Active Reading Chapters 4-6

CHAPTER FOUR

Magical Realism: For starters the magical element of a fairy is brought up in this chapter. Jose the son thinks that Pierto Crespi is a fairy only by the way he looks. He also begins to daydream about his fantasies and get lost in time. This is magical by how he supposedly literally got lost in time and in actuality, you seem lost in time but you're not.

Character Development: There is little character development in this chapter other than the children expressing their feelings for the opposite sex.

Plot Summary

In this chapter Rebeca and Pierto become engaged to each other and so does Aureliano and Remedios. Jose the father is the one who goes to Remedios’ house and asks her father to marry her. The family is shocked and wants one of their older daughters to marry him, but Aureliano wants Remedios. Rebeca and Pierto become involved and Amaranta becomes jealous. She threatens to do anything in her power to prevent them from wedding. Ursula then plans a trip to take Amaranta’s mind off of their relationship. Pilar also announces to Aureliano that she is pregnant and he will recognize him as his child. Jose the father becomes very involved in trying to get a music box to work, and when that happens he finally loses his mind and thinks time is standing still, and sees the ghost of the man he killed. He goes crazy and his family is forced to tie him to a tree in the backyard where he would carry out the majority of the rest of his life.

Quotes

1. "I'll find some way of stopping you from getting married, even if I have to kill you". - This quote shows how radical Armanta is now that she's has an interest in the oppopsite sex and in my ow opoinion, I think it is weird.

2."I've come to sleep with you."- This quote is from Aureliano and this was his way of asking Pilar to have sex and it stuck out to me because it shows the extremely low standards that she has set for herself and supports the female sexuality theme.

Themes

Love- Aureliano shows that he is in love with Remedios when he takes the time to care for her, and teach her. Rebeca also in love, shows great affection to Pierto whenever she can.



CHAPTER FIVE

Magical Realism: Madness (mentally) is very big part of the magical realism aspect of the book. The one that suffers the most from it is Jose Arcadio Buendia the father. He goes crazy and is still tied to the tree as in the previous chapter. He can’t even communicate in his language anymore. The only thing he can speak is Latin, and lost memory of his family to that of his own identity as well.

Character Development: Aureliano changes a lot emotionally in this chapter from a man in love Remedios, to a man who is grief-stricken when she dies. Then he gets inspired and becomes dedicated to the war. Rebeca goes from being in love Pierto to being in love with her play brother Jose the son. Jose the father changes to a man who is completely lost within himself. He is no longer the man he used to be.

Plot Summary

Aureliano and Remedios get married. She fits into the house well. She even announces that she will be having a baby. Amaranta and Rebeca even stop fighting to make clothes for the baby. Remedios then dies, and Rebeca and Pierto's marriage is then put on hold, and while she waits she falls in love with her brother Jose the son, and marries him. Gathering what I call sloppy seconds, Amaranta and Pierto become engaged. Aureliano tells his momma that Amaranta’s marriage should be put on hold. During this period Jose the father in law urges him to remarry. He refuses. Aureliano then becomes involved in the war, and leads the revolution and becomes Colonel Aureliano.

Quotes

1."You are a woman little sister." This quote can either show how people are developing or it can show the incest that is among the family. However Rebeca and Jose the son are not biologically siblings, they are spiritually and it is still weird in my book.

2."Now I'm Colonel Aureliano Buendia."- This just goes to show how a title change con go to someone's head. It's ironic that this sort of thing still happens in today's society.

Themes


1. Love- This theme is still displayed by how the "siblings" are together. Also by how people get matched up like a deck of cards is showing us that love is not as important as what people believe it is.


CHAPTER SIX

Magical Realism: Colonel Gregorio could fight off a fleet of opposing troops, with just himself. It seems very magical that one man could get rid of a large number of men with weapons.

Characters Development: Aureliano changes into a military man, and becomes devoted to the war. With his experience in the war, he becomes wiser. Ursula begins to run the household. She steps in and beats Jose the son for becoming brutal and is about to assassinate a man. Jose Arcadio the son goes from a kind little boy into a man who punishes people for petty reasons.

Plot Summary

Chapter Six starts off with Colonel Aureliano Buendia fighting different battles of the war. While away he leaves Jose the son in charge of Macondo. During his rule, he went power crazy and hurt people for silly reasons. He had he intent to beat Don Apolinar Moscote, Ursula found out and started to beat him. Amaranta and Pierto are strengthening their feelings; however she denied his request to marry. In response to the heart break, he commits suicide. Jose and his sister Rebeca had three kids. The opposing army invaded the town, captured him and then they shot him.

Quotes

1. " I am not a Buendia." - This shows the development has gpone bad because now Aureliano hates his family and that is a part of his identity.

2."Go to hell, friend."- This quote makes me laugh because Marquez has found a way to to insult someone politely and that's what I like to read.

Themes

Change is the evident theme of this chapter and we see this by how Aureliano has comppletely distanced himself from his family.