You must post 2 times before next Thursday, December 16th . Your first post should be submitted by Monday, December 12th. It is to be in response to one of the prompts below. The second time you post, it must be in response to or in reaction to the post of another student.This novel presents several striking leitmotifs (frequently repeated phrase, image, symbol, or situation in a literary work which supports the theme). Leitmotifs in One Hundred Years of Solitude include cyclical patterns, prophecy, illegitimacy, fantasy, and of course solitude. Consider one or more of the following:
1. What patterns of behavior are emerging among the characters and how are these recurring patterns affecting life in Macondo?
2.) What events in Macondo, if any, have been prophesied with precision or at least seem likely to come true?
3.) List the many ways fantasy plays a part in the characters' lives. Are these elements of fantasy every ironic?
OR
Identify elements of the story that you find particularly confusing, interesting, or worthy of discussion. Pose your own questions. Include portions of the text that you feel contribute to your questions/your point. Cite page numbers.
To answer the question #1, I think one of the repeating characteristics is when (on pg. 184) Aureliano Segundo is talking with Melquiades and Ursula comes in and asks who he was talking with, Aureliano realizes that she can't see Melquiades so he says nobody. Ursula tells him that was what his great-grandfather used to do "talk to himself" Even though technically he wasn't talking to himself, I still think it would be considered one of the many patterns of behavior that Marquez adds into his book.
ReplyDeleteThe characters towards their deaths tend to seem to be isolated and kinda be not as social and active. At the beginning of the book they were active and very social. As they get older, they don't really play as a big part as they did when they were young. One exception to this rule is Ursula, who stays very active all throughout her life.
ReplyDeleteI think that fantasy plays a major role in the story. It wouldn't be interesting if it didn’t have any weird events. Having genetic abilities passed down can get confusing but sometimes it’s appealing and weird. Being able to interact with a dead person and not be scared is weird, but cool. Making the story has fantasy parts helps or else it wouldn’t be likable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Josh, I think that the fantasy in this book is very interesting I like these kinds of books where the fantasy can make things seem confusing, because it just makes me want to understand it and I won't stop re-reading it until I fully understand what the author has written. I also like how the author makes the fantasy relate with the characters, it makes this story seem real.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand all of the people. It really confuses me how they all have the same name and I think that's why things haven't changed over the years because all of the memories are passed down through the generations. I also don't understand why the boys tried to confuse everyone. They ended up just confusing themselves too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with paith. The members of the book become more isolated as they grow older and then they have kids who become the new focus of the book. It almost seems like they have children just so they don't have to be the main focus anymore.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the reasoning behind the relationship that Aureliano Jose who is the son of Colonel Aureliano BuendÃa and Pilar Ternera wants to have a have with his aunt, Amaranta. The way they describe this passion he has for her in the book is quite disturbing. I understand that she is lonely but it is just not right for them to sleep together even though they may not have done anything wrong. Although they kiss and Amaranta breaks it off with him, i don't understand this at all.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Paith. I think that since the book has first started, the characters have started to go their own way and do their own thing. I think this has to do with the kids becoming older and the different deaths the family has had that has made them become more mature and grow apart.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused at how long Ursula has been alive. Years and years have passed by and she's still showing up in the story. I know it's fictional, and the characters aren't real, but I feel like she would've passed from like old age or something. Also as the characters grow up and have children, the repetition of names confuses me greatly. I always think one person is the other and so one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jeni said the first time. That a repeating characteristic is when Aureliano Segundo is talking with Melquiades and Ursula asks who he is talking to and he says "himself". It would be repeating because Aureliano said the same thing when he talked to Melquiades.
ReplyDeleteone of the reoccuring patterns of behavior in 100 years of solitude is people falling in love with people that they can not be in love with. Aureliano first falls in love with Remedios even though she is very young and hasnt even hit puberty yet. He is not meant to love her because she is so young and it would cause complications if they tried to have kids. Then Amaranta is sort of in lust with Aureliano Jose, while he is also super in love with her. Even though Amaranta is his aunt. So it is wrong for them to be together. With all these strange love triangles and forbidden relationships, it causes a lot of problems for the people in Macondo. It makes things awkward and causes a lot of unnecessary drama in the town. It makes it hard, also, for them to carry on families because by having relationships with family members or whatever is going to cause incest, which would lead to their kids having pigs tails or whatever it was, and then no more normal people.
