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.