They were all of those who were at the station”, he shouted. “Three thousand four hundred eight.” Only then did Ursula realize that he was in a world of shadows more impenetrable than hers, as unreachable and solitary as that of his great-grandfather. (pg.335)
In this quote Jose Arcadio is speaking to Ursula about the banana plantation workers that were killed in the massacre. Before this conversation, Jose Arcadio had not been seen for years, locking himself in Melquiades laboratory. Jose Arcadio has been obsessed qith this massacre ever since it happened years ago. The problem is that either nobody remembers it, or they refuse to talk about it. Because of this, Jose Arcadio has cannot stop thinking about it and forced into solitude because no one can relate to his situation. This passage also shows how Ursula is very old but she is still able to recognize how Jose Arcadio has been encumbered by this event. Since she is the backbone of the family, she naturally feels compassion for her family. The relation of Jose Arcadio to his father is also very interesting. It demonstrates how all of the Buendia men have lived similar lifestyles and end up the same way. They all seem to let one thing take over their lives and as a result they go insane.
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