Irony, Symbolism, and Imagery Reveal the Emptiness of War in One Hundred Years of Solitude
While most scholars have agreed that war is a real and significant part of human history, these same scholars have yet not reached a consensus on the characteristics of war. History books often lean toward glorifying war with stories of soldiers dying for their honor and homeland; novels, on the other hand, tend to point out the emptiness of war with stories of soldiers losing their youth and contact with the world. The selected passage from Gabriel Garcia Marquez' novel One Hundred Years of Solitude adds to the debate over war's characteristics. Through the literary techniques of irony, symbolism, and imagery, this text reveals the major theme that, in reality, war is not glorious but empty.
By having Colonel Gerineldo Marquez conclude his telegraph with the slogan "Long Live the Liberal party," the author successfully creates a sense of irony in the reader at the end of the second paragraph. While the first two sentences of the passage present Colonel Marquez as the civil and military leader of Macondo who has realized the emptiness of war, this party slogan presents words that carry no weight when written by a man who believes his commanding officer to be a total stranger. Positioned high on the military chain of command, Colonel Marquez received the opportunity to witness the war's progression from an isolated conflict of clear definition and predictable course, to a widespread conflict of augmenting intensity and uncertainty. Therefore, his words "I understand, Aureliano,...Long Live the Liberal party" become ironic. Colonel Aureliano Buendia will consider these words to be a patriotic affirmation of orders, when th...
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...magery, and irony, combine to create a successful introduction of one of the novel's major themes - the emptiness of war. By having Colonel Gerineldo Marquez realize the true nature of war and then referring to him as the first in line to make that realization, the author sets up the reader for a series of other witnesses whose testimonies should make the statement concerning war's characteristic emptiness even more valid. Later in the novel, Colonel Aureliano Buendia discovers the true nature of war only after twenty years of fighting along with a sad realization that the conservative regime he had been trying to topple all this time is good and in accordance with the people's wishes. Colonel Buendia then recognizes that war is not a conflict of ideologies, but an ugly and empty struggle for power, concluding a thematic thread started by Colonel Gerineldo Marquez.
The first barrier to a better life had to do with surviving poverty or the absence of certain privileges. In Angela’s Ashes, Frank, the protagonist of the book, along with his family had to endure persistent rains, exposure to disease and starvation. Frank and Malachy Jr. had to resort to stealing food several ...
Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch him grow beyond all odds and live through the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. “People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years”(McCourt 11). His interaction with his family proves that despite the hunger and pain, love and strength come out of misery. Although the book tells the experience of an individual, the story itself is universal.
“You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). Frank McCourt’s, Angela’s Ashes, is an engaging memoir about his experience in the penury filled streets of Limerick, Ireland. Frank shares his adventure through life starting with his incredulous childhood. Frank’s scathing childhood consists of great deprivation; however, he adds humor throughout to lighten the tone. First of all, Frank’s parents, Angela and Malachy, both struggle to provide for their children. Due to diseases and poor living conditions, three of Frank’s siblings die at young years. Furthermore, Frank’s father is constantly in and out of jobs causing his family to live off of practically nothing. Frank, who wants to be a man and make money, looks up to his father even though he doesn’t provide for the family. Additionally, Frank dreams of going to America and begins to save his wages for the trip when he gets his first job as a messenger boy. He attempts several different jobs until he saves enough for his trip. At the end of the novel, Frank goes to America leaving his family and Ireland. Although he is sad, he has great expectations for the future. Frank McCourt’s memoir, Angela’s Ashes, is a heart-wrenching novel about his shocking experiences throughout his adventure in life.
When his father leaves, Frank becomes the man of the house and is forced to feed the family. He cooperates with his mother to make it through the hard times. Well this isn't exactly a war but, it is a conflict between life an death (hunger). By having to deal with their way of living I mean that they didn't live in a very clean environment. Well they did live in the ghetto. They could have lived with Angela's mother but unfortunately she did not accept her Son-in-law. She always mentioned that he was a protestant plus he was from the north part of Ireland and it was a disgrace that her daughter had married him. Catholics and Protestents don't agree with eachother. Well, Angela and her family lived in a house near the "putrid smells" of the lavatory that was used by the entire street to empty their chamber pots.
The Dunning School was a gathering of history students who shared the school of thought, from Reconstruction time of American history. Its perspective supported the components of the preservationist ideals. For the most part, this consisted of rich landowners, representatives, and northern Democrats. It also included the Radical Republicans in the South. The perspective of the Dunning School overwhelmed academic and well-known portrayals of the period from around 1900 to the 1930s.
