In Chapter 2, there are a time when Jose Arcadio Buendia ignored the gypsy that fly passed him with the flying carpet and said to his son, "Let them dream"" We'll do better flying than they are doing, and with more scientific resources than a miserable bed spread." This quote show how much Jose Buendia still want his son to believe that they can still do better with a research about philosopher stone with scientific reasons than believing in a gypsy, also that they can find something better and become more successful than them. Jose Buendia just want to believe in his research more than relying to what the Gypsy brought into his village.
The villagers live in the place where many people might wish to live in, a place that prevents aging. Even this magical shield seems to fail preventing human's curiosity. The outside influence keeps on alluring our protagonist, Jose. Although he tries so hard to explore the outside realm of the village, he always fails. In his actions I realize the difference between Jose's character and the typical "Mexican" character described by Paz. The village represents the highly fortified defensive place. The villagers are unconsciously meriting by the magic of the place. The villagers are also defensive against the outside influence, science introduced by traveling Gypsies. It is Jose who only realizes the importance of science over the magical protection on the village. Opposite to what Paz described, Jose is wanting to unmask himself and take in outside influence,,, No, he must be unconscious about these actions... In my opinion, he wants to enlighten (unmask) the others, Usula and villagers. In other words subconsciously trying to break the spell on the village.
The whole passage about José Arcadio Buendía killing Prudencio Aguilar in chapter 2 really stuck out for me. José threw the spear “with the strength of a bull and with the same good aim with which the first Aureliano Buendía had exterminated the jaguars in the region”, as if throwing a spear hard and accurately is some sort of genetic trait. Also, José’s guilt afterwards is interesting because he hardly even thought twice about killing Prudencio. Then, when José saw Prudencio wandering around his house looking for water to soak his esparto plug, he started to pity Prudencio’s loneliness. This guilt and pity is essentially what drove him to pack up his family and friends and cross the mountains. Eventually José founded the new village called Macondo where nobody ever dies.
Chapter 2 of the book starts to get deep into the relationships in that village in the middle of nowhere. It actually gets deep to the point where the readers learn about the sex life of Ursula and Jose, or more like, the absense of it. The villagers in Macondo are annually introduced to new objects by the gypsies, amongst which are compasses, telescopes, magnets and even ice. Those people have no idea about the basic inventions of the outside world, but at the same time, Ursula seems to be aware of the cases of hemophilia that can occur when like Mr. Sheridan described: "they like to keep it in the family". This is the disease many royal families had suffered from due to interbreeding with each other. Telescopes, compasses, ice, magnets... they are not too sure about those things, but interbreeding... a big strong NO. I find it interesting how people who dont know how to use a telescope, wear "rape protection items" and discuss hemophilia. Of course Ursula is not going to give birth to an iguana, unless she is one of them, but this situation, in my opinion, raises a very important issue in this book: the mystery of the villagers. How much do we actually know about them and who are those people, who dont get old and never die, who live their own lives and would rather believe in themselves and their little village than confirm to the norms of the society of the outsde world.
Chapter 1: I think that José Buendía is truly fascinating. His intense curiosity is always leading him into unpredictable situations. But I also think that there is more to him than meets the eye. Although he is adventurous and inquisitive, which to some might make him seem upbeat; it is apparent that he is deeply troubled by something. In the passage, "He considered it a trick of his whimsical fate to have searched for the sea without finding it, at the cost of countless sacrifices and suffering, and to have found it all of a sudden without looking for it, as if it lay across his path like an insurmountable object." José doesn’t understand why he’s always stumbling upon new but cannot seem to find the one thing he has been desperately searching for. I think that this issue he’s having is discouraging and disheartening him.
In the first chapter going into the beginning of the second chapter, you realize the main character, Jose Arcadio Buendia face problems. A theme that is recognized a lot would have to be, reality versus imagination or fiction. Jose is so determined to explore things and create new inventions that he spends all his time in the days doing that. Eventually you start seeing that he has problems believing things can happen that are not realistic and that is because he is so caught up in his own fantasy world.
In my opinion an important quote is, "At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses . . . the world was so recent that many things lacked names. . . " I think the book opened with this quote because its putting emphasis on Macondo placing the village on some type of pedestal, somewhere that was very special and just perfect. Macondo plays a major role in the book both symbolically and setting wise. Its where major events take place and where Jose experiences disappointment after disappointment. While he's constantly trying to find a new discovery his family struggles without his aid both financially and personally.Its also where the village the gypsies keep coming back to with new inventions and experiences to share.
