"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

Memorable opening sentences of novels

"Call me Ishmael."

Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing.

Miguel de Cervantes,Don Quixote(1605)

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

I am an invisible man.

Ralph Ellison,Invisible Man(1952)

You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter.

Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(1885)

It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not.

Paul Auster,City of Glass(1985)

Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting.

William Faulkner,The Sound and the Fury(1929)

124 was spiteful.

Toni Morrison,Beloved(1987)

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby(1925)

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

THEMES

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad (war, politics, imminent death), Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him (family relationship) to discover ice (scientific discovery)."

Time -------------x---------------x-------------------------- His father He faced the took him to firing squad. discover ice.

? ?Narrative Narrativepresent present----x----------x---------------x-----------------------x---- His father He faced the took him to firing squad. discover ice.

Opening paragraph: early Macondo At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.

Presentation of early Macondo - an idyllic place with ancient and mythical qualities - a place of innocence and natural beauty

stoneslike prehistoric eggs The comparison stresses the primeval quality of the setting.

The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point.

Mythic beginning many things lacked names

The atmosphere invokes the biblical topos of God naming the world, and offering man the power to name each living creature.

Marquez mimics the language of early chroniclers of the Conquest The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point.

As I do not know what to call these things, I cannot express them . . . There is no human tongue that can explain its grandeurs and peculiarities.

From a letter of Hernn Corts to Charles V

Every year during the month of March a family of ragged gypsies would set up their tents near the village, and with a great uproar of pipes and kettledrums they would display new inventions. First they brought the magnet. A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquades, put on a bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemists of Macedonia. He went from house to house dragging two metal ingots and everybody was amazed to see pots, pans, tongs, and braziers tumble down from their places and beams creak from the desperation of nails and screws trying to emerge, and even objects that had been lost for a long time appeared from where they had been searched for most and went dragging along in turbulent confusion behind Melquades magical irons. Things have a life of their own, the gypsy proclaimed with a harsh accent. Its simply a matter of waking up their souls.

Defamiliarisation of magnets Every year during the month of March a family of ragged gypsies would set up their tents near the village, and with a great uproar of pipes and kettledrums they would display new inventions. First they brought the magnet. A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquades, put on a bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemists of Macedonia. He went from house to house dragging two metal ingots and everybody was amazed to see pots, pans, tongs, and braziers tumble down from their places and beams creak from the desperation of nails and screws trying to emerge, and even objects that had been lost for a long time appeared from where they had been searched for most and went dragging along in turbulent confusion behind Melquades magical irons. Things have a life of their own, the gypsy proclaimed with a harsh accent. Its simply a matter of waking up their souls.

Jos Arcadio Buenda, whose unbridled imagination always went beyond the genius of nature and even beyond miracles and magic, thought that it would be possible to make use of that useless invention to extract gold from the bowels of the earth. Melquades, who was an honest man, warned him: It wont work for that. But Jos Arcadio Buenda at that time did not believe in the honesty of gypsies, so he traded his mule and a pair of goats for the two magnetized ingots.

Literalisation of metaphor rsula Iguarn, his wife, who relied on those animals to increase their poor domestic holdings, was unable to dissuade him. Very soon well have gold enough and more to pave the floors of the house, her husband replied. For several months he worked hard to demonstrate the truth of his idea. He explored every inch of the region, even the riverbed, dragging the two iron ingots along and reciting Melquades incantation aloud. The only thing he succeeded in doing was to unearth a suit of fifteenth-century armor which had all of its pieces soldered together with rust and inside of which there was the hollow resonance of an enormous stone-filled gourd. When Jos Arcadio Buenda and the four men of his expedition managed to take the armor apart, they found inside a calcified skeleton with a copper locket containing a womans hair around its neck.

rsula Iguarn, his wife, who relied on those animals to increase their poor domestic holdings, was unable to dissuade him. Very soon well have gold enough and more to pave the floors of the house, her husband replied. For several months he worked hard to demonstrate the truth of his idea. He explored every inch of the region, even the riverbed, dragging the two iron ingots along and reciting Melquades incantation aloud. The only thing he succeeded in doing was to unearth a suit of fifteenth-century armor which had all of its pieces soldered together with rust and inside of which there was the hollow resonance of an enormous stone-filled gourd. When Jos Arcadio Buenda and the four men of his expedition managed to take the armor apart, they found inside a calcified skeleton with a copper locket containing a womans hair around its neck.

fifteenth-century armor

1492: Columbus discovers America

In March the gypsies returned. This time they brought a telescope and a magnifying glass the size of a drum, which they exhibited as the latest discovery of the Jews of Amsterdam. They placed a gypsy woman at one end of the village and set up the telescope at the entrance to the tent. For the price of five reales, people could look into the telescope and see the gypsy woman an arms length away. Science has eliminated distance, Melquades proclaimed. In a short time, man will be able to see what is happening in any place in the world without leaving his own house. A burning noonday sun brought out a startling demonstration with the gigantic magnifying glass: they put a pile of dry hay in the middle of the street and set it on fire by concentrating the suns rays.

