There weren’t many, if any, characters I felt particularly connected or drawn to in One Hundred Years of Solitude, but Úrsula Iguarán stood out to me as the most consistent. As mentioned in my previous blog post, her ordered and assertive personality renders her a grounding presence in the novel, especially since she outlives most characters. She is also, inarguably, deeply intelligent. As an example, when she states that “Time was not passing […] it was turning in a circle” (341), it could be interpreted as a nod at the nonlinear nature of time as a central theme in the novel, the cyclicality of events and, most importantly, of characters who share the same names, and subsequently, the same traits.
Moreover, García Márquez again references this cyclicality, and Úrsula’s awareness and role within it, through the statement, “Perhaps it was that crossing of stature, names, and character that made Úrsula suspect that they had been shuffled like a deck of cards since childhood” (197); this quote speaks of the twins being interchangeable in childhood before growing into their namesake, into their lineage. It almost acts as a warning; you have no choice but to become what is predetermined for you. Life has a plan and the body must abide by it. Úrsula’s early recognition of this ancestral repetition establishes her as a trustworthy voice in the novel, as the outsider looking in on these bizarre reoccurrences. It makes me reflect as to how this story would read written in Úrsula’s first-person perspective. Already, she embodies the reason and coherence I relied on to decipher the nonlinear unfolding of the novel, and she is, in a sense, the matriarch of both the Buendia family and the story as a whole. A pivotal backbone.
Often I find female characters in novels of this time period (generally authored by men) are written to fit a specific archetype—the ideal femme, the doting wife, the loving mother. Interestingly, it’s not that Úrsula doesn’t embody some of these qualities; she is, after all, a caring wife and mother, as well as a proficient seamstress, cook, and midwife, yet there is a distinct stoicism to her I hadn’t yet encountered in female characters of this time. She is incredibly resilient and self-assured, attributes that carry no gender but are often associated with masculine figures in old-ish works of fiction. I wonder how much of García Márquez’ own family, and lived experience, influenced his creation of this lineage and those associated with it.
If the novel were to be more centrally foregrounded in one individual’s viewpoint, is there a specific character whose perspective you’d want to lean in on?
You say that Ursula “is incredibly resilient and self-assured, attributes that carry no gender but are often associated with masculine figures in old-ish works of fiction.” Yes, I think that’s right. In some ways, she’s the pivot around which everything else turns. Of course, in the end (and even in the short term), stoicism doesn’t really get her anywhere… but what would? I think she can perhaps be overlooked by readers, because by the end she’s almost part of the furniture. But as you point out, without her surely everything would fall apart far more quickly.
Hi Neko! I have to agree, while many (*many*) characters came and went, I do think Ursula was the only one who really stuck it out to the end and got to experience the many directions in which the Buendia family went. To me, her intelligence which you mention makes her almost a central character, ‘grounding’ as you put, and it makes it more rewarding to begin to see the things she mentions become true throughout the book. Not to say she ‘sees all’ but her wisdom and, indeed, her stubbornness make her the most trustworthy character because we know we can never trust the delusions of the other family members. “A pivotal backbone” sums up perfectly what I felt; when I was confused, at least I knew who Ursula was!
I think the book already somewhat reads from Ursula’s perspective, but I would’ve enjoyed the entire novel with just her leading me around. There are so many characters who live and die at different times that I think it’s hard to pinpoint one that I would want to follow, but I think having an outsider’s perspective from Pilar Ternera would be very interesting (and more female-centric perhaps), especially because she bears many children that go on to be of importance.
Hi Nero,
Similar to you I really liked Úrsula Iguarán from the very beginning. She is honestly the one keeping the house from falling apart, and a strong female character which is really nice to see. I also like how she is sain enough to notice and hate the incest even thought she does have 3 children with her cousin. She was a very well written character though and Im sad she had to live through so many deaths in her life span, but she did also get to experience the many turns and events that came to the Bundia family. Overall, I agree with you that she is the pivotal backbone, because she was very intelligent and resilient.
Ahh sorry meant to write Neko***
I totally agree with you that Úrsula is the pivotal backbone of both the Buendía family and the entire book. While I was reading the first 3/4 of the book, I was quite convinced that Úrsula was the protagonist of the book, or at least, the grounding force equal to the locale/character of Macondo. However, after thinking about it some more and thinking specifically about the inheritance/legacy of the names – none of the proceeding Úrsulas met the original’s maternal ability. The only true successor of Úrsula – in my mind – was Santa Sofía de la Piedad. I would have loved to see more of her story and perspective, especially during the face-offs between Úrsula and Jose Arcadio, considering Santa Sofía de la Piedad was married to him.
I was also drawn to the character of Úrsula throughout the book for similar reasons. As for whose viewpoint the book could have leaned towards: I think it would have been interesting if it were somehow written from the point of view of Melquíades, maybe only revealing with the deciphering of the manuscripts that he had been the narrator all along. It wouldn’t make too much of a difference to do the story, and is arguably already implicit: if the manuscripts were the story of Macondo written by Melquíades, is what we are reading the same as what he wrote in the book’s universe?
I really like your reflections on Ursula. She was without a doubt my favorite character throughout the novel. I found your discussion question funny because, before reading it, I was just thinking that I’d love reread 100 Years solely from Ursula’s perspective. I agree that she is the center of Buendia universe in some ways. She never leaves Macondo, like many other characters do, and she seems to be almost omniscient about the many strange neuroses of her family.