If I were to write an essay right now, I would probably examine the idea of Macondo being a microcosm. Specifically, I would focus on the techniques that Marquez uses to maintain the microcosm effect such as: the portrayal of time, incest...
Both of these factors really do the same thing. By skewing time, and having characters that seem to live for ever, surviving near death experiences, and overcoming old age, the story stays constant character-wise. It's the same with incest. Because Marquez's character breed amongst each other, it narrows the character base down significantly. It keeps Macondo small, and it focuses all the attention down to a single, in-bred family, making it very obvious whenever there is an outsider in their midst.
I also would touch on the why Marquez would choose to employ a microcosm in his writing. There are lots of reasons: to have a clean slate (it gives the author total power over their story), to be able to mimic latin american countries without having to include all the historical factors that Mrs. Quinet talked about today, to be able to mimic a creation story...
It's late. I hope this made some sense...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
First of all I think that would be a pretty sweet essay. I definitly agree the the aspect of a mircocosm is a big deal in this book considering that the secluson of Macando affects the characters in many ways. I think that if i were to write on this topic I would definitly compare and contrast the way Marquez uses a microcosm with the way Joseph Conrad used his microcosm of a ship to control the environment of his book.
I think you could say a lot about Marcondo as microcosm. Besides just incest, well the novel's setting never leaves Marcondo. To say Marcondo is just the setting is an understatement; the Buendia family is never leaves Marcondo and if they do, they are not mentioned outside of perhaps what news of them the other charactors have gotten.
Post a Comment