Gabriel Garcia Marquez ‘s novel, One Hundred Old ages of Solitude, uses Charming Realism to portray political events and ambiances that Marquez, himself, and other Latin Americans experienced during their life-times. Political agitation, governmental turbulence, and fiscal instability were all experienced during Marquez ‘s childhood and maturity. Though Charming Realism is rendered in many possible ways, Marquez, in peculiar, in One Hundred Old ages of Solitude, uses elements of the supernatural, Spiritualism, the paranormal, and Godhead, aboard world to capture certain feelings, tensenesss, and emotions experienced during these times. Charming Realism is defined by Stephan Hart, writer of “ Charming Realism in the Americas: Politicised Ghosts in One Hundred Old ages of Solitude, The House of Spirits, and Beloved ” as:
[ T ] he sense in which happenings seen as supernatural in the First World ( such as apparitional phantoms, human existences with the ability to wing, levitate, disappear or increase their weight at will ) are presented as natural from a Third World position, while happenings seen as normal in the First World ( magnets, scientific discipline, ice, railroad trains, the films, record player ) are presented as supernatural from the point of position of an dweller of the Caribbean. ( Hart 116 )Peoples who have lived for any length of clip in Latin American are accustomed to narratives about shades, superstitious notions, and fortune tellers. However, if we have non forgotten history, or the nature of Western “ civilisations, ” we would remember that Christianity, along with impressions of the importance of scientific discipline and engineering, were forced upon the native people during times of geographic expedition and colonisation. Not all of the native narratives and beliefs would be destroyed, though. Those who maintained some little part of their old universe passed narratives, beliefs, and superstitious notions on in some signifier to their progeny, which have developed into a more modern Spiritualism.
Spiritualism is the “ belief that the dead manifest their presence to people, normally through a clairvoyant or medium ” ( “ SPIRITUALISM ” ) . Spiritualism besides involves the reading of deity cards, seances or communing with the dead, and healing of the head, whether through energy work or herbal redresss. Spiritualism is non a literary device like Magical Realism ; instead, it is portion of a cultural belief system, but it does so hold literary deductions in One Hundred Old ages of Solitude. Spiritualism accomplishes much of what Charming Realism does by showing the novel ‘s subject of the inextricable nature of the yesteryear, present and future. What readers must understand is that in Latin American civilization, Spiritualism, pre-Christian beliefs, the belief in shades, and the reading of cards play an tremendous function in the civilization. In other words, Latin American civilization, itself, is an illustration of Charming Realism.
Marquez was raised by his grandparents in Aracataca, Colombia, in the state of Magdalena ( like the River Magdalena in the novel ) . Much like the Buendia place, their place was on the seashore and was about cut off from the outside universe, had it non been for the big sum of relations who invariably filled the big house. Marquez ‘s gramps was a retired colonel who told the most astonishing narratives of war and his escapades ( Sickels ) . Amy Sickels, writer of “ Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Cultural and Historical Contexts, ” wrote extensively about Marquez ‘s place life and childhood. She remarked on how he was inspired to compose by those around him and if he had non inspiration plenty, his grandma was besides a maestro story-teller, who told Marquez “ narratives of shades and the dead ” ( Sickels 20 ) .
Marquez said that he wrote the novel in the tone that his grandma used while stating her narratives: “ She told things that sounded supernatural and antic, but she told them with complete naturalness ” ( Hart 116 ) . It is even said that his grandma inspired the character of Remedios in One Hundred Old ages of Solitude, who, while hanging sheets out on the line to dry, was taken up to heaven. With the influence of his grandparents and the great sum of folklore he heard, it is easy to see why Marquez chose the literary device of Charming Realism through which to state his ain narratives for a universe audience ( Gunther ) . Ghosts and phantoms, portents, revelatory prognostications, and fortune tellers are some of the elements of Latin American Spiritualism nowadays in the novel. Furthermore, a Latin American reader would most like non ab initio notice the Charming Realism ; instead, he or she would detect the familiar elements of Spiritualism in the work, like shades and phantoms, portents, revelatory prognostications, and fortune tellers.
