You must post 2 times before next Monday, November 15th. Your first post should be submitted by Thursday, November 11th. 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.
1. One Hundred Years of Solitude is seeped in symbolism, allegory, hyperbole and parable. (These literary terms are defined below.) Why do you think Gabriel Garcia Marquez chooses to write his narrative in this way? Choose an aspect of the novel that makes use of one of the aforementioned literary devices then attempt to give meaning to it.
Symbolism: a word or phrase referring to a concrete object, scene, or action which also has some further significance associated with it
Allegory: a story or visual image with a second distinct meaning partially hidden behind its literal or visible meaning. The principal technique of allegory is personification. In written narrative, allegory involves a continuous parallel between two or more levels of meaning in the story. An allegory may be conceived as a metaphor that is extended into a structured system.
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for the sake of emphasis
Parable: A brief tale intended to be understood as an allegory illustrating some moral or lesson.
2. Choose a particular character to evaluate. Determine whether the character traits you have noted are ultimately positive or negative, or both. Explain your reasoning. For example Jose Arcadio Buendia: He is inventive and spends many hours alone on his alchemy experiments trying to discover already known science. This is ultimately negative, because he isolates himself from his family and eventually goes mad.
3. 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.
I find that this class has better input into the book. I found the last section to have expanded the books characters and ideas. I think it will be interesting to see what Colonel Buendia does now that he is back in Macondo. Get at my interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThere is a really good use of symbolism in the book on page 122. It begins about 1/2 way down in the first paragraph on the page. In the scene, Ursula and Amaranta are looking out the window watching Aureliano Jose beeing brought into town for his scheduled death the next day. The book describes Aureliano Jose like this:
ReplyDelete"He looked like a beggar. His clothing was torn, his hair and beard were tangled, and he was barefoot. He was walking without feeling the burning dust, his hands tied behind his back with a rope that a mounted officer had attached to the head of his horse. Along with him, also ragged and defeated, they were bringing Colonel Gerineldo Marquez. They were not sad. They seemed more disturbed by the crowd that was shouting all kinds of insults at the troops."
This passage clearly is a reference to Jesus' crucifixion. The author made a good comparassion of Aureliano Jose's experience walking into the town, gettin laughed at, and being held prisoner and when Jesus walked into town carrying the wooden cross, was laughed at, and also was held prisoner. The book goes on to describe how Ursula was saddened to see her son being treated like this, just as Mary was sad to see Jesus treated the way he was.
Colonel Aureliano Buendia is probably one of the most complex characters in the book. He is a brave warrior, a poet, an alchemist, and a clairvoyent. These attributes, especially his bravery, work in his favor because when he is brought back to Macando to be executed, they can't even execute him in the normal fashion, they have to do it secretly because the people of Macando love him to much for them to do it publicly.
ReplyDeleteOn the downside, however, Aureliano is very reserved and observant. While this can be a good thing, it also puts alot of distance between him and others, to the point that he starts to seem less human.
I was really surprised when Aureliano Triste opens the door to Rebeca's house and finds her still alive inside it. On page 218 it says, "Aureliano Triste stood in the threshold waiting for the dust to clear and then he saw in the center of the room the squalid woman, still dressed in clothing of the past century, with a few yellow threads on her bald head, and with two large eyes, still beautiful, in which the last stars of hope had gone out, and the skin of her face was wrinkled by the aridity of solitude." Why do you think Gabriel García Márquez decides to re-introduce the character of Rebeca after the reader has already forgotten about her?
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that in Jose Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo's adolesence they are so similar that they are practically the same person. On page 182 it says, "They would wake up at the same time, have the urge to go to the bathroom at the same time, suffer the same upsets in health, and they even dreamed about the same things." In time things changed. Aureliano Segundo "grew to monumental size like his grandfathers" and Jose Arcadio Segundo "grew to be bony like the colonel." From then on their characteristics even drastically change. To see how different they are, it amuses me that at one point they both were hooking up with the same women, Petra Cotes, who Aureliano Segundo weds and has children with.