In Chapter 3, I think that when Aureliano start to take the research of his father more serious is an important part. In the book say "Adolescence had taken away the softness of his voice and had made him silent and definitely solitary, but, on the other hand, it had restored the intense expression that he had had in his eyes when he was born." This sentences help explaining how Aureliano had grown up and ready to pay more attention on his research and try to complete his task as a son of the scientist. Another thing is that in the text also explain how he spend the money his father gave him on experiment ingredients instead of women, also he barely left the laboratory, which prove that he really taking this research very serious.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez doesn't just tell the readers a story; he goes forward and backward in the time to create a mythic feel. In the novel some objects don't have names so people have to point at them in order to identify them. At the same time, however Marquez states that Ursula's great-grandmother lived at the same time as Francis Drake. Sir Francis Drake lived in the 16th century, when, by no means every object already had a name. "One hundred years of Solitude" gives us a story based more on memories than on historical events. In my opinion, memories are valued as much, if not more than the history itself. It brings the reader closer to the story of Macondo and its villagers, but at the same time throws them further from reality, because unlike history, there might be little to no truth in the memories. The interesting moment of this book so far is the reality of it. There are so many absurd and strange things happenning that my perception of reality changes. and at some point in the book I discovered that I start to believe in certain things without giving it a second thought. This probably defines the genre of Magical Realism: the real events are mixed with memories and fantasies.
I think its weird how when young Jose goes missing, Ursula travels so far away from Macondo in search of him that she kind of forgets to go back. Something even weirder is the fact that her husband didn’t even notice she was missing until late at night. Its unusual how she didn’t even think twice about leaving her husband and young child behind. When she returned, 5 months later she informed her husband that she had found the route he had been desperately searching for and that it was a 2 day walk from Macondo. It doesn’t quite add up why she was gone for 5 months if the journey to the outside world was only a 2 day walk.
Throughout the reading, I realized that there is no such thing as a real solitude. The title of this book is an oxymoron. Of course there is a deep sense of solitude in this town; isolation, and tendency of villagers being isolated within the village. If god created this place, he is experimenting the villagers. He brings different types of influences to see how long the village can last being solitude. For example, accepting Rebeca symbolizes the village's connection to the outside influence. The consequence is experiencing imaginary reality which makes individuals to completely isolated. However, the cure also comes from the outside. So they are incessantly influenced by outside force, god's playful trick.
Chapter 1 “Every year during the month of March a family of rugged gypsies would set up their tents near the village”. When the gypsies come to the village they bring different items like a magnet. Jose takes the magnet and thinks he will be able to extract gold from the earth but he can’t. Next they bring a telescope and a magnifying glass and show how the magnifying glass could set things on fire. Jose decides to show the effects of it and suffers burns. Jose sends the item to the government because he thinks it is a weapon that could be used but the government doesn’t respond so Jose sets out to find them but never made it there. Macondo, the town the story takes place, is isolated. Everyone does their own thing and is occupied in their own space. No one ever dies or is over 30 years old; they are impervious to the outside world which is why Jose knew nothing about the inventions the gypsies brought. The town’s people have completely isolated themselves from the outside world being in the environment and their beliefs are at a debate on what is real or fantasy.
“Suddenly, almost after five months of her disappearance, Ursula came back. She arrived exalted, rejuvenated, with new clothes in a style that was unknown in the village”. When Ursula’s son Jose left with the gypsies, she set out to follow them hoping to catch up and find her son and bring him back home. While Ursula was gone for five months she found a village that was only two days away. I find this part interesting because was she gone for five months if it was only two days away, why was she gone that long? Throughout the book none of the villagers can find their way out of the village, the gypsies can find their way in and out but the villagers cant. Ursula found a way out by following the way of the gypsies and eventually found her way to the outside world. A lot is to find out about how she did it and why she was gone that long.
In chapter 3 we begin to see that it seems as though both José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula are too busy to take care of their children. José Arcadio Buendía was too busy with the laboratory and Úrsula was too busy with the "activity in the town" to take care of her children. In the beginning of Chapter 3 we see that Pilar dropped off young José's son to Úrsula. She didn't even want to take him to begin with and then later on we find out that "the care of the children was relegated to a secondary level. The children were put in the care of an Indian woman and two of the children spoke mainly spoke the Guajiro language instead of Spanish.
One part I found interesting was how the gypsies brought many different new inventions to show the people of Macondo. Especially when they brought the telescope and magnifying glass. For the price of five reales people could look into the telescope and see the gypsy woman an arm's length away. One quote that really stuck out to me was, "Science has eliminated distance." "In a short time, man will be able to see what is happening in any place in the world without leaving his own house." I found this very interesting because this is true today. In today's society we have so many new inventions that allow us to see what is going on at any place in the world at the touch a few buttons. I also find it very interesting that since the village of Macondo is so new that something that is so simple to us is such a big deal to them.
