Friday, March 2, 2007

Active Reading

Chapter 1
Magic Elements:
The pot was firmly placed in the center of the table, but just as soon as the child made the announcement, it began an unmistakable movement toward the edge, as if impelled by some inner dynamism, and it fell and broke on the floor. pg. 16


Characters:
Jose Arcadio Buendia: Founder of Macondo, a very stubborn dreamer. He was a father to three children. He also shows favoritism towards Aureliano who is interested in alchemy. He is also a very demanding parent.

Ursula Iguaron: The wife and cousin of Jose Arcadio Buendia. She has a fear of incest. She also wore a chastity belt to keep from incest.

Melquiades: A gypsy and a friend of Jose Arcadio Sr., he brings him all of the new inventions from over seas, he also get him involved in alchemy.


Quotes:
"Macondo is surrounded by water on all sides."pg. 13 The person speaking is Jose Arcadio Buendia. He is very upset because he has traveled this far to find new land located near Macondo, but every direction he went it was surrounded by water.

"Its the largest diamond in the world." pg. 18This portrays Jose Arcadio Buendia's lack of knowledge. He believes that a block of ice is a diamond.

"This is the great invention of our time."Pg.19 Jose Arcadio Buendia is expressing how he feels that ice is the greatest invention on earth.


Themes:

Solitude: Because of how Jose Arcadio Buendia sat in his laboratory working on experimenting. All of this caused him to ignore his family and friends. He stayed away from his household duties.


Summary:
Colonel Aureliano Buendia is thinking about his past after the founding of Macondo, when the gypsies came to town. His father Jose Arcadio Buendia was very fascinated with all of the inventions they brought to town. Jose Arcadio Buendia became close friends with one of the gypsies named Melquiades. Jose Arcadio Sr. eventually took up studying alchemy and built a laboratory with the help of Melquiades. He intrest in alchemy made him loose human contact. He neglected his family, friends and his town. With is quest for knowledge he goes on a search to find new civilization. He leads a group of friends to find new land but in the direction he went, he only found water. When he returns from his trip he plans to move his family to another place but his wife Ursula stops him. He eventually realizes that he has been neglecting his children and starts to spend time with them. Jose Sr. is glad that his son Aureliano is interested in alchemy but Jose Jr. is not. The gypsies eventually return and Jose Sr. finds out the Melquiades has died.


Chapter 2
Magic Elements:
Two nights later Ursula saw Prudencia Aguilar again, in the bathroom, using the esparto plug to wash the clotted blood from his throat. pg.25

they brought a flying carpet. pg. 34

One day Aramanta's basket began to move by itself and made a complete turn about the room.... pg.39

Characters:
Jose Arcadio Jr.: He is growing up and is discovering his manhood. He starts to sleep around with Pilar and his about to have a child. He learns to deal with his problems by running away.

Aramanta: The daughter of Ursula and Jose Sr. She had human features but sort of showed characteristic features like a newt.

Jose Arcadio Buendia: He starts to realize that he is taking his interest in Alchemy. He learns that it took him away from interacting with his family.


Quotes:
"I new it was going to happen."Pg.39 This is what Jose Sr. said when Ursula came back. He had it in his mind that she was going to return because he prayed for her return.

"may God preserve you just as you are." pg.36
The gypsy woman is talking about Jose Jr's. Testicles. I guess it is some type of blessing.


Themes:
Solitude: Jose Jr. put himself into seclusion when he found out that Pilar was pregnant. He didn't leave the house for an umber of days.

Incest: It is practiced in the family because Jose and Ursula are cousins. Incest is also a major issue to Ursula because she didn't want her kids to come out with animal features.


Summary:
In the beginning of chapter two, it talks about own Jose Sr. and Ursula were born in the same village and are also cousins. Ursula is afraid of incest because she doesn't want her kids to have mutations. She received this notion from her uncle being born with a pig’s tail. As time goes on, Ursula wears here chastity belt. The people in the town tease Jose Sr. about this. When a man named, Prudence Aguilar says something about it, Jose sr. kills him. The ghost of this man haunts them for the rest of their lives. Jose remembers his first introduction of ice which reminds him of Macondo. This causes him to go back to his fascination in science with Aureilano accompanying him. On the other hand Jose Jr. decides to sleep with Pilar Ternera, they eventually have a child. While she is pregnant he meets a gypsy girl who he also has sex with. With all of this news about the baby he decides to leave with the gypsies. Ursula goes on a journey to find her son and ends up discovering new civilization.


