickly passionate about a certain thing and becomes obsessed with it. However, when an obstacle comes, he loses interest and quickly finds a new obsession to follow. He doesn't seem like a really good father and neglects his children and his wife most of the time. The motif of a father-son conflict is introduced. Ursula, Jose's wife, seems to be a little bit feisty and can speak her mind. She is a strong woman, rather than a submissive wife, which is often shown in stories. She is sort of a leader and can take charge in the family. Aureliano is the archetype of a wise old man in the story. Ursula is also careless, shown when she drops the flask of mercury. The technological ignorance of the villagers is exemplified by the fact that Jose and Ursula don't worry about the broken mercury (since it is toxic). It seems like the village of Macondo is very materialistic (exemplified by its interest in alchemy). This is a bit ironic, since most primitive villages in North America seem to be very in touch with nature and not materialistic. However, the villagers, especially Jose, are very curious and have a thirst for knowledge. Their fear for gypsies, for example, is eliminated when they learn about them. It seems like Macondo is an orderly, hardworking, village. Jose also seems very recklessly outgoing and acts on impulse. He is not satisfied with his life and therefore becomes readily obsessed. I was very interesting how Ursula had no shame in incest (two times). One time with her husband, being cousins. Another time with her own son! It was also interesting how the gypsies were so open about it. This shows that the village is very liberal and have the ideals of the gypsies. These ideals are probably that people can do whatever they want as long as they're happy and free. Jose, however, represents a more conservative and sturdy person with strong held beliefs.