Active Reading Chapter 19

Magical Elements:

The greenhouse of illusions has magical elements to it because Pilar could see the past and the people from it.


Characters:

Amaranta Ursula (AU) – has come home living a European style life – does whatever she pleases at her ease – has no real worries – walks around with her husband on a leash – is more of a boss than anything in her marriage – rejects at first Aureliano but gives into lust and pleasure

Summary:

Amaranta Ursula (AU) has come home, with new stuff, personality, and husband. She sees right away that only Aureliano lives there, and immediately sets out to fix and restore the house to what it was before. She still lives the way she lived out in Europe and dresses that way too. Her husband of six months, Gaston, does everything he can to please his bride. He allows himself to be carried around on a leash (who does that?). AU does whatever she feels like, but always keeps busy no matter what. Her husband starts to become a little bored in Macondo, but she refuses to leave, because she wants to live there and die there at an old age. Gaston tries to befriend Aureliano, but is unsuccessful. So Gaston tries to establish an airmail service. But since her return, Aureliano begins to feel attracted to his cousin (?). He tries to avoid her, so he goes out and about the town. He finds someone who lived there a long, long time, and befriends him and his great granddaughter. The friendship continues despite the death of the guy, and while he keeps thinking about AU, he turns to the great granddaughter, Nigromanta. He pays her for her love, (as in she is working as a prostitute), and she does love him. She knows about AU, and Aureliano’s fascination with her, but it only made her yearn for him even more. This went on while Gaston and AU were getting freakier. They would make love on the piano and the floor, and it only bought them closer. Aureliano found some young friends, one of whom he was very close to (Gabriel). But he still worked in the lab, and one day AU came to see him. But when he tried to hit on her in an oblivious way, she rushed away to do more chores. But this pushed Aureliano to be more with AU and Gaston. But when Aureliano began to get suspicious of Gaston, and told AU how he really felt, she pushed him away disgusted, and tried to leave. Aureliano turned to his great-great-great grandma, Pilar. She told him that it was unavoidable, to be attracted to AU, since he and she were Buendias. Aureliano went back home to find AU after her bath, and he took off her robe, while she defended herself against his touch. They fought for a while, until she stopped, and let him do what he was doing to her, I guess, well, sexing her.

Quotes:

“‘Good lord,’ [Amaranta Ursula] said, more gay than alarm, ‘it’s obvious that there’s no woman in this house!’”
Again, I find that so damn sexist! Is it only a woman’s job to keep the house? This book is written in the 70’s, so it does not have to be all sexist, but maybe that was Marquez’s point in writing it like that.

“‘Hello cannibal,’ [Amaranta Ursula] said to [Aureliano], ‘back in your cave again?’”
Oh yeah, that is a nice thing to say to your nephew, “hi cannibal.”
Notice the sarcasm.

Themes:

Incest – Aureliano is falling/lusting for his aunt, AU. And then, at the end of the chapter, they end up having sex. Incest, anyone?