Several shades appear from clip to clip. Melquiades is the first individual in Macondo to decease ; therefore, he is the first shade to look. The very description of Melquiades combines the supernatural and human features: “ That colossal animal, said to possess the keys of Nostradamus, was a glooming adult male, enveloped in a sad aura, with an Asian expression that seemed to cognize what there was on the other side of things ” ( 5-6 ) . Melquiades is a member of a set of itinerants who becomes near to the Buendia household and who delivers the engineering to the metropolis of Macondo. He is fleshy and is rumored to hold the gift of prognostication with cognition that would equal Nostradamus. His abilities are cryptic and his endurance of many pestilences is wholly incredible to the reader, but is accepted by the folks he comes into contact with. He becomes Jose Arcadio Buendia ‘s wise man and good friend. He dies from a febrility in Singapore, but subsequently shows up as a apparently living shade in Macondo and rekindles his friendly relationship with Jose Arcadio Buendia. Once Melquiades returns, though, the aging procedure gimmicks up with him and he dies once more, though Jose Arcadio Buendia claims he is still alive, merely non in a organic structure: “ with the unseeable presence of Melquiades, who continued his furtive shamble through the suites ” ( 73 ) . Melquiades ‘ spirit provides comfort for Jose Arcadio Buendia while he experiences other losingss, but he still mourns the 2nd decease of a beloved friend.
The shade of Jose Arcadio Buendia appears, besides, after he was tied to a tree where he died: “ It was an intricate fret of truths and mirages that convulsed the shade of Jose Arcadio Buendia under the chestnut tree with restlessness and made him roll all through the house even in wide daytime ” ( 224 ) . In Fernanda ‘s purdah, was softly visited by “ the dead shade of Jose Arcadio Buendia who at times would come to sit down with an speculative attending in the half-light of the parlour while she was playing the clavichord ” ( 258 ) . No 1 is startled by the presence of these shades ; instead, folks are comforted by them, while the presence of the life is tiring and lonesome.
Both shades mentioned above besides present another component of Spiritualism in the novel, the portents or mark of what it to come. Omens may be positive or negative, but for the Buendias, omens normally indicate decease. The shade of Jose Arcadio Buendia manifests himself and uncover an portents about the destiny of the colonel. Ursula had been crying under the tree where Jose Arcadio Buendia had died, but the colonel could non see him. The impression that the colonel can non see him provides farther grounds toward Spiritualism, because, as stated antecedently, the belief that ghosts manifests themselves for certain people. Ursula tells the colonel, “ Say hullo to your male parent ” ( 241 ) , and when he asks his female parent what the shade says, she replies, “ He ‘s really sadaˆ¦because he thinks that you ‘re traveling to decease ” ( 241 ) . This portent was confused by the colonel because he had no desire to visualize the shade of his male parent, “ the powerful old adult male who had been beaten down by half a century in the unfastened air ” ( 241 ) .
Omens repeat themselves in this novel, and Ursula is privy to this impression. She seems to hold some kind of medium-like abilities herself, since she is able to see shades, every bit good as bring forth her ain readings and anticipations without utilizing cards. She understands that Buendias die without warning and with no marks of illness whatsoever. For illustration, Aramanta receives an portents of decease and returns to direct letters to those she had wronged in the yesteryear in order to unclutter her scruples and have Ursula make a statement that she dies a virgin. Ursula does non doubt that Aramanta received the portents because she has ability to remember the significance of an portents when it pertains to a Buendia household member.
The 3rd component of Spiritualism that is present in the novel is besides the most important: fortunetelling. Making anticipations in a work of literature lends itself to the impression of prefiguration, but what is different about OHYS, is that the anticipations are frequently interpreted falsely or misidentify, or they have more of an impact on the hereafter of the characters than they realize at the clip the anticipation is received. Many characters in the fresh brand anticipations and other characters rely on those anticipations and their religious counsel. Jose Arcadio Buendia, for case, makes anticipations about the Earth and other scientific affairs, but he besides would do simple anticipations about events ; for case, some was coming. Ursula, though, “ as she did whenever he made a anticipation, tried to interrupt it down with her housewifely logic ” ( 40 ) . Fernanda relies on a religious adviser to help her in doing determinations about her ain organic structure, dates when she should pattern “ genital abstention ” ( 209 ) .
