Active Reading Chapter 10

Magical Elements:

§ The fact that the laboratory had been locked for like twenty years and yet it was like brand new in there. No dust, no mess, and even the air was fresher than the rest of the house. How else is that possible? Magic all the way.
§ Aureliano 2nd’s animals that give birth to triplets and hens having eggs twice a day, and the pigs getting fat so fast is definitely some kind of magic.

Characters:

§ Aureliano Segundo and Jose Arcadio Segundo – identical twins that would switch around their name bracelets to confuse everyone – were very synchronized – did everything at the same time – Aureliano grew up to be big like his granddads and Jose Arcadio grew up to be bony like the colonel
§ Aureliano 2nd – revived the laboratory of Melquiades
§ Jose Arcadio 2nd – did not like the war stuff after seeing his first execution

Summary:

§ It starts off with the twins that switched their names around and how they are growing up in different ways. When Aureliano 2nd was in the lab, he saw a 40-year-old Melquiades, watching him. From then on, they would visit together almost everyday, for many years. Jose Arcadio 2nd started spending time with the priest, and in cockfights, and he had his first communion. He got more into that, while Aureliano became more secluded with his sessions.
§ Then a woman came to see Jose Arcadio, but she was with Aureliano and had been sleeping with the both of them. But both twins got sick, and got cured separately and secretly. This led to the end of her and Jose Arcadio, and the start off the relationship of her and Aureliano. Her name was Petra Cotes. Aureliano got married to Fernanda. After that, Ursula tried to forbid the sons being called Aureliano or Jose Arcadio, but Aureliano had his first son and he was given the same name.
§ Aureliano began to be a prosperous man, and very respected in Macondo. His animals too were very prosperous, due to Petra. He kept her close to him and his animals, despite that he was married to another woman. He was continuing his relationship with Petra, and was always with her, and sleeping with her. Then one day, Petra wanted to raffle off the rabbits, and they gave birth to many little bunnies. Then the cows were raffled off, and they gave birth to triplets. So this was how Aureliano 2nd began to have huge pastorals and land. Jose Arcadio 2nd began to be fascinated with water stuff and he built a boat, the first ever in Macondo.
§ Remedios was proclaimed queen of the carnival they were having because of her beauty. A guy from some distant country came to get Remedios as his bride, but she did not care for him at all.
§ Colonel Aureliano goes back to his making of his gold little fish and he is happy with that. He does not want to hear of news of the war.
§ During the festivities of the carnival, some strangers came. But then they pulled out rifles, and shoot up the town. There were rumors that the government had sent them, but no one knew anything. The queen that they had bought with them was Fernanda del Carpio, the most beautiful of five thousand beautiful women. Then Aureliano 2nd married her with a celebration that lasted twenty days.

Quotes:

· “Later on, Ursula had put candles on [the life size saint Joseph] and had prostrated herself before it, not suspecting that instead of a saint she was adoring almost four hundred pounds of gold.” I found this funny just because Ursula was all trying to be religious-y and yet she was worshipping money. The irony is funny.
· “’Right here,’ [Colonel Aureliano] answered. ‘Waiting for my funeral procession to pass.’” This stood out because the Liberal people came by during the carnival and were in a way celebrating him.

Themes:

§ Solitude: Colonel Aureliano buries himself in his work again. Jose Arcadio 2nd has never been with a woman besides Petra.