The autobiography Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt tells the life of the McCourt family while living in poverty in Limmerick, Ireland during the 30’s and 40’s. Frank McCourt relates his difficult childhood to the reader up to the time he leaves for America at age nineteen. The book has many prevailing themes, but one of the most notable is the settings relationship to the family. The setting of the book ultimately influences the choices and lifestyle of the McCourt family in many ways.
The mother of Frank McCourt, Angela, is an antagonist. She blamed Malachy Sr. for all of their problems calling him “useless,” “sitting on your arse by the fire is no place for a man”(218). Angela constantly ridiculing Malachy Sr. could be the cause of his alcohol addiction. Angela never made him feel like a man throughout the book she was always putting him down, the assumption of alcohol was the only thing he was really happy about. Angelas constant nagging drove him away leaving his family without much. Also, Angela constantly abandons her children. Her sexual desires caused her to continue having children despite the hunger and poverty they were already facing. Every time one of her children died she abandoned the rest of them, not taking care of them. The children had to survive on their own during her time of grieving. After Frank’s fight with Laman, Angela never once made sure Frank was okay. Instead she goes to Laman,
At a young age McCourt saw things and had to do things, that not many people have to deal with in their life times. McCourt was the first of seven children, and watched many of them sadly pass away, and took a parent role to the others. In Chapter 1 we see that Mccourt had a little sister named Margaret. Shortly after her birth came death and it not only changed his life, but his whole families. Angela and Malachy, McCourt’s parents, both became very depressed after her death, Angela neglected her children, Malachy started to drink again, and lost his job. The family, poor as it was, had no income coming into the house, and for that moved to Ireland, which changed McCourt's life.
In "Angela's Ashes" Frank McCourt develops the theme that through perseverance he and his brothers were able to survive. This is seen through Frank when he says; "I'll have to try Kathleen O'Connell once more"
Frank McCourt was born in depression-era Brooklyn and remained there until the age of four when he left with his family to his native country, Ireland. He came face too face with many hardships but managed to make it back to New York city at age nineteen. Upon his arrival Frank worked as a high school English teacher for forty-five years. After retiring from teaching, Frank, along with his brother, Malachy, performed a two man show called “A couple of Blaguards.” Frank won the Pulitzer Prize for his book Angela’s Ashes in 1997.
Making the most out of life is hard, especially life as a poor child in Ireland would have kept most people from reaching their goals in life but not for Frank McCourt, did not play into the stereotypes of many poor Irish people of that time. In the Memoir Angela’s Ashes written by Frank McCourt Frank has to persevere through much adversity in his not so desirable life as a poor Irish boy with a drunk for a father who could not provide for Frank and his family. Frank must get a job at a young age in order to bring in the money that his father Malachy drinks away, when he finally has money and moves to America, and when he eventually becomes a teacher even with all of his bad experiences as a child in school.
Due to Malachy spending money on alcohol and not holding a job, his children are starving. The children had to steal food because of not being provided for. The author tells of his experience of stealing while him and his siblings were starving, ¨Lemonade. There's a van pulling away from South's pub leaving crates of beer and lemonade outside and there isn't a soul on the street. In a second I have two bottles of lemonade up under my jersey and I saunter away trying to look innocent,” (150). Malachy McCourt’s inability to give food and nourishment for his children is exemplified by Frank McCourt stealing the lemonade. Frank’s mother also provides evidence of not being able to give care. Angela insists on moving back to her homeland of Ireland because of the deaths of her children even though America is a much better place to raise children at the time. Once her daughter Margaret dies and Angela moves back to Ireland, she says that she could not stand America and just wanted to be back home in her hometown, (36). Unlike America, Ireland has little work and poor living conditions. The author’s mother pays no attention to this and only puts her needs first. The acts of Malachy not providing food and Angela forcing her family to move away from comfort gave Frank motivation to improve himself. Frank McCourt works hard to achieve buying food and giving his siblings comfort at home. Throughout the novel, the author selflessly works small jobs to make a man of himself and save to move to
Hemingway uses the tropes of the horse and the airplane to symbolically portray the two contrasting views of the war held by the small bands of Spaniards and the Fas...
A Farewell to Arms is clearly an anti-war novel; the story swifts from naive game playing, through the stages of love and hope, to pure despair and an understanding that a war can lead to no winners. The passionate love story of the novel strengthens the message still more by showing the ironic similarity, but also its discrepancy, with the war. The discrepancy is to be taken into serious account, this discrepancy is the important message of this novel; make love not war.
Question: How is 100 Years of Solitude symbolic to the biblical story of Adam and Eve? Use evidence from the book.