Chapter3
Magical Elements:
they realized that they had gone more than fifty hours without sleeping. pg. 49

He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude. pg. 54


Character Change:
Jose Arcadio Buendia: He becomes more productive in his society. He wanted the town of Mocando to look civilized. He helped the town grow. He planted trees on the street and built more homes for new residence.

Aureliano: He becomes so interested in Alchemy. It takes up most of his time; he can’t be a child any more. He goes days without eating and spending time with his family. He is similar to his father.

Rebecca: When she first came to stay with the family, she was secluded. She did not eat anything or talk or play with. Eventually she began to open up and became Rebeca Buendia.


Quotes:
"I don't know who it will be,"pg. 44 This Aureliano uses his so called predictions to let his family know that Rebecca is coming to stay with them.

"If we don't ever sleep again, so much the better."pg.48 This is Jose Arcadio Buendia trying to be funny about the fact that the whole town is about to have insomnia. He believes that the Indian woman is talking nonsense.

Themes:
Solitude: Rebecca shows solitude when she first got to the house she did not talk to anyone. Melquiades also showed solitude when he died he went to the end of the world and was not able to communicate with anyone.


Summary:
After Ursula's discovery the town begins to flourish. Pilar gives birth to Jose Jr.'s son who is named Arcadio. An orphan girl named Rebecca arrives who 8is claimed to be kin to the Buendias. They take her in as their own and try to get rid of habit of eating dirt. Rebecca ends up giving the whole town insomnia which causes the whole town to loose their memory. The sickness is cured when Melquiades returns with help. When Melquiades returns back to Macondo, he and Jose Sr. take up work trying to discover the existence of God. Ursula wants to expand the house by adding new rooms and such. A man named Don Apolinar Moscote arrives with his family and soldiers. Jose sr. wants him to turn in his power so that Macondo can remain a peaceful town. Aureliano ends up falling in love with his youngest daughter Remedios.


Chapter4:
Magical Elements:
It was Prudencio Aguilar. pg.84

Character Change:
Aureliano: He is now love sick. Instead of working he writes love notes to Remedios. He writes all over the bathroom walls and his body.

Jose Arcadio Buendia: He is starting to go back to his old ways. He starts taking down mechanism given to him by Pierto Crespi. He eventually goes crazy and is requested by his son to be tied up to the almond three for forever.

Pierto Crepsi: The man with blond hair and very handsome. He is a very well-mannered man. He is in Macando making a piano for the Buendia family. He eventually falls in love with Rebeca.

Melquiades: He eventually dies of old age. His request was Burn mercury in his room for three days. Everyone was upset when he died especially Jose Sr. and Arcadio.

Quotes:
"The mans a fairy" pg.66 Jose Buendia is making fun of Pierto Crepsi. He is calling him gay.

"She has to come with her" pg.70 Aureliano is anxious to Remedios and is hoping that she comes to their house with his sister Aramanta.

Themes:
Solitude: Aureliano shows solitude when he is madly in love with Remedios but she doesn't come to see him or respond to his letters. Because he is so deeply in love he puts all his strength into work and writing.

Incest: Aureliano ends up sleeping with Pilar who has a child by his older brother Jose Arcadio Jr.


Summary:
Without a woman in his life, Aureliano sleeps with Pilar. Pilar helps him catch Remedios eyes. Amaranta and Rebecca both fall in love with Pierto Cripsi, who is there to build a piano for the family. They both become love sick. Rebecca goes back to eating dirt and other minerals while Amaranta becomes jealous because Pierto wants to marry Rebecca. Melquiades eventually dies and is the first death in Macondo. With all of the pain and sorrow, Jose Sr. ends up pleading insanity. He still believes that Prudencia Aguilar will hunt him to death. To protect his father, Aureliano and a group of men tie him up to a tree in the backyard and will stay there to the end of his life.


Chapter5:
Magical Elements:
Thereupon Father Nicanor rose six inches above the level of the ground pg. 90

In the Caribbean he had seen the ghost of a pirate ship of Victor Hugues,... pg. 99

Character Change:
Remedios: She is now reaching puberty and is prepared to marry Aureliano. She now knows how clean herself and take care of others. She eventually gets killed from drinking poison that was meant for Rebecca.

