Book Case - 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Essay by people • April 19, 2011 • Book/Movie Report • 769 Words (4 Pages) • 2,138 Views
Essay Preview: Book Case - 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I have recently I have being reading a book that has opened my understanding of Latin America. The book 100 years of solitude has impacted the way I look at my culture. The book written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is about the struggle of a Latin American family in a time of crisis in the fictional town of Macondo. For some people, it is just a book for textual pleasure. For others it is way more than that. The connection that I had with the novel is above all other. While reading the book I could see things that other could not be able to see. I would say this is felt by not just me but the whole Latino population. Reading the book is like viewing our own lives, as if the book was a mirror. The book targets our families, our history, and our culture. This is because the novel is grounded in our back yard. As I read it, it read me. this is because of what the novel deals with.
The book thrives on two different concepts. These are, family and culture, and history of Latino America. Fist the author tells us about this family in Colombia that is really united and care for one another. It gives us a sense of how things work in the Buendias house. Then if we look deeper into the novel we see how the history of Latin America influenced the book. La violencia in Colombia, the corruption in Latin American governments, and the repression of freedom of speech are all things that are reflected in the book. The two are presented to us the audience with themes of solitude and Latino Americas connation to the outside world.
The Story begins with just two characters alone in despair. Then Jose Arcacio Buendia and Ursula find Macondo, a place that was alienated from society. It is here that we see the first signs of solitude in the story of the Buendias. Isolation is the foundation of one hundred years of solitude. From beginning to end, solitude is a very recurring theme. The thing that we need to pay attention to is the way the author portrays this theme. Macondo itself is isolated itself. As it expanded towards the outside world, Marques projects isolation in a different manner. This is done by transferring the physical isolation of Macondo to emotional distress. Solitude is very well portrayed as something that Latino America was facing. Marques tell us about the point in time where countries where forged by themselves.
In the book where there was expansion, there was destruction. Nevertheless, characters always wanted more. Coronel Aureliano's drive was to change the government. That was what motivated him to revolt. This is caused by the government sending a conservative mayor to take over Macondo. We can also see how Macondo itself wanted progress when the banana company was installed. As expected, this installment was soon stained by blood as there was a massacre in it. We as the audience assume that the outside world is good and would enlighten Macondo, but instead it took a more naturalistic approach by describing how
...
...