ReplyDeletePilar is the type of character that is very needy and has to have constant attention on her at all times I feel like and she wants to feel loved. She started off as a chore girl but then suduce's Arcadio. I think that her actions are negative, she makes the Buendia's care for her son that she had with Arcadio. She comes off as selfish I don't think she will ever be able to settle for just one man, she sleeps around way too much to commit herself to just one guy.
ReplyDeleteColonel Aureliano Buendia is a very interesting character, in my opinion. He always knows what will be happening in the future. I think this is a positive trait because he can prevent himself from being killed. He is one interesting man and I would do anything to be like him. Get at my interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThis is Halle not Dan. I'm still super confused over all of the children that Colonel Aureoliano Buendia has? I thought earlier in the book they already told us they were dead! So why are Ursula and Armantra baptizing all these children? I thought they were DEAD?
ReplyDeleteon page 132 when jose arcadio was murdered, his blood traveled all the way to Ursula. i think that this could be seen as symbolism of the bond between a mother and her son.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Sarah's post. I agree that Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo are basically the same person. With the quotes that Sarah said, and also they used to mix up at school to confuse the teacher and other people. The book makes it sound like that each child might actually be the other child, their names have been mixed up their whole lives, so they might not even know who is who.
ReplyDeletePage 181-182. "....but when they began to go to school they decided to exchange clothing and bracelets and call each other by opposite names. The teacher, Melchor Escalona, used to knowing Jose Arcadio Segundo by his green shirt, went out of his mind when he discovered that thhe latter was wearing Aureliano Segundo's bracelet....From then on he was never sure who was who. Even when they grew up and life made them different, Ursula still wondered if they themselves might not have made a mistake in some moment of their intricate game of confusion and had become changed forever."
I'm going to evaluate ursula because she's like the only normal character in this whole entire book, and she just wants her family to be close again. Thats definitely a positive trait because she's trying to keep her family close which can be difficult especially if they're not willing to listen.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Stephanie's post. I thought it was very interesting that she compared Aureliano José to Jesus. Everything in the description of Aureliano José walking into town matches with Jesus walking into town about to be crucified, just like Stephanie said. When I read that section of the book, it did not occur to me that Márquez was alluding to the Bible but clearly he was. This just adds to the long list of places in the book where the author throws in biblical elements. I wonder what he is trying to say about Aureliano José by comparing him to Jesus in that passage.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Abby's post. I completely agree with her about Ursula being the only sane person in the book. She seems to have a lot of traits of a "normal" mother compared to all the other characters of the book who are kind of crazy. I also agree that she is trying to keep her family close and trying to keep them as normal as possible. I think that she struggles some because her family and people that randomly pop-up in her family are kind of strange. Over all I think Ursula is doing the best she can as a mother with the situations she is given.
ReplyDeleteIn response to abbys quote, when she says Ursula is just trying to keep the family together, that is exactly what she is doing. It begins getting hard for her because of how her children begin acting and she doesn't want the family to have a bad name. Obviously family is importatnt to her. Going back to the begining of the book she makes the house bigger for all her kids and families to live in.
ReplyDeleteI am responding to Abby's post about Ursula. I think that she is the ideal caretaker in the book. She is an independent women and the kind of women that she wants her children to be like. I think this is symbolic to society today and how mothers want the best for their children. As we know, things don't always go as planned, and mothers have to improvise. Ursula does this throughout the book. One example of this is how she takes Rebeca in as an earth-eating child, and makes the best of her to try to give her a good life. I think Ursula is the ideal mother of "society".
ReplyDeleteDan, i find your comment to be very studious and noteworthy, that is all.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Abby's comment.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Ursela is the closest character in the book thats next to normal accept for the facet that she believes in incest. She is one of the strongest person's in the book I think. She really cares about her family and their well being and does good things, like when she took in Rebecca. She is harsh at times but its only for the best.
