One Hundred Yeard of Solitude (Day Two)

For today's blog, speak about two themes that you find in these chapters that you feel relate to the novel as a whole. Please use specific quotations or references from the text to support your ideas.


1) In these chapters I feel that death and war, as themes, are important. In chapter 7 Jose' Arcadio dies, but no one knows how. They don't know if murder or suicide was the cause. Many of the other Buendias die as well. War changes characters in this novel. For example, Colonel Aureliano Buendia changes and loses his sensitive self, and he becomes more tough due to his experiences in war. His loss of memory is horrible and he lost all emotion. He even attempts suicide.

2) I feel that incest is a theme in these chapters as well. Aureliano Jose' begins to become extremely attracted to his aunt Amaranta. These two sleep naked together and touch, but they never have intercourse. They are almost caught at one point in the novel and after that Amaranta decides to stop the whole thing. Due to this Aureliano joins the army. I feel this is important because in the earlier chapters we found out that Jose' Arcadio Buendia and Ursula Iguaran, whom are married, are actually cousins as well as husband and wife. I think this may become a trend in the future of the readings and is a good thing to keep in mind.

One Hundred Yeard of Solitude (Day One)

1. Choose a character from these first five chapters and do a "study" of him or her. How does the novel present this character? Why? What do you think he or she represents within the novel? (Think about archetypes, myths, etc. - Garcia Marquez is drawing from a lot of myth and literature here in his creation of this novel). Refer to specific scenes within the novel to support your answer.

One character in these first five chapters that stuck out to me was Jose' Arcadio Buendia. He is the founder of his town and is first seen always experimenting. I thought it to be a bold move of him when he took his wife's money and melted it in one of his experiments. His wife Ursula is pretty disapproving of his experiments, but does not really voice it with force. Over time he becomes more and more of a homebody, staying away from human contact. I think he is important because he found Macondo and is always on the hunt for knowledge. He wants nothing but the best for his village. One invention, not that of Jose' Arcadio Buendia, is ice. The gypsies bring it to Macondo and it is said to be one of the greatest inventions ever to date.

"'It's the largest diamond in the world.'"
"'No,' the gypsy countered. 'It's ice'"
...
"'This is the greatest invention of our time" (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Marquez, pg: 17 & 18).
Allowing the gypsies to bring forth this invention was something helpful for the village. Jose' Arcadio Buendia shows through this that he cares for his people. This could possibly be a foreshadowing of good things to come for the village, and of what type of person Jose' Arcadio Buendia may be.

2. Choose a theme / symbol you find to be important within these initial chapters. How does this comment upon what we have read thus far? Why do you feel this to be the case? Refer to specific scenes / quotations in the novel to support your answer.

One theme I feel to be important is the uncertainty of time. Marquez does not go in order of time periods. I feel this is important because perhaps one needs to read about something from the present, not understand, and then read about the past to fully grasp what the author is trying to do. I feel this will become clearer as the book continues. It is also difficult to say what the year is in this novel thus far for the present time. There is mention of the sixteenth century and of a time when nothing was named, but it s hard to determine when exactly. I feel the inventions give a good clue to the time period as well the scene when Jose' Arcadio Buendia hypothesized about the world not being flat.

Grimm's Fairy Tales Day Two

In Rapunzel there is the reoccurring theme like many of the other fairy tales that there is a damsel in distress. Rapunzel is trapped by a witch in a tower. Again, like the other fairy tales, one reads about an evil witch. "In his anxiety the man consented, and when the child was born the Witch appeared at the same time, gave the child the name "Rapunzel," and took it away with her" (Grimm's Fairy Tales, Rapunzel, pg: 67). Another theme in this story is the happy ending with the Prince. "Then he (the Prince) led her away to his kingdom, where he was received with great demonstrations of joy, and where they lived long contented, and happy" (Grimm's Fairy Tales, Rapunzel, pg: 69). Here the Prince saves Rapunzel and after they return to his kingdom and live happily ever after, not knowing anymore of the evil Witch who stole Rapunzel.

A theme in the story Bearskin is the violence, like the other stories. For example, "raising his musket, he shot the bear in his forehead, so that he tumbled in a heap upon the ground, and did not stir afterwards. This is not the only type of violence in these stories. There is many different methods of violence that one can read. Another them in this story is women as property. "Come with me, my daughters are all wonders of beauty, so choose one of them for a wife" (Grimm's Fairy Tales, Bearskin, pg:339). Here the father is putting his daughters on the market for the man to choose. The daughters have no say in if they want to go with the man or not.

