You must post 2 times before next Friday, May 4th. Your first post should 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?
ORIdentify 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.
My post is in response to the elements of the story that are particularly confusing. I don't understand the relationship between Ursula and Arcadio. Arcadio is her son, and although he brings a terrible reputation to the family, he is still a part of their family. Ursula totally alienates him and doesn't want anything to do with him. When Arcadio is facing the Conservatives and is about to die he says that his first born should be named after Ursula. This is what confused me because his mom hated him so much, but he wants to name his first child after her.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that has really thrown me off during this book is how Arcadio acts so much different than his family. He was raised just like the other children and yet he seems to not honor the name as they did. In the part where he begins to charge people money to bury their dead in the graveyard it shows how much of the Buendia aspect of Arcadio has been loss.
ReplyDeleteI agree with johnny about Arcadio's behavior throughout the entire book. The Buendia family was first introduced as a very superior family. Throughout the book many scandals and weird things have happened to each family member to degrade the family name. Jose Arcadio Buendia was the leader of Macondo, but he now sits under the tree all day long and talks in Latin. Like Johnny said Arcadio has changed the family name incredibly and is now dead as a result. Ursula has gone crazy because of her husband's weird behavior and her children's wild behavior as well. All together this family has been slowly declining, and I am predicting that they will hit rock bottom soon.
DeleteI agree with what Johnny said but I also think that Aureliano does not behave as though he is a Buendia. He is a general for the Liberals and has strong beliefs about this concept. No other Buendia shows the belief or passion that he does when it comes to this.
DeleteI agree with Brenna and Maddie on agreeing with Johnny. I think Aureliano alone was able to save the Buendia name because of that we was able to accomplish in his life. In his efforts to fight for pride he brought respect to his town and especially his family. This helps save his life when it comes to the firing squad. He is such a respected man that anyone would avenge his death in a heartbeat in the town.
DeleteI agree with johnny who agrees with maddie and brenna agreeing with johnny. Aureliano accomplished a lot in his life being in the military and all. He didnt ruin the Buendia name and i think now that a couple family members have died they will all begin to realize that they lived very good lives.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei completely agree
DeleteWhat I would like to know is what corrupted Arcadio so badly. When he became the ruler he instantly became a tyrant, did I miss something in the story that said he was angry or crazy? Or is it just another part of the book...?
ReplyDeleteI am also curious as to why he is corrupt. I dont think you missed anything in the book. He is just crazy
DeleteIm just intrested like Mr. Hanna of why Arcadio is corrupted, He suddenly became so control crazy and so set on causing hell. I dont remember when this change happend? At this point he is not at all who his family thought he would be.
ReplyDeleteThere are many ways fantasy is shown in the novel. The most significant way is the power of being able to read the future and know what is coming up. I do not think it is ironic at all
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of Macando no one ever died there. Recently there have been many deaths. This makes me wonder what lead to the loss of Macandos immortality? Was it the decisions they made or did it just happen by chance?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brenna on this. This chapter many people experienced death, or almost did. Jose Arcadio was mysteriously murdered with people hearing the shot go off, but there being no evidence of a wound or weapon. Also with the death of Jose Arcadio Buendia dying in his sleep. This was sad because he was the original founder of the town. The death turns the vibe of the book from Macando being a town of peace where no one dies, to a town with war and mysterious deaths.
Deleteam responding to the events that were confusing to me. I was very confused on page 129, when Captain Roque Carnicero decided last minute not to shoot Colonel Aureliano? Did he do this because he didn't want to be responsible as the man that shot Aureliano after all of the threats that were made? The book says Jose Arcadio walked across the street with a shot gun ready to go off so did this action scare off the soilder? The men then go to war together for a long period, this was hard for me to understand.
ReplyDeleteLike Brenna, i think its interesting how in the beginning nobody died in Macando, and now people are dying and in all sorts of ways. Jose Arcadio got shot, Jose Arcadio Buendia died in his sleep of old age, whats next?!
ReplyDeleteI agree, are they all dying because Macondo is becoming corrupt? It's sad they're dying, and committing suicide, and other forms of death.
DeleteI find it interesting that Arcadio became a whole different person when he started to become powerful. I also found it interesting that when Jose Arcadio dies yellow flowers fell from the sky. I wonder if the color yellow is a symbol for something. i feel like it is but i dont know what exactly it means.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this wonderful post by Bill. I'm not too sure what you're saying about Arcadio, but yeah I don't know what the yellow flowers represent. To me if I saw yellow flowers raining I would think it would represent something celebratory, but being that it was a death of one of the main characters, I can't imagine that's the case. Also, the yellow flowers are a strong representation of magic realism, even though I still don't know what they mean.
DeleteColonel Aureliano Buendia is always involved with the war. He keeps on trying to have the Liberals take over the Conservative power in Macondo. This brings a lot of stress to the town and the people. I think that it would be miserable living in a town that is going through war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Conner. Macando just seems like is a big mess right now! In the beginning it was described as such a peaceful place to live! Now it sucks
DeleteI am responding in regard to the third prompt. Things that represent fantasy and magic realism are, Jose Arcadio's blood weaving it's way through obstacles to reach his mother Ursula, the lack of an entry or exit wound of a gun, and that no one was around during the death. There really isn't anything that sticks out as ironic in these events, except for the fact that they all occurred during the same time, and are all related to Jose Arcad's death. Do you think that there is any other irony with these events that I am missing?
ReplyDeleteThis book has many ways in which fantasy is shown. The way the blood when all around the town when Jose Arcadio was shot and how he didn't have and bullet wounds yet he smelt like gun powder even when they buried him in the ground. Also, the fact that people can read the future and see what is coming up next. I find it very strange.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you as this is one of the points that I made in my blog. The fact that there has been so much magic realism throughout the book and we aren't even close to finishing amazes me.
DeleteOne thing that still interests and fascinates me is the amount of magic realism and the detail that is put into the books. For example, when Jose Arcadio is shot, and the blood goes all the way across town to Ursala. I also find it interesting how Aureliano gets out of the firing squad by having it done in Macando where those on the squad would be fired by the citizens of Macando.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Nick, considering it looks like he pretty much copied me word for word. But it's okay because I know I'm an intelligent man, and he just needs me to help him out. The magic realism in this book is a little much though, like Nick says. Also, I agree with the fact that Aureliano gets out of the firing squad because they person or group of soldiers who shoots him is going to be attacked and killed by the people of Mocando
DeleteThis is to the second prompt. Pilar told Aureliano to "watch out for your mouth" then a week later he was poisoned. When he went to war, after he got better, he sent a note to Ursula saying "Take care of papa, he's going to die." then Jose Arcadio Buendia died.
ReplyDelete