In Chapter 2, there are a time when Jose Arcadio Buendia ignored the gypsy that fly passed him with the flying carpet and said to his son, "Let them dream"" We'll do better flying than they are doing, and with more scientific resources than a miserable bed spread." This quote show how much Jose Buendia still want his son to believe that they can still do better with a research about philosopher stone with scientific reasons than believing in a gypsy, also that they can find something better and become more successful than them. Jose Buendia just want to believe in his research more than relying to what the Gypsy brought into his village.
ReplyDeleteThe villagers live in the place where many people might wish to live in, a place that prevents aging. Even this magical shield seems to fail preventing human's curiosity. The outside influence keeps on alluring our protagonist, Jose. Although he tries so hard to explore the outside realm of the village, he always fails. In his actions I realize the difference between Jose's character and the typical "Mexican" character described by Paz. The village represents the highly fortified defensive place. The villagers are unconsciously meriting by the magic of the place. The villagers are also defensive against the outside influence, science introduced by traveling Gypsies. It is Jose who only realizes the importance of science over the magical protection on the village. Opposite to what Paz described, Jose is wanting to unmask himself and take in outside influence,,, No, he must be unconscious about these actions... In my opinion, he wants to enlighten (unmask) the others, Usula and villagers. In other words subconsciously trying to break the spell on the village.
ReplyDeleteThe whole passage about José Arcadio Buendía killing Prudencio Aguilar in chapter 2 really stuck out for me. José threw the spear “with the strength of a bull and with the same good aim with which the first Aureliano Buendía had exterminated the jaguars in the region”, as if throwing a spear hard and accurately is some sort of genetic trait. Also, José’s guilt afterwards is interesting because he hardly even thought twice about killing Prudencio. Then, when José saw Prudencio wandering around his house looking for water to soak his esparto plug, he started to pity Prudencio’s loneliness. This guilt and pity is essentially what drove him to pack up his family and friends and cross the mountains. Eventually José founded the new village called Macondo where nobody ever dies.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChapter 2 of the book starts to get deep into the relationships in that village in the middle of nowhere. It actually gets deep to the point where the readers learn about the sex life of Ursula and Jose, or more like, the absense of it. The villagers in Macondo are annually introduced to new objects by the gypsies, amongst which are compasses, telescopes, magnets and even ice. Those people have no idea about the basic inventions of the outside world, but at the same time, Ursula seems to be aware of the cases of hemophilia that can occur when like Mr. Sheridan described: "they like to keep it in the family". This is the disease many royal families had suffered from due to interbreeding with each other. Telescopes, compasses, ice, magnets... they are not too sure about those things, but interbreeding... a big strong NO. I find it interesting how people who dont know how to use a telescope, wear "rape protection items" and discuss hemophilia. Of course Ursula is not going to give birth to an iguana, unless she is one of them, but this situation, in my opinion, raises a very important issue in this book: the mystery of the villagers. How much do we actually know about them and who are those people, who dont get old and never die, who live their own lives and would rather believe in themselves and their little village than confirm to the norms of the society of the outsde world.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1:
ReplyDeleteI think that José Buendía is truly fascinating. His intense curiosity is always leading him into unpredictable situations. But I also think that there is more to him than meets the eye. Although he is adventurous and inquisitive, which to some might make him seem upbeat; it is apparent that he is deeply troubled by something. In the passage, "He considered it a trick of his whimsical fate to have searched for the sea without finding it, at the cost of countless sacrifices and suffering, and to have found it all of a sudden without looking for it, as if it lay across his path like an insurmountable object." José doesn’t understand why he’s always stumbling upon new but cannot seem to find the one thing he has been desperately searching for. I think that this issue he’s having is discouraging and disheartening him.
In the first chapter going into the beginning of the second chapter, you realize the main character, Jose Arcadio Buendia face problems. A theme that is recognized a lot would have to be, reality versus imagination or fiction. Jose is so determined to explore things and create new inventions that he spends all his time in the days doing that. Eventually you start seeing that he has problems believing things can happen that are not realistic and that is because he is so caught up in his own fantasy world.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion an important quote is, "At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses . . . the world was so recent that many things lacked names. . . " I think the book opened with this quote because its putting emphasis on Macondo placing the village on some type of pedestal, somewhere that was very special and just perfect. Macondo plays a major role in the book both symbolically and setting wise. Its where major events take place and where Jose experiences disappointment after disappointment. While he's constantly trying to find a new discovery his family struggles without his aid both financially and personally.Its also where the village the gypsies keep coming back to with new inventions and experiences to share.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, I think that when Aureliano start to take the research of his father more serious is an important part. In the book say "Adolescence had taken away the softness of his voice and had made him silent and definitely solitary, but, on the other hand, it had restored the intense expression that he had had in his eyes when he was born." This sentences help explaining how Aureliano had grown up and ready to pay more attention on his research and try to complete his task as a son of the scientist. Another thing is that in the text also explain how he spend the money his father gave him on experiment ingredients instead of women, also he barely left the laboratory, which prove that he really taking this research very serious.
