Marquez's One Hundred years of Solitude

Introduction

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, chronicles the rise and fall of the Buendia family in the fabled town of Macondo. Over the span of a century, Macondo and the Buendias, faced many triumphs and tragedies that lead to their downfall. The patriarch, Jose Arcadio Buendia, founded the town of Macondo while escaping a violent past. However, unknowingly, he brought his anguish, violence and personal despair to the town. Through the generations, Garcia creates a world of solitude, fantasy, sex, and discovery for Buendia family.

Thesis Statement: Solitude is a major theme in the novel

Discussion

Solitude is a major theme in the novel. Examples of solitude can be seen within two of Marquez's characters, Jose Arcadio and Colonel Aureliano, and the setting. When we first meet Jose Arcadio Buendia he is escaping his past and seeking refuge. He seeks solitude after locking himself in a room studying alchemy, upon meeting Melquiades, the gypsy. Towards the end of his life, Jose Arcadio's decline in mental health distorts his reality and places him into a life of further solitude and fantasy. Another one of Marquez's characters that experiences solitude is the Colonel Aureliano Buendia. After a war, and a failed suicide attempt, the Colonel, like his father, locks himself up in a room. Not for scientific study, but for making golden miniature fish. Aureliano dies, in solitude, under the same tree where his was once tied to years before. Lastly, Macondo, is a town of solitude. Its geographical location is removed from other civilization. However, the solitude was broken when they discovered a route to civilization. Ironically, the loss of solitude only brought more despair to the town.

Marquez's theme of fantasy vs. reality is intertwined throughout the novel. Some of Marquez's characters seem to possess ...