Active Reading Chapter 18

Magical Elements:

Mel coming back to visit Aureliano in his old room, and when he dies, the room is susceptible to dust, rats, etc.

Characters:

Jose Arcadio – came back from Rome, but I’m not sure if he left it or was like, kicked out or something like that – comes back with a kind of superiority – tries to do everything his mom had done to keep Aureliano in the house (I think) – befriends kids when he should not have – ends up being with them too much, but when they mess up, he goes berserk, and kicks them out – upset the people who killed him and robbed him

Summary:

Aureliano deciphered the manuscripts of Mel. Mel would come visit him occasionally. Santa Sofia was alone, trying to keep the house clean, but was unsuccessful. So she left Macondo and no one heard from her again. Fernanda had to learn how to do things on her own, since Santa Sofia. Stuff kept being moved around and she thought it was elves in the house. Fernanda was getting lost in her old ways. Then when Jose Arcadio came back from Rome, he found her dead for four months, her body intact, with a letter. I think that the book is saying that Jose Arcadio left Rome, and was not preparing to be the next Pope. Jose Arcadio bought kids to the house and they played around there, bothering Aureliano occasionally. Then when one of the kids was in Ursula’s room, the gold coins were found. Jose Arcadio used to money to restore the house, but then the kids ended up destroying his room and he grew enraged, and got sick because of his asthma. Jose Arcadio was constantly thinking about Amaranta. Aureliano kept shutting himself up in the lab. Jose Arcadio tried to befriend him, but was unsuccessful. Then one day, the only remaining son of the seventeen sons of the Colonel came by looking for refuge, but they refused him because they did not recognize him, and then that last Aureliano (Amador) was killed. Then another day, while Jose Arcadio was taking his ritual daily bath, the four kids he had been friends with before came into the bathroom, and they drowned him. So it was only Aureliano and Amaranta Ursula left of the Buendias.

Quotes:

“‘So’ [Jose Arcadio] said with a voice with a touch of razor in it, ‘you’re the bastard.’ ‘I’m Aureliano Buendia.’ ‘Go to your room,’ Jose Arcadio said.”
He would call his own nephew hat. So what that Meme, Jose’s sister, had a kid out of wedlock? I mean, even though he may have been studying to be the next Pope, does he have treat everyone like they are less than him? Isn’t that you are to treat others like you would want to be treated? Jose Arcadio should take that advice.

“On several occasions [the four kids] would get into the pool to soap [Jose Arcadio] from head to toe as he floated on his back thinking about Amaranta…[thinking] about the caresses of Amaranta in the bath and the pleasure of being powdered between the legs with a silk puff…”
EW! Double EW! The kids would get into the bath with him and do what exactly? That is so nasty! And what is up with Jose Arcadio thinking his great-great aunt? She took care of him too much, because she knew she should not be “caressing” him in any sort of way…ewww!

Themes:

Incest – There is a continuation of thinking about other relatives. Jose Arcadio thinking about Amaranta and how she would treat (caress) him.

Death – Jose Arcadio is killed. The line of Buendias is decreasing.