ReplyDeleteGabriel Garcia Marquez doesn't just tell the readers a story; he goes forward and backward in the time to create a mythic feel. In the novel some objects don't have names so people have to point at them in order to identify them. At the same time, however Marquez states that Ursula's great-grandmother lived at the same time as Francis Drake. Sir Francis Drake lived in the 16th century, when, by no means every object already had a name. "One hundred years of Solitude" gives us a story based more on memories than on historical events. In my opinion, memories are valued as much, if not more than the history itself. It brings the reader closer to the story of Macondo and its villagers, but at the same time throws them further from reality, because unlike history, there might be little to no truth in the memories. The interesting moment of this book so far is the reality of it. There are so many absurd and strange things happenning that my perception of reality changes. and at some point in the book I discovered that I start to believe in certain things without giving it a second thought. This probably defines the genre of Magical Realism: the real events are mixed with memories and fantasies.
ReplyDeleteI think its weird how when young Jose goes missing, Ursula travels so far away from Macondo in search of him that she kind of forgets to go back. Something even weirder is the fact that her husband didn’t even notice she was missing until late at night. Its unusual how she didn’t even think twice about leaving her husband and young child behind. When she returned, 5 months later she informed her husband that she had found the route he had been desperately searching for and that it was a 2 day walk from Macondo. It doesn’t quite add up why she was gone for 5 months if the journey to the outside world was only a 2 day walk.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the reading, I realized that there is no such thing as a real solitude. The title of this book is an oxymoron. Of course there is a deep sense of solitude in this town; isolation, and tendency of villagers being isolated within the village. If god created this place, he is experimenting the villagers. He brings different types of influences to see how long the village can last being solitude. For example, accepting Rebeca symbolizes the village's connection to the outside influence. The consequence is experiencing imaginary reality which makes individuals to completely isolated. However, the cure also comes from the outside. So they are incessantly influenced by outside force, god's playful trick.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 “Every year during the month of March a family of rugged gypsies would set up their tents near the village”. When the gypsies come to the village they bring different items like a magnet. Jose takes the magnet and thinks he will be able to extract gold from the earth but he can’t. Next they bring a telescope and a magnifying glass and show how the magnifying glass could set things on fire. Jose decides to show the effects of it and suffers burns. Jose sends the item to the government because he thinks it is a weapon that could be used but the government doesn’t respond so Jose sets out to find them but never made it there. Macondo, the town the story takes place, is isolated. Everyone does their own thing and is occupied in their own space. No one ever dies or is over 30 years old; they are impervious to the outside world which is why Jose knew nothing about the inventions the gypsies brought. The town’s people have completely isolated themselves from the outside world being in the environment and their beliefs are at a debate on what is real or fantasy.
ReplyDelete“Suddenly, almost after five months of her disappearance, Ursula came back. She arrived exalted, rejuvenated, with new clothes in a style that was unknown in the village”. When Ursula’s son Jose left with the gypsies, she set out to follow them hoping to catch up and find her son and bring him back home. While Ursula was gone for five months she found a village that was only two days away. I find this part interesting because was she gone for five months if it was only two days away, why was she gone that long? Throughout the book none of the villagers can find their way out of the village, the gypsies can find their way in and out but the villagers cant. Ursula found a way out by following the way of the gypsies and eventually found her way to the outside world. A lot is to find out about how she did it and why she was gone that long.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3 we begin to see that it seems as though both José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula are too busy to take care of their children. José Arcadio Buendía was too busy with the laboratory and Úrsula was too busy with the "activity in the town" to take care of her children. In the beginning of Chapter 3 we see that Pilar dropped off young José's son to Úrsula. She didn't even want to take him to begin with and then later on we find out that "the care of the children was relegated to a secondary level. The children were put in the care of an Indian woman and two of the children spoke mainly spoke the Guajiro language instead of Spanish.
ReplyDeleteOne part I found interesting was how the gypsies brought many different new inventions to show the people of Macondo. Especially when they brought the telescope and magnifying glass. For the price of five reales people could look into the telescope and see the gypsy woman an arm's length away. One quote that really stuck out to me was, "Science has eliminated distance." "In a short time, man will be able to see what is happening in any place in the world without leaving his own house." I found this very interesting because this is true today. In today's society we have so many new inventions that allow us to see what is going on at any place in the world at the touch a few buttons. I also find it very interesting that since the village of Macondo is so new that something that is so simple to us is such a big deal to them.
ReplyDelete