One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I really enjoyed reading this novel for a few reasons. First of all, I liked that is was set in another culture. I learned a lot about the people of the South American culture, and how their way of life changed in the past one hundred years. Next of all, I liked the format. Originally, all of the different characters and family trees confused me. After I got the hang of it, I liked how the different stories were based on different characters, and the stories had nothing in common but the characters they revolved around were related and all part of the same family. The other thing that I liked about the format were that the stories never really followed an entire plot, but were all sort of separate instances. I think that this gave me a better understanding of the characters and their habits and how they affect the people around them. By not following a major plot, this gives me something else to focus on instead of the plot, which was the characters. I think the lesson of this novel is to be aware of who is around you and how you influence them, and I saw this more clearly by viewing the plain everyday non-major events in all of the different people's intertwining lives, but not activities. The final reason that I enjoyed reading this novel was that it was very interesting. I was always into the short story that I was reading about.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Outside Reading - Week 7, Post A
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
As I was reading this week the cultural difference that stuck out to me was the belief in myths. In the Mexican culture, there are many more sayings and myths that are illogical but seem to be the best or most pleasant explanation for something that isn't as commonly accepted. For instance, the South Americans and South American author said, "She had gone into the silver shop and her mother told her that little Aureliano was nobody's child because he had been found floating in a basket. Although the version seemed unlikely to them, they did not have any information enabling them to replace it with the true one" (439). Because there was no better explanation, the baby was no-one's because he "was found in a basket." In the American culture, people do not use those myths and instead, they speak the truth, no matter how harsh it can sometimes be. Although the term orphan is not extremely respectable, it is used over an illogical "floating in a basket" concept.
As I was reading this week the cultural difference that stuck out to me was the belief in myths. In the Mexican culture, there are many more sayings and myths that are illogical but seem to be the best or most pleasant explanation for something that isn't as commonly accepted. For instance, the South Americans and South American author said, "She had gone into the silver shop and her mother told her that little Aureliano was nobody's child because he had been found floating in a basket. Although the version seemed unlikely to them, they did not have any information enabling them to replace it with the true one" (439). Because there was no better explanation, the baby was no-one's because he "was found in a basket." In the American culture, people do not use those myths and instead, they speak the truth, no matter how harsh it can sometimes be. Although the term orphan is not extremely respectable, it is used over an illogical "floating in a basket" concept.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Outside Reading - Week 6, Post B
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I would like to respond to a quote that jumped out at me while I was reading this week. "Without consulting her husband, she packed her bags, put the three changes of clothing that her daughter would need into a small suitcase, and went to get her in her bedroom a half hour before the train arrived" (316). I find this interesting because my conceptions of the people of the Mexican culture were that they did not believe in divorce and valued the strong sanctity of marriage. There were many instances where women would leave their families to go off on their own or to leave their husbands. It surprised me when they did these things because I assumed that it was looked down upon. Either the women in this novel are more liberal than average or the times and perceptions have changed. The other thing that makes me question if the author is truly portraying reality is shown in the families' response to their mother or wife leaving. Some do not notice, others do not care, and when the woman returns home, no words are exchanged, it is not discussed, and life goes on.
I would like to respond to a quote that jumped out at me while I was reading this week. "Without consulting her husband, she packed her bags, put the three changes of clothing that her daughter would need into a small suitcase, and went to get her in her bedroom a half hour before the train arrived" (316). I find this interesting because my conceptions of the people of the Mexican culture were that they did not believe in divorce and valued the strong sanctity of marriage. There were many instances where women would leave their families to go off on their own or to leave their husbands. It surprised me when they did these things because I assumed that it was looked down upon. Either the women in this novel are more liberal than average or the times and perceptions have changed. The other thing that makes me question if the author is truly portraying reality is shown in the families' response to their mother or wife leaving. Some do not notice, others do not care, and when the woman returns home, no words are exchanged, it is not discussed, and life goes on.
Outside Reading - Week 6, Post A
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In this week's reading, I noticed that the Mexican culture differs from the Americans through modes of transportation. In Mexico, transportation is much less advanced than in America, and there are far fewer options of getting somewhere. For instance, "At five o'clock in the afternoon, when they had come to the last station in the swamp, she got out of the train because Fernanda made her, They got into a small carriage that looked like an enormous bat, drawn by an asthmatic horse, and they went through the desolate city in the endless streets of which, split by saltiness, there was the sound of a piano lesson just like the on the Fernanda heard during the siestas of her adolescence" (317). Here, in order for a mother anddaughter to move to another city, they have to take a train, then a horse and buggy. Many Americans have not ever been on a train. If they want to get somewhere, they either fly in an airplane or drive in their own car. In American society, transportation is much more modern.
