“Before reaching the final line, however, had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth.”
Through this passage Gabriel Garcia Marquez continues the themes of the power of fate, undividable past, present, and future, and the influence of language. Aureliano already knows his fate because it is foretold through the prophecies: “[he] had already understood that he would never leave that room.” Throughout the novel Mauquez has suggested that the people of Macondo can not decide or create their own future, instead everything is predestined. Next, Marquez describes Macondo as a “city of mirrors (or mirages).” The contrast between a reflection and a mirage provoke the concept of Macondo’s reality. Marquez shows that everything is reflected through writing, however in this passage he invites us to contemplate the idea of actuality. Also, the reference to the “city of mirrors” relates to the second chapter when Jose Aracadio Buendia wanted to install mirrors so they could always see themselves. This relates to the theme of solitude because they are only seeing themselves and not other people. Lastly, Marquez emphasizes the power of language. Aureliano had just learned his father’s name, and for the first time he refers to himself as “Aureliano Babilonia.” This allusion to the Tower of Babel stresses the power of language and Aureliano’s responsibility as the translator of the prophecies. Also, this is the first time that Aureiliano has accepted that Babilonia is part of his name and family. Marquez suggests that accepting your heritage could potentially allow the people of Mocondo to change their future.
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7 comments:
Also, it's kind of a like a threat almost by saying that they "did not have a second chance," because it is almost a warning this will never occur agian, even if it is a fictional novel. Also that is the first time we hear the full title mentioned, which is pretty significant because it is the last past.
Great job! : ]
I agree with your point about the undividable past, present, and future. Because of the recurrent motif of repetition throughout the novel, nothing unexpected ever happens in Macondo. The life of the Buendia family has been transcribed onto documents written by Melquiades. The power of fate illustrates itself by showing that nothing new ever happens in Macondo. Every event being on the documents one hundred years before they ever occurred shows how the past, present, and future are incapable of being altered.
i find your point about babylon very interesting. Also i think the word condemned in the last sentence of this passage is very important. It seems that the buendias have constantly been condemned throughout the story. The 17 aurelianos had the ash on their forehead, the colonel had a price on his head, amaranta was condemned to never have a love. It appears that like solitude, being condemned to something is also a key characteristic of a buendia.
I agree with Stephanie. I think the line, "..would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men," is another repeating idea from earlier in the novel. During the Banana Company disaters when 3,000 men were killed, the same thing happened. People never remembered and the massive murderer was wiped from the face of Macondo. If people don't remember over 3,000 people dying, Macondo is definitely coming to an end.
I agree with your ideas on the motif of mirrors. I also think it is significant that the image of "city of mirrors" used to represent when a single character entered at state of solitude. Now, in this last sentence, the mirror imagery takes over representing that single characters are not in solitude, but the entire town itself.
This passage shows the true comic nature of the poem, and also reveals that Melquides has actually fictionalized all of the characterss in the book. This shows that the people of macondo had no power to decide what would happen to them or to change their fate of repeatinhg their past mistakes. Only Aureliano and Ursula are able to figure out that their lives have been a joke and only when it is to late do they concur this. Ultimately, this sentence shows the true nature of the entire book and the fate of people who spend their lives in solitude.
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