Theme Of Isolation In One Hundred Years Of Solitude

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People are defined and shaped by the choices they make; and those choices are heavily influenced by their surroundings, whether they be isolated or not. The characters in Gabriel García Márquez’s novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, exhibits this kind of development. The novels follows the journey of the Buendía and the Aureliano family as they live out their lives in the isolated and timeless town of Macondo. Through heavy amounts of fantasy realism, the characters, as individuals, are faced with the choice to leave Macondo and return changed from the experience. In the secluded town, the families face the conflict of outside influences and adapting or eradicating the source of change. One Hundred Years of Solitude shows how surroundings affect a character through different forms of isolation.
Isolation can be comforting, yet also suffocating. Solitude of this degree can create communities disconnected with time. The introduction of new marvels and magic by the Gypsies showed decades of discoveries that would seem common to people outside of Macondo, yet new to them. The father of the Buendía family, José Arcadio Buendía, has a passion for the unknown that is unrequited among the others who live in the closed off town. An example of this would be when José Arcadio Buendía exclaims “ ‘[...] The earth is round, like an orange.’ Úrsula lost her patience. ‘If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by yourself!’ she shouted. …show more content…

A choice made, subconsciously or consciously, as a want or byproduct of a desire. The change of surroundings will define, shaped or destroy a character. In the novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, the Buendía and the Aureliano family are subject to this change. The effects varying from character to character whether it be mistakes, sins, heartbreak or sickness. Surroundings are the defining factor character

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