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.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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?
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?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