Grimm's Fairy Tales Day One

1. Many of these stories have become part of our own cultural and national heritage (especially the Disney-fied "princess" culture so popular over the last decade). What do you think it is about these stories that have caused them to become "internationalized," and in many ways represent what it is to be a child (all children know at least one version of many of these stories)? What themes / messages are transmitted in and through them that have made certain of them universal?

I believe these stories have been "internationalized" due to the moral of the stories. I feel that every culture can relate to what is right and wrong, and these stories help to prove their points. There are many different morals in each of these stories. For example, in The Frog Prince the King's daughter attempted to not keep her promise to the frog who helped her get back the ball from the water. The King made his daughter do as she promised the frog upon finding out the details. "Then the King said, "What you have promised, that you must perform; go and let him in" (Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Frog Prince, pg: 17). After the King's daughter threw the fog against the wall the frog turned into a handsome Prince. Then the two were companions after and lived very happily. This becomes one universal example of how if you keep your promises good things will come from it.

2. What is the function of gender in these stories? What messages are transmitted through them concerning the roles of men and women? Why do you think this is the case? (When we think "fairy tale" what does this imply concerning gender roles? Do these stories support or subvert this accepted convention (or possibly both)?)

The function of gender roles in these stories is generally having the woman as the damsel in distress, helpless without a man. And the man is supoosed to be the Prince/knight in shining armor to save the princess. This gives the message that women need men and that they also need them to "live happily ever after". In The Handless Maiden the Miller's daughter is in distress after the Miller promises the Evil Spirit could have what was behind the mill. The daughter was behind the mill, unknowingly by the Miller at the time. The daughter had to go without water, bathing, and had to have her hands cut off. The Miller was against this but had to obey the Evil Spirit. The daughter seemed to understand the father was in charge and that she was pretty much helpless. "She replied "Dear father, do with me what you will. I am your daughter" (Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Handless Maiden, pg: 114). The daughter eventually leaves home and is alone. Soon after she is discovered by a King and winds up happy in the end. This is another example of how gender roles are played (a woman is saved by a man) in these fairy tales.

Don Quixote (Day Six / Chapters 46 - 52)

In chapter LII there is a fight between Don Quixote and the goatherd. During this fight they are at a dogfight. This represents that Don Quixote is seen as somewhat of an animal by the priest and the others they are with. That he is nothing more than an insane man who cannot control himself. The priest and others are laughing at Don Quixote at first, but then indulge in Don Quixote's beliefs and ideas of knighthood and knights. I feel that by them playing along only feeds how Don Quixote acts. By them playing along with this shows that they use him as somewhat of a toy and that is all he is good for (their entertainment).


I think throughout Part one Don Quixote does realize for some points the distinguishing factoros between reality and fiction. Though I feel he is more true, and will continue to stay more true, to his knightly ways. I think this reality he created for himself is something that took a lot of work on his part, and he is enjoying his way of life and won't let others ruin it for him.

Don Quixote (Day Five / Chapters 36 - 45)

In these chapters there is a story from the captive about Clara and Don Louis. Cara and Don Louis show how many people during that time had the attributes that Don Quixote had. This is the idea of women falling in love with them, women that are unknown to them. These women drive them to insanity and are seen as objects of beauty. The men fight over these gorgeous women as well. Some women do not want to be desired by men so they dress as men so they would gain no attention. These women generally become involved in a dangerous situations and are stranded waiting to be saved by a man. Zoraida is an exception to the above statements.

Don Quixote - Chapters 28 - 35

I have been impressed with your responses to Don Quixote this far. For these chapters, I'd like you to pick two quotes that interest you and which you find comment on major themes within the novel (ones we have discussed or new themes you find here). Be sure to state from which chapter your quotes come and be prepared to discuss them in class.

Chapter XXXII:

Talk of the chivalric books happens in this chapter. Sancho, the innkeeper, Dorothea, the barber, and priest speak of how these books have harmed Don Quixote. The barber and the priest want to burn the books about chivalry so Don Quixote can no longer read them and fill his head with crazy ideas of knights and knighthood, but the innkeeper disagrees with this and wants to keep his book intact. The innkeeper allows the priest to copy on of the parts which he then reads to the crowd. This parts was based on two people living in Florence, Italy. One man wanted to put the wife's chastity and purity to the test. These two friends deceived each other, one not really testing the wife, and then actually falling in love with the wife. The story is seen as more true than parts of the novel itself. The situation would seem completely untrue because a husband should not distrust his wife like that so the priest 's thoughts on this can't be true.