CHPTS 3 & 4 Active Reading

Chapter 3

Summary

Upon Ursula discovering the passage way to civilization Macondo begins to change and grow. Pilar gives birth to Arcadio. The son of Jose Arcadio. Rebecca also joins the family; she is an orphan with a mysterious past. After they find Rebecca eating dirt that also discovers that she has insomnia. Soon everyone in the town has it and begins to lose their memory as well. To stop this they start to label everything in the village. First they put up a giant sign to remind themselves that “god exists”. The insomnia is cured when Melquíades returns and has the antidote. Melquíades, who everyone thought was dead, brings back inventions that Macondo has never seen before. This includes the daguerreotype. José Arcadio Buendía sets one of God so he can prove God’s existence. Aureliano who has perfected his craft of silver work, remains solitary and aloof, apparently uninterested in women.

On a failed attempt by Don Apolinar Moscote to pick the color of the Buendia’s new house, He is forced to leave by J.A.B., but soon comes back with soldiers and is made to give over much of his authority. Even though problems occur with the two families, Aureliano falls for the magistrate’s daughter, Remedios.

Characters

Rebeca – A young orphan girl, which little is known except she likes eating the earth.

J.A.B. – Shows that he is a man of somewhat integrity when he stands up against the magistrate.

Aureliano – He exhibits a lot intuitiveness when decides to label the things in the town.

Quotes

“I’ll throw in another 20 cents” – Aureliano p.52

“They won’t be houses of glass but of ice, as I dreamed, and there will always be a Buendia” – Jose Arcadio Buendia p.53

Theme

Natural Oddity

The theme in this chapter is a natural oddity of sorts. The majority of the things that occur are in the manner that they happen. Take Ursula finding the path to civilization, this is odd because her husband went on an expedition, but couldn’t find it while she found it on a two-day journey back home. Another thing is the insomnia which is a natural oddity and it infects not only the family but the whole town.


Magical Elements

One unnatural element is the order that J.A.B has clocks and flutes are in. This is odd because this shows that village borders time and modern discovery. The village has modern elements like this, but don’t seem to have other modern amenities.

The insomnia itself is magic like. Something that happens to millions of people on a daily basis which usually isn’t that serious dominates the town. The insomnia leads to amnesia which is an oddity because it is cured by a potion.


Chapter 4

Summary

At this point in his life, Aureliano feels lonely and emotionally impotent, he sleeps with Pilar Ternera. She soon helps Aureliano marry the love of his life, Remedios. Pietro Crespi is an Italian man who has come to the family’s home to install a Pianola. The girls, Amaranta and Rebecca, become lovesick and resort to do whatever it takes. Rebeca goes back to eating earth and whitewash, and the dancer eventually decides he wants to marry her. The marriages of the couples are soon planned and arranged. Amaranta becomes enrages with jealousy of Rebeca’s marriage and plans to stop it.

When Melquíades dies, he becomes the first person to die in the village. After the mourning of his death is over, a strange aura of happiness is in the house now. Pietro Crespi and Rebeca are in love, and Aureliano is becoming closer to Remedios. Aureliano isn’t even upset when he hears the news of Pilar being pregnant with his seed. The happiness soon fades as Amaranta’s threats begin to bother Rebeca more and more. José Arcadio Buendía goes crazy as he works. He has visions of the man he killed early in his life and is wracked with sorrow over the solitude of death. He keeps thinking that same day is happening over and over again. He starts wrecking things in the house and has to be restrained by 20 men.


Characters

Aureliano – is very mentally unstable as of based on his negative outlook of himself.

José Arcadio Buendía – He begins to show signs of insanity after the death of the gypsy, eventually he has to be restrained and locked up.

Quotes

“The man’s a fairy” – J.A.B p.60

“I’ve come to sleep with you” – Aureliano p.67

Theme

Love Lost/Loved Gained

Throughout this chapter love is being pursued by almost everyone. At one point it seems to be lost especially with Aureliano. Along with him, Rebeca and Amaranta, also face this issue. Towards the end of the chapter loved is gained by all except by Amaranta.


Magical Elements

When J.A.B. takes apart the Pianola this shows lack of faith. He does this because he can’t make the daguerreotype to prove God’s existence and stops because he is now convinced of his nonexistence. With everything that has happened to him and his family it seems he would more faith than this. This plays into the mystical element of the Pianola, when he takes it apart strings would mix up and roll in opposite directions, but somehow he manages to put it back together. Maybe it’s under his own ability maybe because of divine intervention…