ReplyDeleteTo answer question 1, the main patterns I have noticed in the story is the passing down of names, which in turn, results in passing down of more than just genetic traits. The children are able to remember some moments of the parents'/grandparents' lives. In my opinion, I think these patterns preserve the old style of life in Macondo.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ciara, there is a lot of weird things going on in the book concerning people falling in love. You have Rebeca moving on from Pietro to marrying Jose Arcadio, then Amaranta goes from being obsessed over Pietro to completely turning him down when she gets her chance with him, then you have pretty much every man that is ever in Macondo falling for Remedios the Beauty.
ReplyDeletethe book takes quite a few twists and turns, something i don't completely understand is why they all seem to act like there in love with Remedios, and then the next moment they'll talking about her handy-cap. But at the same time it almost seems like she has no idea what she's doing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ciara and Ethan, everyone seems to be falling dead in love with someone else almost moments after there introduced to each other in the book, Gabriel Garcia Marquez plays it off very well from jumping back and fourth between people liking/lusting/loving another person
ReplyDeleteI think one of the repeating behaviors in the story is death. Through out most of the book the war between the Liberals and Conservatives is going on. There are also accounts of suicide like Pietro. There are unexpected deaths such as Rebecca passing away. Finally, there are numerous executions. It seems that death is much more common and isn't taken as being as devastating as it is in today's society.
ReplyDeleteIn respond to Jose Arcadio Buendia's quote "Love is a disease," this is true in many instences in the book. People do crazy things and go mad because of love. An example is on page 163 between Amaranta and Colonel Gerineldo Marquez. His is so in love with Amaranta that he has waaited for her for years and it is all he wants and thinks about. I?t has become like a disease in his life and he can't get away from it.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that they have passed down many things like their abilities to see stuff before it happens. They use the same name all the time too which is confusing. I think it makes the book original.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paith I think its odd that she is still alive and as involved in the lives of all her children, grand children, etc... She seems to be more involved then some of the kids own parents are.
ReplyDeleteI think that Aureliano is turning into his father, Jose Arcadio Buendia, because he is starting to exclude himself from his family and spend most of his time by himself in his work shop. Either making gold fishes for his sons, or just being alone. I fell like this is the same trait that Jose Arcadio fell into.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allie, the names are still very confusing. It is very interesting how they still use all of the original names. But as for the twins I don't see how they could confused each other to the point where they don't remember who is who. I think you would always know who you are, no matter how much you pretend you are someone else.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maddie and paith, Ursula is still very alive, and i feel like she is also the only sane one in the entire town. We have never heard anything bad about her in the entire book. I think she is the only one that sees that her family is going down hill, and that it is because of incest.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ciara and Ethan. Its very frusterating as a reader. Most people understand they can't be with someone and they move on. The characters in the book are constantly reminding themselves of the other person or continue to be around them. For example with Armaranta and her nephew, they know they can't be together, yet they spend a lot of time together and sleep in the same bed as each other.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's interesting how the characters are becoming like their elders. They have the same tendencies and their personalities are also very similar as well as their story lines. To me, this is making the book seem very repetitive and boring.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paith, a lot of the characters that started in the beginning of the book died or aren't playing a big role anymore. Ursula's the only one who's still remaining. I feel like new people keep coming into the story for small parts which is hard to keep up with, and along with that I also think the names are getting more confusing
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Madison and Paith. The new characters are hard to keep up with. All the names are getting more confusing to me also.This book is very frustrating as a reader.
ReplyDeleteThe book to me is very boring and confusing. Its very boring because its the same thing over and over again. Its very confusing because so many people are dying and new people are coming in to the story and its very hard to keep up with all the new characters.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what riley said. in this book people have done many weird things because of love. They have had many weird relationships. In real life though, these things sometimes happen. It just sounds weird coming from a book we have to read at school.
ReplyDelete