I agree with Hannah on her comment about Pilar. She seems like someone who should be on Jersey Shore because she seems to always need attention. I can't see her ever getting married, just sleeping around with different men.
ReplyDeletei agree with what ben said, with the bond between a mother and a son how it travels all the way to his house. Also it's personaifcation because it's saying blood is moving and knows where to go
ReplyDeletei agree with abby's post. i definitely think that Urusala is the character who is the most normal in this whole book. i think that she comes of as strict but really shes just trying to be the best mother taht she can be. she cares so much about her family and wants her children to be the best that they can be,
ReplyDeleteAllegory is the form of writing, he is clearly using examples in weird forms to show us about life. When pietro-crespi choose Rebeca over Amaranta, and Amaranta does all those things to keep Pietro-Crespi and Rebeca from being married, that is a lesson on evny. Then when Jose Arcadio comes back and takes Rebeca away from Pietro-Crespi thats a sign of Karama. When Amaranta leads Pietro-Crespi on and he kills himself that teaches you how to treat people.
ReplyDeletei agree/disagree with Hannah because she is very needy and thats annoying. i think she needs some better standards if she wants love.
ReplyDeleteI think a part of this book is confusing how JAB died and they cant figure out who did it it. the author described that scene well but in a confusing way.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Abby's entry. I completely agree with everything she said. I have found that Ursula is one of the easiest characters to remember and learn about throughout the story. I think she is very easy to remember because first off, nobody else has her name which makes it easy for us to understand. Secondly, Ursula's character is easy for someone to relate to. She is, in my opinion, one of the most sane characters and truly just wants what is best for her family. Her character makes it easy for people to sympathize what she is going through, because we grow to only want the best for her family too.
ReplyDeleteI think Colonel Aurileano is the definition of an interesting man. He has escaped death many times and continues to live life like a wild man. He also has the ability to see into the future, lets be honest who wouldn't want to know a man who could do that???
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah's comment. It seems like Pilar could be the star of movie of a little rich girl who doesn't get enough attention from her dad so she lashes out to try and get attention. I also like how dan thought she should be on Jersey Shore because that people are really annoying just like Pilar.
ReplyDeletejamie is a clown
ReplyDeleteI thought the symbolism of the traveling blood was very interesting. It made me think that even though Ursula and Jose Arcadio were not talking for a long time there was always a bond of love in between the two of them.I think thats how family always works.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ursala is a complex character. She is the grandmother of Macondo. She watches everyone grow up and die while she continues to age. She dies very old. She is very easy to relate to because she reminds me of my grandma in some ways. She watches out for everyone.
ReplyDeletejust like Stephanie said, her name does make her vary easy to remember.
I agree with mitchell Colonel Aurileano is for sure the most interesting man. Is constantly up to something and escaping death and murder. Each time he does it in a new way looking into the future and avoiding it
ReplyDeleteI am getting at Dan's interpretation. I agree with Dan because his ability to see the future helps him escape death many times
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to Dan. I agree that Col. Aureliano is a very interesting character. However I think his life is way to questionable to say that i would want to be like him.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS HALLE
ReplyDeleteI think Ursula is the most sane person in her family at times. At other times I think she goes a little crazy trying so hard to keep her family together throughout all the craziness. But I think Ursula has good morals and she means well. And I agree with Rachel Ursula is totally the easiest character to remember and identify with. Partly because she's been around so long and partly because her name is so different than everyone else's.
There is strong symbolism of the yellow flowers falling from the sky when JAB died. It showers him as an important person because something this stranged occured when he died, also the flowers show him as a peaceful person. and later on the reoccuring color of yellow will gain a more significant purpose
ReplyDeleteI think that everybody in this family is crazy and weird. Ursula might be the only sane one but still part of the family but she's still needy.
ReplyDelete