week7. 100 years of solitude – [part 1]
Going into this book, I was most curious about the implications of ‘Solitude’ and what it means in the story. I know that personally, I see Solitude as a kind of calm, an allotment of peace away from the chaos. (More honestly, when I think of Solitude, the first thing that comes to mind is Billie Holiday.)
And so I wondered, what role does Solitude play in this book?
The very first mention of the word ‘Solitude’ in the book is when José Arcadio Buendía first ventured out of Macondo. His expedition in search of other, greater civilization led him only to declare his realization that Macondo is surrounded by water on all sides.
“The whole structure seemed to occupy its own space, one of solitude and oblivion, protected from the vices of time and the habits of the birds. Inside, where the expeditionaries explored with careful intent, there was nothing but a thick forest of flowers.”
(page 12)
I think this was an important first impression of the weight and meaning of Solitude. From here on out, Solitude gives off an atmosphere of impassibility, an intuition of quiet entrapment, a kind of individual, half-alive purgatory.
In my own mind, I envisioned Solitude as a candle wick. Where obsession, desire, and ___ fuels the steady, burning flame; Solitude, however, is the moments between blowing out the flame, the flame slowly weaning, and the last few moments of orange ember on the pitch black burnt wick. Though, in this world of magical realism, the moments of bright orange ember on the wick can last lifetimes.
Such is the case for many of the characters in the book, as I think this image can fit the mold of many of their storylines. For a few characters, I think there were multiple moments of re-igniting the flame, or re-discovering a spark that lit away the darkness of Solitude. For characters like Colonel Aureliano Buendía or Úrsula Iguarán – who were two of the longest-standing characters – their periods of spark and Solitude remained with me the most.
In looking for the way the García Márquez uses the word ‘Solitude’, there were many associations with death, but ‘death’ not in the way as a permanent end, but rather as an escape from the wildness of living.
Examples like:
“…they took refuge in solitude.” (33),
“[h]e really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude.” (54)
“…not thinking that he would be a palliative for her solitude.” (156)
Solitude indeed in this book seems to be a destiny of loneliness, of isolation, a curse of introspection and reflection within the Buendía family line.
My question for you is: what did the role of Solitude play in your reading of the book? Were there more accounts of Solitude that are different? Whose Solitude was most remarkable to you?
5 replies on “week7. 100 years of solitude”
Hey!
What a well-written piece on the story. I appreciated your insights and thoughts on the idea of solitude, and the imagery of the flame! I haven’t gotten too far into the book, but the word solitude has been mentioned a few times, and for now, it seems to relate to José’s lonely quest to find things outside of himself and his environment, joined by others as well who are alone in some aspect. I’m excited to be introduced to the rest of the characters!
You have done a very careful reading of the novel, I congratulate you for doing such a close follow-up on the theme of loneliness and for proposing hypotheses about the story. There is an idea of recurrence that you noticed very well. I also recommend following the alternation of the names of the characters.
Jasmine, I really like what you’ve done here, tracing the different appearances of one word. Good job.
And you’re quite right, I think, that here “solitude” is far from implying “calm” or “peace[fulness].” It’s an anguished solitude for the most part.
NB you’ll find that in my lecture on the second half of the book, I suggest that “solitude” is not really Macondo’s problem. If anything, the opposite. So I look forward to seeing what you think of that idea!
Hi Jasmine, I like how you focused in on the central theme of the book –in fact, it’s in the name! — and how it weaves together the lives of all its characters.
“Solitude gives off an atmosphere of impassibility, an intuition of quiet entrapment, a kind of individual, half-alive purgatory” is really well put.
If I could add one thing, although you mention solitude has a strong connotation with death, to me it always depends on being alive. Perhaps solitude is not the inevitable end, then, but simply those moments which stop us from being alive and make us feel as though we are already gone.
Hi, jasmine! I found your post very interesting and made me think of the book in a different light. I caught myself not really thinking of how ‘solitude’ played a role in this book despite it being in the title. While reading, I often had the sense that each character lives their life according to their goals. Even if that means leaving their family to be on their own. I’m looking forward to the rest of the book and how this theme continues throughout.