Jews of Amsterdam

1492: The monarchs of Spain issued the Alhambra Decree which ordered the expulsion of Jews.

Narrative Pattern of Magnet SceneFirst they brought the magnet(An extraordinary object is introduced.) Jos Arcadio Buenda thought that it would be possible to make use of that useless invention to extract gold from the bowels of the earth(J.A.Buendia decides to utilize it.) Melquades, who was an honest man, warned him: It wont work for that. (Melquiades warns him.) rsula Iguarn, his wife, was unable to dissuade him (Ursula tries to dissuade him.) The only thing he succeeded in doing was to unearth a suit of fifteenth-century armor. (J.A. Buendia fails in his experiment.)

Narrative Pattern of the Telescope and Magnifying Glass Scene In March the gypsies returned. This time they brought a telescope and a magnifying glass (An extraordinary object is introduced.) Jos Arcadio Buenda, who had still not been consoled for the failure of big magnets, conceived the idea of using that invention as a weapon of war.(J.A.Buendia decides to utilize it.) Again Melquades tried to dissuade him, but he finally accepted the two magnetized ingots and three colonial coins in exchange for the magnifying glass. (Melquiades warns him.) rsula wept in consternation (Ursula tries to dissuade him.) Over the protests of his wife, who was alarmed at such a dangerous invention, at one point he was ready to set the house on fire. (J.A. Buendia fails in his experiment.)

Repetitive (cyclical) nature of timeMagnets

An object is introduced.J.A.B. tries to utilize it.Melquiades warns him.Ursula tries to dissuade him.J.A.Buendia fails.Telescope/magnifying glass

An object is introduced.J.A.B. tries to utilize it.Melquiades warns him.Ursula tries to dissuade him.J.A.Buendia fails.

Repetitive (cyclical) nature of timeAureliano Buendia melts his gold fishes at the end of the day so he can reweld them in the morning.Amaranta weaves and unravels her shroud.You are just like your father: a repetitive phrase

The impact of the circular notion of time on the style of the novel Ursula: a newborn old ladyFernanda: a widow whose husband had still not diedRemedios: a nine-year-old great-great-grandmother

J.A.Buendias interest in extraordinary objectsMagnetsTelescopeMagnifying glassPortuguese mapsInstuments of navigation (astrolabe, sextant)

Finally, tired of waiting, he bemoaned to Melquades the failure of his project and the gypsy then gave him a convincing proof of his honesty: he gave him back the doubloons in exchange for the magnifying glass, and he left him in addition some Portuguese maps and several instruments of navigation.

In his own handwriting he set down a concise synthesis of the studies by Monk Hermann. which he left Jos Arcadio so that he would be able to make use of the astrolabe, the compass, and the sextant.

Monk Hermann: an 11th century mathematician and astronomer who worked on the construction of the astrolabe, at the time a novelty in Europe.

Astrolabe: A medieval instrument (now replaced by the sextant) used to determine the altitude of the sun and other celestial bodies.

Jose Arcadio Buendias immersion in science Jos Arcadio Buenda spent the long months of the rainy season shut up in a small room that he had built in the rear of the house so that no one would disturb his experiments.

Jose Arcadio Buendias immersion in science Having completely abandoned his domestic obligations, he spent entire nights in the courtyard watching the course of the stars and he almost contracted sunstroke from trying to establish an exact method to ascertain noon rsula and the children broke their backs in the garden, growing banana and caladiumFinally, one Tuesday in December, herevealed his discovery to them: The earth is round, like an orange. He gave public praise to the intelligence of a man who from pure astronomical speculation had evolved a theory that had already been proved in practice, although unknown in Macondo until then, and as a proof of his admiration he made him a gift that was to have a profound influence on the future of the village: the laboratory of an alchemist.

The earth is round. The real demonstration of the sphericity of the earth was demonstrated by the first circumnavigation in history, an expedition captained by the Portuguese explorer F. Magellan. The expedition was financed by the Spanish Crown.

laboratory of an alchemist: Gold

Jose Arcadio Buendias immersion in scienceMagnets GoldMagnifying glass Weapon (war)Compass Exploration/Expansion

Melquades= Devil By then Melquades had aged with surprising rapidity... rsula on the other hand, held a bad memory of that visit, for she had entered the room just as Melquades had carelessly broken a flask of bichloride of mercury. Its the smell of the devil, she said.

