Active Reading Journal #15

I. Elements of Magical Realism
-“He realized that he was riding on an endless and silent train and that his head was caked with dry blood and that all his bones ached.” Pg. 306…This is Magical Realism because trains are not silent.
II. Characters
1. Colonel Aureliano Buendia- Son of Jose Arcadia Buendia, adventurous
2. Melquiades-The gypsy leader who brings amazing inventions to the village. He soon becomes Jose Arcadia’s friend and inspires him with his inventions.
3. Jose Arcadia Buendia- Was always thinking outside the box. Soon he becomes inspired to dig deeper into scientific study and knowledge.
4. Ursula Iguaran- Wife to Jose Arcadia Buendia, thinks husband is insane, speaks her mind, devoted mother
5. Jose Arcadio-Son to Ursula and Jose Arcadia Buendia, same physical strength and same impulse for growth as his father, but not the imagination. Eldest son.
6. Aureliano- silent and withdrawn, more adventurous than Arcadio.



III. Plot Summary
- The story starts out with Meme becoming a nun after being traumatized by the fact that Mauricio Is paralyzed. After that she gives birth to a son and Fernanda hides him from people because she is ashamed at her daughter’s actions. It rained in Macondo for a very long time Jose Arcadio Segundo organizes with workers at the banana plantation to begin a protest because of how they are treated. The government pretends to organize a meeting with the workers and come with an agreement but it was to surround the workers with guns and they kill them all. All the dead bodies are collected and dumped in the sea. Jose Arcadio Segundo acted as if he was dead and is on the train too. He jumps off the train and heads back to Macondo. He tried to tell people what had happen but no one believed him. The army was killing anyone who knew of the Massacre. Jose Arcadio Segundo hid for the rest of his life in Melquiades old room.

IV. Quotes
- “ You must have been dreaming.” Pg. 310 This quote jumped out at me because often times when you tell people things and you know they have happened but no one believes you, they think you were dreaming.
- “Nothing ever will happen. This is a happy town.” Pg. 310 This quote jumped out at me because life will always have events whether bad or good, and that quote just throws everything off.

V. Themes
1. Murder- The government had ordered all the banana plantation workers to be killed.
2. Shamefulness- Fernanda is ashamed of her daughter and Mauricio’s actions and for having a child.
3. Locking one self away- Jose Arcadio Segundo hides in Melquiades old study room and does not come out for a long time. To the point that people forget about him.