Chapter 1 Summary:

The first three sentences describe the finding of Macondo. Then a gypsy family brings new technology to the town like magnets, telescopes, and huge magnifying glasses. José Arcadio Buendían (head male of the Buendian clan) who did not believe in honest gypsies, however easily convinced always tried to get his hands on their new knowledge and technology. The leader of the gypsies Mequiades helps guide José Arcadio Buendían on his quest for knowledge. The wife Ursula Iguaran (head female of the Buendían clan) is a very protective mother who always sticks up for her kids because she knows that their father neglects them because he’s always busy do his experiments and gaining new knowledge. (Thinking about himself) José Arcadio Buendían new tools make him think outside the box and try to find a way out of his rudimentary village. Ursula towards the end understands the importance of this village and that is why they can not leave. She talks some sense into him and tells him that “instead of going around thinking about your crazy inventions, you should be worrying about your sons” she replied “Look at the state they are in running around just like wild donkeys. The smile compares the children to donkeys she explaining how the dad’s negligence is causing them to act like animals. At the end of the chapter the gypsy return and reveal the news that Mequiades is dead. But despite the awful news the gypsies showed him ice. (Flashback in the beginning of the chapter) José Arcadio Buendían assuming that it was the largest diamond in the world was quickly corrected by the gypsies that it was ice. Then he said that “This is the great invention of our time”.

Important Quotes:

1. In the beginning of the novel (Pg 1) The text "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. The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point." These sentences made me think about a copious amount of things. I thought that the smile used was to help make symbols; white symbolizes heaven (angles) and purity. I thought that they were alluding to the bible and the tale of Adam and Eve because they describe the place as an Eden. I think that the prehistoric egg symbolizes new life or evolution. It also foreshadows a new creation in the future. (Maybe a myth);)

2. On page 13 when Ursula says “We will not leave” she said “We will stay here, because we had our son here” Then José Arcadio Buendía said “We have still not had a death” he said “A person does not belong to a place until there is someone dead under the ground” Ursula then replied “If I have to die for the rest of you to stay here, I will die” This show that she really does cares for her sons and will do anything for them. She is an extremely protective mother and she wants them to have a good life. Another example of her character is on Pg 5 Ursula lost her patience “If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by your self!” she shouted. “But don’t try to put your gypsy ideas in the heads of the children”.

3. On page 6 when Ursula says “It’s the smell of the devil” maybe she is a little superstitious because she took that as a sign foreshadows something bad is going to occur. Because when the gypsy said that “It has been proven that the devil is has sulphuric properties and this is just a little corrosive sublimate” she paid no attention to him and took her children out to pray. This shows that she is a strong believer in Jesus, the bible, heaven and hell. (Devil is the master of hell) Also so she that she will never forget that biting odor would stay forever linked in her mind.

Chapter 2 Summary:

Chapter two starts out with another flashback back in the time of a story about Ursula’s great-great grandmother. The story of how Ursula's aunt and Jose's uncle got married. The motif that history repeats itself arrives because Ursula and Jose are cousions and they also get married and have a life together. But Ursula was afraid to get married because she did not want her children to have a pig tails like her relatives had. Ursula’s fear continued but José Arcadio Buendía said “I don’t care if I have piglets as long as they can talk”. So she agreed and they got married but a year later she was still a virgin and the rumor spread and the village began to mock Jose Arcadio Buendia. When his antagonist Prudencio Aguilar loses the cockfight to Jose Arcadio Buendia he tells him “Congratulations” he shouted “Maybe that roster of yours can do your wife a favor”. Then Jose Arcadio Buendia being easily irritated and tempered threw a spear and at Prudencio and it pierced his throat. That night he asked his wife to take of her chastity pants and basically said it does not matter what we have iguanas or not we will raise it. Then he said “But there will be no more killings in this town because of you”. But then Jose Arcadio Buendia and Ursula have an encounter with the ghost of Prudencio, this forces all of the villagers to leave. This is where they discover Macondo. Fourteen months later she gives birth to her first son José Arcadio. As time went on Ursula had her second son Colonel Aureliano Buendía, and then she had a girl named Amaranta. Jose Arcadio and Pilar Ternera were sneaking around one night and accidentally she got pregnant, but confused he fell in love with a gypsy girl. When Ursula found out that her son fell in love and ran away with a gypsy, she was freaked out. Ursula freaked out went searching for them for months. But with no luck she comes back with new clothes and tells the village that she found a whole new outlook on life and that they were missing civilization.

Elements of Magical Realism:

· Transformation of the common and the everyday into the awesome and unreal.

· Elements of dreams, fairy story or mythology combine with everyday.

· The frame or surface of the work may be conventionally realistic.

· Strong narrative drive.

Example of Magical Realism:

An example is in Chapter 2 on page 22 when Ursula saw Prudencio Aguilar by the water jar. He was livid, a sad expression on his face, trying to cover the hole in his throat with a plug made of esparto grass. José Arcadio Buendía had speared him in the heart so she was seeing his ghost.

Reflective Blog:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a very complex book. Like everyone has pronounced; it's very confusing because he jumps back in time and in time constantly. Well I first read the back and it said that this book is a winner of the noble prize. (That must mean it is a really good book) I am excited to read a different type of literature “magical realism”. This type of literature connects fantasy to reality. When you read this book you really have to concentrate as you may have noticed he writes in long paragraphs and sometimes you have to dig deep and find the meaning. I think that is the author’s point he wants you to think. I also think that his names of the characters are very long and all the names are so hard to pronounce. I am amazed that this book is translated in 27 different languages. I liked the book so far and I hope as I read it, it keeps on getting better.