Melquades= DevilMacondo: a version of EdenJose Arcadio Buendia: Adam who will be ruined by his interest in science/knowledgeMelquades: Satan(snake) who introduces J.A.Buendia to knowledge

Always didactic, he went into a learned exposition of the diabolical properties of cinnabar, but rsula paid no attention to him The rudimentary laboratorywas made up of a primitive water pipe, a glass beaker with a long, thin neck, a reproduction of the philosophers egg, and a still the gypsies themselves had built in accordance with modern descriptions of the three-armed alembic of Mary the Jew. . Seduced by the simplicity of the formulas to double the quantity of gold, Jos Arcadio Buenda paid court to rsula for several weeks so that she would let him dig up her colonial coins and increase them by as many times as it was possible to subdivide mercury.

the philosophers egg: a substance which turns base metals (lead) to noble ones (gold, silver)Mary the Jew: the first nonfictitious alchemist in the Western world. She invented the alembus. Ursulas colonial coins

The House of the Young Patriarch At first Jos Arcadio Buenda had been a kind of youthful patriarch who would give instructions for planting and advice for the raising of children and animals, and who collaborated with everyone, even in the physical work, for the welfare of the community. Since his house from the very first had been the best in the village, the others had been built in its image and likeness. It had a small, well-lighted living roost, a dining room in the shape of a terrace with gaily colored flowers, two bedrooms, a courtyard with a gigantic chestnut tree, a well kept garden, and a corral where goats, pigs, and hens lived in peaceful communion. The only animals that were prohibited, not just in his house but in the entire settlement, were fighting cocks.

Architectural perfection of Macondo Jos Arcadio Buenda, who was the most enterprising man ever to be seen in the village, had set up the placement of the houses in such a way that from all of them one could reach the river and draw water with the same effort, and he had lined up the streets with such good sense that no house got more sun than another during the hot time of day. Within a few years Macondo was a village that was more orderly and hard working than any known until then by its three hundred inhabitants. It was a truly happy village where no one was over thirty years of age and where no one had died.

Thomas Mores Utopia (1516) pictures an orderly ideal community.Symmetrical planning is one of its main features.

Dream for a perfect community (the colonists came upon it or tried to establish it)

Within a few years Macondo was a village that was more orderly and hard-workingthan any known until then by its threehundred inhabitants. It was a truly happyvillage where no one was over thirty years ofage and where no one had died.

Macondo: Classical Utopia

Latin America is a chapter in the history of European utopias. O.Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude;

Mrquezs construction of Macondo based upon inherited literary ideals acknowledges this disconcerting sense of being a victim of someone elses dream. By invoking these previous literary interpretations the novel both reflects and subverts their notions.

Abundance of birdsSince the time of its founding, Jos Arcadio Buenda hadbuilt traps and cages. In a short time he filled not only hisown house but all of those in the village with troupials,canaries, bee eaters and redbreasts . . . The first time thatMelquades tribe arrived, selling glass balls for headaches,everyone was surprised that they had been able to find thatvillage lost in the drowsiness of the swamp, and thegypsies confessed that they had found their way by the song of the birds.

In his journals Christopher Columbus repeatedly noted the intense music of the songbirds in the regions he came upon.

Disparity between the opening sentence and the atmosphere in early Macondo

Beginning: like Paradise a truly happy village where no one was over thirty years of age and where no one had died.

Many years later: Death (firing squads)

The influences of the outside world to Macondo - the gypsies bring knowledge that distract the founder from his obligations; - a magistrate by the government becomes a source of corruption

Civilisation is seen as coming from outside.

This represents Latin Americas sense of being victim of a European dream, envisioned as an earthly paradise, populated and exploited for its resources, and left at the mercy of other continents

The expeditionIn his youth Jose Arcadio Buendia and his men had crossed the mountains in search of an outlet to the sea and after 26 months they gave up the expedition and founded Macondo, so they would not have to go back. It was, therefore, a route that did not interest him, for it could lead only to the past... The men on the expedition felt overwhelmed by their most ancient memories in that paradise of dampness and silence, going back before original sin

Jose Arcadio He had been conceived and born during the difficult crossing of the mpuntains, before the founding of Macondo, and his parents gave thanks to heaven when they saw he had no animal features.

IncestI merely wanted to tell the story of a family who for a hundred years did everything they could in order not to have a son with a pigs tail, andended up having one.G.G.Marquez

Chapter 2Jose Arcadio Buendias original sin