Melquiades, the itinerant, made the most influential anticipations, the prognostication of Macondo. At first, while discoursing his anticipation of the hereafter of Macondo with Jose Arcadio Buendia, he thought that he was mistaken. He predicted that Macondo “ was to be a aglow metropolis with great glass houses where there was no hint staying of the races of Buendias ” ( 53 ) . His anticipations are what the novel are following and based upon. In other words, they both motivate the beginning and the terminal of the novel. In the concluding pages of the novel, Melquiades ‘ anticipations come to fruition:
Aureliano read out loud without jumping the enchanted encyclicals that Melquiades himself had made Arcadio listen to and that were in world the anticipation of his executing, and he found the proclamation of the birth of the most beautiful adult female in the universe who was lifting up to heaven in organic structure and psyche, and he found the beginning of the posthumous twins who gave up decoding the parchmentsaˆ¦Then he skipped once more to expect the anticipations and ascertain the day of the month and fortunes of his decease. Before making the concluding line, nevertheless, he had already understood that he would ne’er go forth that room, for it was foreseen that the metropolis of mirrors ( or mirages ) would be wiped out by the air current and exiled from the memory of menaˆ¦ ( 417 )
The impression that the narrative ‘s generation and devastation are envisaged in Melquiades ‘ prognostication exemplifies the novel ‘s subject of the indivisibility if the yesteryear, nowadays, and hereafter. Though Melquiades ‘ anticipations are insoluble in the novel, the character of Melquiades does run into his terminal instead early on. There is a character, though, who is present for the continuance of the novel and is an of import fortunetelleri‚?Pilar Ternera.
Pilar Ternera is the prototype of modern, Latin American Spiritualism in the novel. She is said to be modeled after Gabriel Garcia Marquez ‘s female parent, Luisa Santiaga: “ a spirited, strong-minded adult female with a broad upbringingaˆ¦She won the lottery several times based on information she claimed to hold gotten in dreams ” ( Stavans 42 ) . Pilar is “ a merry, foul-spoken, provocative adult female ” ( 25 ) who became a retainer to the Buendias, but was subsequently known in the town for her love-making skillsi‚?as a cocotte who ne’er took payment for her services and who merely wanted to do certain her clients were happy. Besides, she reads other characters ‘ lucks, the yesteryear, and hereafter with Tarot cards. She has the ability to mend the minds of others and she is blessed with an highly long life.
Pilar ‘s apparently charming powers as a lover and her ability to read lucks give her a really powerful female function. In Latin America civilization, the adult female is by and large controlled the kingdom of domestic infinite, sexually repressed, and without much authorization outside of her ain place. There has been a motion within Spiritualism, though, toward a more powerful religious leading function for adult females, and for adult females to be intellectually, spiritually, and sexually free ( Finkler ) . Marquez ‘s female parent could hold perchance been the vehicle through which this motion was expressed in his ain life every bit good as inspiration for such a strong, liberated female character. As a lover, she holds power in the hereafter of Macondo as she gives birth to Buendia boies, and as a reader of the cards, she holds power in that she can act upon determinations made by others.
Pilar ‘s ability to read the cards besides farther demonstrates the novel ‘s subject of the inextricable nature of the yesteryear, nowadays, and future ( like Melquiades ‘ prognostication ) . When reading Tarot cards, there are spreads that will uncover replies to inquiries or job the enquirer poses. Though the inquiry may be about the hereafter, the yesteryear is ever-present and act uponing the cards. The symbolism in the cards and their place in the spread allow for the cards to be interpreted. For case, she reads the cards for Colonel Aureliano Buendia and merely managed to uncover “ after distributing and picking up the cards three timesaˆ¦Watch out for your oral cavity ” ( 135 ) . Subsequently, the colonel was poisoned. In this instance, her reading was right, yet it was uncomplete.