Jose Arcadio Jr.: He has returned to his family looking very different. He has tattoos all over his body. He is very poor and has sex with women for money. He eventually marries Rebecca who is his sister.

Ursula: She is very discouraged with Rebecca’s and Arcadio's decision to get married. She bans both of them from the house and believes that they are shame to the family.

Aureliano: When Remedios dies he goes back work again. He becomes very frustrated because he has to live with out a woman. He eventually becomes the colonel of the Liberals. This shows that he has courage and is no longer going to let him discourage him.



Quotes:
"Fuck nature two times over" pg. 101 Jose Jr. is getting self-defensive because he wants to marry Rebecca and he doesn't care if they are brother and sister but he knows that he loves her.

"If I have to be something I'll be a Liberal, because Conservatives are tricky."Pg.107 Aureliano is choosing to be a Liberal because he knows that the Conservatives took the weapons and knives to frame the Liberals.

Themes:
Incest: Rebecca and Jose Jr. end up getting married and they are brother and sister.

Solitude: Aureliano goes into solitude once he lost his wife and two kids due to his sister's stupidity.


Summary:
Remedios and Aurelianp are finally getting married but Rebecca’s wedding is put on hold due to the death of Pierto Crispi's mother. His mother did not really die it was a trick set up by Amaranta. With Remedios in the house, it is so peaceful. She and Aureliano end up raising his son with Pilar as their own. Remedios suddenly dies and everyone in sorrow. Jose Jr. eventually returns to his family. He is very beastly with tattoos everywhere. Rebecca and Jose Jr. end up falling in love. They eventually get married and are banned from the house by Ursula. Amaranta and Pierto are free to fall in love now. After the death of his wife, Aureliano becomes concerned with the war between the Conservatives and Liberals. Aureliano decides to become a Liberal because he believes that the Conservatives are very sneaky. Aureliano becomes the head of the Liberals and receives the title "Colonel Aureliano Buendia".


Chapter6
Magical Elements:


Character Change:
Arcadio: The son of Pilar and Jose Jr. was left in charge by Aureliano. He takes control of Macondo and terrorizes the entire village. He is a very strong and determined person. He is willing to fight for his village. He eventually tries to hurt his mother and tries to rape her. He falls in love with Sofia de la Piedad. He eventually die because he doesn't back down to the Conservatives.

Ursula: She now is in control of the town. She re post new rules and punishes Arcadio. She feels alone since she can’t communicate with her husband anymore. She fells that she has to lie about the family to make Jose Sr. feel better.

Peirto Cripsi: He has fallen in love with Aramanta after loosing Rebeca to Jose Jr. She eventually turns him down which requires him to go crazy. He would sing songs and play music by her window but she would never respond.

Jose Arcadio Buendia: He is unaware of everything that is happening to his town. He is like a dead body just laying there.


Quotes:
"We leave Macondo in your care." pg. 114 This is Arcadio's so called initiation to keep Macondo under his rule.

"To my great honor, I am not a Buendia" pg. 122 Arcadio does not consider himself a Buendia because he not like them or apart of them.

"to give the girl the name Ursula." pg. 130 Arcadio wants the child to be name Ursula because he has remembered how much Ursula has done for since he was born.

Themes:
War: There is war between the Liberals and the Conservatives which eventually tears the town apart.

Unrequited Love: Peirto Crespi is madly in love with Amaranta but he doesn't want to accept the fact that she doesn't love her. The fact that she doesn't love him resulted in him committing suicide.


Summary:
Aureliano leaves for war and leaves Arcadio in charge. Arcadio becomes a harsh ruler and terrorizes everyone. He tries to sleep with his mother but she pays money for a virgin girl named Santa Sofia de la Piedad to sleep with. They eventually gets married and have three kids. A man comes to Macondo with a message from Aureliano telling him that when the Conservatives come to town, do not fight back. Because of his stupidity, the Liberals loose the war. Arcadio is executed and his last word s are to name his daughter Ursula or Remedios. Pierto proposes to Amaranta but she rejects it. Pierto decides to commit suicide and in remorse, Amaranta burns hand and covers it in black bandages that she will wear till death.

1 comment:

mbrown8625 said...

Good Job: Be aware of spellings for character names (ie. Pietro Crispi instead of Pierto Crispi). Also be more specific in your explanation of characters (Ie. "Jose Arcadio Buendia just lays there like a dead fish"...what does that mean?)

Your grade: A-