In this week's reading, I noticed that the Mexican culture differs from the Americans through modes of transportation. In Mexico, transportation is much less advanced than in America, and there are far fewer options of getting somewhere. For instance, "At five o'clock in the afternoon, when they had come to the last station in the swamp, she got out of the train because Fernanda made her, They got into a small carriage that looked like an enormous bat, drawn by an asthmatic horse, and they went through the desolate city in the endless streets of which, split by saltiness, there was the sound of a piano lesson just like the on the Fernanda heard during the siestas of her adolescence" (317). Here, in order for a mother anddaughter to move to another city, they have to take a train, then a horse and buggy. Many Americans have not ever been on a train. If they want to get somewhere, they either fly in an airplane or drive in their own car. In American society, transportation is much more modern.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Outside Reading - Week 5, Post B
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The writing style of Sr. Marquez continues to amaze me. Originally, the story started off with no background, it just jumped into things with this quirky group of people, supposedly a family, supposedly living in Mexico. Nothing really major happened, and I assumed that the plot would take off and go somewhere, but it never did. That's when I realized that this weird story was about the main characters, and that the story was the main plot. Still, though, as I read on, I became more and more interested with the little stories about the Buendias that comprised their life. Marquez's writing style is that in which keeps you interested, looking for the bigger picture. I definitely was not bored although the story was going nowhere, which takes talent to plot out. I still wonder if something big will happen, and there will be dialogue about it, or if the entire plot will be about this same family and their little day to day fascinations?
The writing style of Sr. Marquez continues to amaze me. Originally, the story started off with no background, it just jumped into things with this quirky group of people, supposedly a family, supposedly living in Mexico. Nothing really major happened, and I assumed that the plot would take off and go somewhere, but it never did. That's when I realized that this weird story was about the main characters, and that the story was the main plot. Still, though, as I read on, I became more and more interested with the little stories about the Buendias that comprised their life. Marquez's writing style is that in which keeps you interested, looking for the bigger picture. I definitely was not bored although the story was going nowhere, which takes talent to plot out. I still wonder if something big will happen, and there will be dialogue about it, or if the entire plot will be about this same family and their little day to day fascinations?
Outside Reading - Week 5, Post A
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
"From then on, even in the bloodiest periods of the war, the two commanders would arrange truces to exchange prisoners" (146). In this passage we see the difference in fighting wars. Slightly earlier in the chapter, it was mentioned how a colonel could "persuade" his troops and fight wherever and however he wanted. In the old Mexican culture, war was unfair, and the rich were not involved or harmed. Now, in America, warfare has many rules, and the enemies rarely communicate. Also in America, there is no negotiating for prisoners, as they did in Mexico. The American government does not want to give in to terrorist demands at all, where as in Mexico poor prisoners were negotiated like pawns in the power struggle of the rich and powerful.
"From then on, even in the bloodiest periods of the war, the two commanders would arrange truces to exchange prisoners" (146). In this passage we see the difference in fighting wars. Slightly earlier in the chapter, it was mentioned how a colonel could "persuade" his troops and fight wherever and however he wanted. In the old Mexican culture, war was unfair, and the rich were not involved or harmed. Now, in America, warfare has many rules, and the enemies rarely communicate. Also in America, there is no negotiating for prisoners, as they did in Mexico. The American government does not want to give in to terrorist demands at all, where as in Mexico poor prisoners were negotiated like pawns in the power struggle of the rich and powerful.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Outside Reading - Week 4, Post B
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
After reading for four weeks, I have noticed that there is a common theme of absent-minded-selfishness in a majority of the main characters, starting with Jose Arcadio Buendia. Firstly, he is always in his laboratory. Secondly, he does not care about his wife's feelings, because he is too busy doing alchemy. He doesn't realize that she is upset about him ruining her fortune, he doesn't notice that she is sad some days in general, he doesn't care that his wife is worried about their son who is running around with gypsies, or about his other son when his wife asks him to talk to him about growing up, and lastly he does not realize that his wife has left until two weeks later his neglected baby starts crying. Next, there is Jose Arcadio, who is selfish in his own ways. First, he wakes up his little brother every night to go meet his lover Pilar. Then, when Pilar gets pregnant, Jose Arcadio abandons her and their unborn child to go live with the gypsies, also hurting his mother. Next is Aureliano, who is absent-minded. He takes after his father and goes in to the laboratory and doesn't come out for days, doesn't eat and because of the sickness spreading through the village, doesn't sleep either. Next is their mother, Ursula. She runs off to go find her son, paying no care to her baby daughter she is leaving, or the household she is leaving.
After reading for four weeks, I have noticed that there is a common theme of absent-minded-selfishness in a majority of the main characters, starting with Jose Arcadio Buendia. Firstly, he is always in his laboratory. Secondly, he does not care about his wife's feelings, because he is too busy doing alchemy. He doesn't realize that she is upset about him ruining her fortune, he doesn't notice that she is sad some days in general, he doesn't care that his wife is worried about their son who is running around with gypsies, or about his other son when his wife asks him to talk to him about growing up, and lastly he does not realize that his wife has left until two weeks later his neglected baby starts crying. Next, there is Jose Arcadio, who is selfish in his own ways. First, he wakes up his little brother every night to go meet his lover Pilar. Then, when Pilar gets pregnant, Jose Arcadio abandons her and their unborn child to go live with the gypsies, also hurting his mother. Next is Aureliano, who is absent-minded. He takes after his father and goes in to the laboratory and doesn't come out for days, doesn't eat and because of the sickness spreading through the village, doesn't sleep either. Next is their mother, Ursula. She runs off to go find her son, paying no care to her baby daughter she is leaving, or the household she is leaving.
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