Since we have to post two blog posts on this story, this will just be on the first half (I haven’t finished the book yet). The story has been easy to read so far, although some of the events that’ve happened are a little concerning. The amount of incest and pedophilia is kinda insane? Every time it happened, I was caught so off guard. And it kept happening. The worst case was definitely Remedios Moscote and Aureliano Buendia. Don Apolinar Moscote said to Jose Arcadio Buendia that:
“We have six other daughters, all unmarried, and at an age where they deserve it, who would be delighted to be the honorable wife of a gentleman as serious and hardworking as your son, and Aurelito lays his eyes precisely on the one who still wets her bed.” (69-70)
When I first read that last part, I thought it was a joke. But then, it is confirmed that Remedios does still wet the bed (79). He’s attracted to a child and everyone’s kind of…okay with it? I understand that these were different times, but even with that, she hadn’t reached puberty when he proposed to her, so biologically it doesn’t make sense. And then afterwards, Aureliano becomes a redeemable character through the war. But I can’t forget that he married a child. (Which, when he starts to lose his memory, he remembers her as his daughter ?! )
I tried to look past all the bizarre family relationships and focused my attention on the title One Hundred Years of Solitude. The times when solitude were brought up in the story itself were in reference to Melquiades returning from death (49), Colonel Aureliano Buendia with power (166), and Rebeca losing her husband and locking herself in her house (220). The first two instances made solitude seem undesirable and lonely, where death and power separates one from everyone else. However, in the case of Rebeca, solitude was wanted. She deliberately separated herself from the rest of society, encased in grief and mourning. How there are one hundred years of solitude, I’m unsure. The only times that specific time period were called out where when it was mentioned that Ursula was a hundred years old and when the ghost of Melquiades told Aureliano Segundo that no one could read the manuscripts hidden away unless they were a hundred years old. Maybe the other half of the book will make the title more clear, because as of now, neither of those options seem very good.
The hero of this story so far is Ursula, by far. She tries her hardest to keep the household together and raise all the kids right. Honestly, she might be the only family member that is “normal.” Every other person had something a little bit off about them, from eating dirt to running away from home and coming back to marry your adopted sister to being beautiful but stupid. Speaking of which, what was the point of Remedios the Beauty’s character? I really don’t understand why she was in the story. She served no purpose, didn’t drive the plot forward, and just ended up levitating into the sky. She was beautiful, unintentionally killed four people, and that was that.
Question:
Do you think Remedios the Beauty’s character was helpful to the story? If yes, please explain because I feel like she wasn’t.
Hi! I’ve also only gotten around to about a quarter of the book and found some things to be disturbing as well! Not as disturbing as some of the stuff you’ve mentioned but I was surprised as for some reason I expected this novel to be a peaceful, uplifting story. I can’t answer your question fully as I haven’t reached that part yet but the character, Ursula, was super interesting to me as well! I related the most to her solitude.
In many passages the novel has become complicated to read, due to the handling of the complex and sensitive issues it touches on. Also, in some of these passages reference is made to customs in certain areas where the customs are no longer what we recognize as desirable. In Latin America, the figure of the matriarch, however, is still very strong and Úrsula is undoubtedly the one who maintains that home, something that still happens in areas where there are absent parents, unfortunately.
Hi! I find your critique of Remedios’ character really interesting, especially your point about her not driving the plot forward because my question to that is kind of: what plot? Most novels set up a clear trajectory and most things that we read about seem to contribute to it; however, this work is more of a series of events that we are reading about from a slightly aside perspective. aLthough if we were going to speak of plot, she is the reason that the Buendía household and Moscote begin to get along, leading to much of the town’s development.
Hi!
I knew there would be a couple of posts mentioning the incest, because, seriously what was that? The fact that the only reason Ursula didn’t want to have sex with Jose Buendia was not because they were cousins but because their child might have a pig’s tail. Jose Buendia’s response to that was that he doesn’t care if he has piglets and that he would raise iguana children. Additionally, she would go to bed in chastity pants, afraid that her husband would rape her, which is all kinds of disturbing. Plus, the stuff you have mentioned about Remedios Moscote and Aureliano Buendia is very unpleasant to think about.
Hi! I am totally there with you with the pedophilla and the incest in this book, it was shocking. I do understand that this was not written in the times we are living now but even so it is hard to forget when reading a novel. I liked how you posed two interpretations of solitude. I personally have to agree with how Rebecca experiences solitude, as for me when I think of that word I am thinking of much needed time for myself. Time that I want to spend alone, not time that I am forced. It is a place for thinking a reflection and maybe growing. Which I think does reflect how Rebecca was experiencing her solitude. I’m not sure yet which interpretation will make more sense in terms of the novel, but I guess we will have to wait and see.