Essay on "One Hundred Years of Solitude and Don Quixote"

Essay 4 pages (1283 words) Sources: 0 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Solitude and Don Quixote

As it is stated in the beginning of Marquez's One hundred Years of Solitude, "the world was so recent that things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point." At the end of the book the author tells us that "Macondo was already a fearful whirlwind of dust and rubble being spun about the wrath of the biblical hurricane..." How do these extreme poles of creation and degeneration relate to the idea that history is not just cyclical but regressive that the author implies through his narrative?

Time as a Regressive Rather than a Cyclical Force in Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude

We as mere mortals have only a limited notion about the concept of time. Explaining patterns within and predicting time itself have thus proved objects of great effort and desire within our culture. Traditional notions have described time as being a cyclical force, which brings different situations in line with a particular repeated pattern. However, Gabriel Garcia Marquez makes his own assertions regarding time as a regressive, rather than cyclical force, in his postmodernist classic One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Marquez posits the idea that history and time itself is regressive, and eventually reverts back to the beginning despite whatever progress will be made during the length of a given period of time. Marquez uses several examples through the physical nature and behaviors of his characters in the different generations of Macondo. One of the oldest characters in the work represents this idea of time as being regressive rather than cyclical. Ursa Iguaran, the head matriarch of the family, lives through most of the generations within the novel. At the time of her death, she is an astounding 120 years old. Yet, in her final years her physical character and form regresses rather than progresses into a typical image of an old woman. Her body shriveled to a mere fraction of her size as an adult. She is then reminiscent of a fetus in her form and shape, showing her physical regression as time continued on. Marquez is thus using the actual live of his characters to portray his message about the true nature of time. Events within the narrative, spurred by the behaviors of Marquez's characters, also attest to the idea of a regressive image of time. In one instance, it seems as though Marquez is representing time as cyclical. When Jose Arcadio dies he is at the same tree his father was tied to. This represents a possibility of time being cyclical, for it returns both father and son to the same tree to die. Yet, this is only a surface view. Jose is not there at the tree pursuing some philosophical endeavor, like his father had before him. Rather he has regressed into a degenerate beggar, far from his original roots as a philosophical thinker, and is urinated on the very tree which witnessed the great struggle and devotion of his father. The philosophical element of the family has actually regressed with the second generation.

Thus, it is clear that Marquez is making a large statement regarding the nature of time as being regressive rather than cyclical. Traditional views have tended o understand the duration of time as a cyclical force, which winds back and around similar events. Marquez acknowledges this idea, but expands on it to show that time regresses back rather than progressing forward to another cyclical point. The various generations of the family present numerous examples of character regression, whether it be through their physical image or their actions and behaviors which lead them to specific circumstances. If Marquez's view of time is true, how will human nature ever truly progress?

Question B

Explain how the progression of time unfolds in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Is it straightforward or not?… READ MORE

How to Reference "One Hundred Years of Solitude and Don Quixote" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Solitude the Novel One Hundred Years Term Paper

Solitude

The novel One hundred years of solitude is saga about of small town of Mecado somewhere in Latin America, which experienced a number of transformations caused by industrialization, imperialist… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (676 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA Topic: Government / Politics

---

One Hundred Years of Solitude Thesis

Solitude

The theme of religion in One Hundred Years of Solitude

The words 'solitude' and 'solitary' appear frequently throughout this novel. Both words are often associated with religion and religious… read more

Thesis 5 pages (1586 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA Topic: Religion / God / Theology

---

Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize-Winning Novel Essay

Solitude

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize-winning novel One Hundred Years of Solitude is not arbitrarily titled. The theme of solitude permeates Garcia's novel, shaping the characters and their living, breathing… read more

Essay 3 pages (918 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Term Paper

Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Specifically it will discuss how well the novel summarizes Latin American history from the era of the explorers to the recent present. At first reading,… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1571 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Latin America / Mexico / Caribbean

---

Solitude Time Term Paper

Solitude

Time is one of the major themes in One Hundred Years of Solitude. For the characters, time is alternatively fast paced, and stagnant. When Ursula considers time, she finds… read more

Term Paper 7 pages (2441 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>