Pilar ‘s relationship with the cards is really much like that of Ursula ‘s relationship with the recognizing of portents. Pilar is so profoundly involved in the Buendia household that she finds no enigma in their card readings: “ There was no enigma in the bosom of a Buendia that was impenetrable for her because of a century of cards and experience had taught her that the history of the household was a machine with ineluctable repeats ” ( 396 ) . This besides builds on the novel ‘s subject of the indivisible by nature of the yesteryear, present and future-Pilar ‘s history with the Buendias allows her to easy foretell their hereafter every bit good as their yesteryear: “ Pilar was the 1 who contributed most to popularise that bewilderment when she conceived the fast one of reading the yesteryear in cards as she read the hereafter before ” ( 47 ) .
This subject is besides exemplified when Jose Arcadio Buendia, at the same clip, in fright that the people of Macondo would lose their memories, decides to make a memory machine “ that he had desired one time in order to retrieve the fantastic innovations of the itinerants. The artefact was based on the possibility of reexamining every forenoon, from get downing to stop, the entirety of cognition acquired during one ‘s life ” ( 48 ) . The changeless repeat of events will let people to “ retrieve ” and do determinations consequently. What is interesting, though, is that Pilar ‘s intuition that the Buendia household history is like a machine is a direct correlativity with how Jose Arcadio Buendia viewed it every bit good. On the other manus, Pilar ‘s cognition of the cards was non ever ready to hand or utile ; instead, what they revealed was really put offing for her. She saw in the cards that “ Aureliano Jose was the tall, dark adult male who had been promised her for half a century by the male monarch of Black Marias, and like all work forces sent by the cards, he reached her bosom when he was already stamped with the grade of decease ” ( 152-153 ) . The cyclical nature of the reading of the cards mirrors that of life, where the yesteryear is finally tied to the hereafter, and the present is someway a consequence, or effect, of both.
Pilar besides serves as a religious adviser for Amaranta when Amaranta is alarmed and maddened by the uncertainly of her hereafter. She seeks Pilar ‘s advocate, but holding such an extended cognition and apprehension of the Buendia household, Pilar is able to supply Aramanta with psychological alleviation by giving “ her formulas that in instances of problem could throw out ‘even the compunction of scruples ” ( 289-90A ) . Kaja Finkler, writer of “ Dissident Religious Motions in the Service of Women ‘s Power ” discusses, at length, the progressively powerful function of adult females as religious leaders and ushers. Like Pilar, these ushers will “ order merely natural herbs and religious remedies ” ( Finkler 488 ) .
In her old age, though, Pilar turns off from the usage of the cards. She learns through the changeless repeat of portents and events, she has learned much more from experience than from construing the cards. Before the devastation of Macondo, Pilar, is over the age of one hundred 45, dies in her wicker chair: “ She had given up the baneful usage of maintaining path of her age and she went on life in the inactive and fringy clip of memories, in a hereafter absolutely revealed and established, beyond the hereafters disturbed by the insidious traps and guesss of her cards ” ( 395 ) . Her penetration as to what the hereafter holds for her is based upon her understanding of the yesteryear, non by the unsafe readings and guessing involved in the reading of the cards.
In decision, even though Charming Realism is the head, specifying feature of the novel, One Hundred Old ages of Solitude, the elements of Latin American Spiritualism can non be ignored. This cultural beliefs examined in the text, instead than an vague literary device, illustrates the novel ‘s subject affecting the yesteryear, present and future. Furthermore, it would be less likely for a Latin American reader to instantly admit the Magical Realism ; instead, the reader would acknowledge the familiar story-telling and capable affair due to the Religious nature of the civilization, itself. Besides, the character of Pilar Ternera, with her card-reading and healing abilities, is a blazing illustration of a modern Spiritualist that Finkler discusses in her work. Through Marquez ‘s usage of shades and phantoms who manifest themselves merely for certain characters, portents and revelatory prognostications that are frequently misguided or ignored until they come to fruition, and fortune tellers and religious ushers, like Melquiades and Pilar Ternera, he is able to capture the kernel of the narratives of his grandparents and the fantastical nature of the Caribbean ( Hart 116 ) .
