Week 13.
William and Nikhita 100 Years of Solitude
Posted on March 31, 2013 by wbutler30 25 Comments
[A]nd once again she shuddered with the evidence that time was not passing, as she had just admitted, but that it was turning in a circle. Many analysts of 100 Years of Solitude would argue that the novel follows or represents certain historical events that occurred in Latin America, but arguably, the quote cited above disproves this theory. As many, if not all, of us have heard, history tends to repeat itself, but in100 Years of Solitude, Marquez wonderfully unfolds a story in a way that ignores the combines of time and space. Moving in a cyclical pattern, stories may be told in spiraling shapes rather than a straight line. Despite this odd pattern, Marquez makes it nearly impossible to oversee the repetition within the novel, and he still conveys the story in a believable way. Seeming almost too real, Macondo and its inhabitants follow a strange yet believable cycle of occurrences (excluding obvious figures of speech and/or unrealistic weather patterns) which Marquez uses as a stylistic device in order to make his work stand out. Large changes between generations in the main story stand out to the reader and highlight important factors that Marquez does not want us to miss. One notable change is the ruin and death of the most prolonged characters, Ursula. As the novel progresses and hardships pass, we see Ursula, the familys eldest member and matriarch deteriorate into a childlike, senile state and eventually pass away. Ursula has served as the human embodiment of Macondo and all of the events that have taken place within its domain. Shrunken, weak, yet incredibly aged and alive, Ursula becomes unaware of her past which ultimately relieves her of lifes duties. Just as Ursula slowly releases her fight to survive, we believe Macondo must also reach an end due to its lack of importance and societal loss of the past. Rhetorically, Marquez uses vivid imagery and implicit metaphors to signal an impending doom for Macondo. A heat wave encases the town, birds die by the flock, and the wandering Jew is discovered roaming the streets. All of these omens seem to directly foreshadow Macondos demise. The
passing of many generations has weakened the value of Macondos existence, and the forgotten past of Macondos forefathers has damaged the urge to continue fighting for what was once an amazing feat and a valuable community. Not having finished the book yet, these are all assumptions as to where we believe the story may lead. Marquezs foreshadowing throughout the novel gives us reason to believe Macondo will not live on much longer than Ursula. Apart from the lyrical tone of the novel, I find the importance given to reading and language by Marquez fascinating. Various languages have been used in the novel, including the Guajiro language that the children learn initially from the Indians, the multilingual tattoos that cover Jose Arcadios body, the Latin spoken by Jose Arcadio Buendia and the final Sanskrit translation of Melquiades prophecies. Marquez makes reading the final concept that holds the secret for the fate of Macondo. Interestingly, reading and knowledge has constantly been the first breath of every action in progression that takes place in the novel and the only thing that remains constant and unscathed is Melquiades laboratory. Notice how Marquez uses poetic language for mundane things and mundane language for magical events. For example, while talking about Melquiades ghost he writes Santa Sofia de la Piedad thought that Aureliano was talking to himself. Actually, he was talking to Melquiades in a matter-of-fact way as though a ghost talking to people is a normal occurrence. On the other hand, while describing the natural death of Fernanda he writes he saw her lying in her bedwith her skin turned into an ivory casing instead of just stating her death. This leaves me wondering why a novel that that explores all aspects of life, substitutes euphemisms for realistic depictions of events. Discussion Questions: 1. If you havent finished the book yet, what do you expect will happen to Macondo and its community? Does Ursulas death signal the end? 2. What is the importance, other than writing style, of the spiral timeline within the novel? 3. Acknowledging the fact that the novel tends to exaggerate durations and exhibit magical realities, do you think the story of Macondo could be a derivation from a traditional oral story?
References: http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/introser/marquez.htm http://www.rtlibrary.org/one%20hundred%20years.pdf http://www.litreact.com/reactions/hundred%20years_marquez_singson.html http://www.mpdailyfix.com http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/solitude/
