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Chapter Seven (3/8/07)

Magical realism: Jose Arcadio Buendia, before his death, saw the ghost of the man he killed. The man would come and talk to him about many different things, such as news on the war and things like that. Also when Jose Arcadio Buendia dies, it rains flowers from the sky. As if the earth was morning his death.
Character Development: Ursula becomes more accepting in this chapter. Even though she wishes she could help Aureliano, and even tries. She accepts that there might be a chance she won't be able to. Colonel Aureliano also becomes more accepting and mellow. He accepts the fact that he might die, and has come to terms with it, and all he does is patiently waiting for it to come. Jose Arcadio also changes from a man who is withdrawn from his family, to one who has come to stick up for his family, especially saving his brother's life. Rebeca changes into a shell of a person, once her husbands dies, she loses all will to love.
Plot Summary: Aureliano was taken into custody, where he will be receiving the death sentence. Ursula comes to see him, and tries to give him a gun that he might be able to use it and get out, but that doesn't happen. He is actually taken out about to be killed, but it never happens for a good while. That is because no one wanted to kill him, because if they did it would mean their death too.The reason for that is, because if they did indeed kill Aureliano they would die because some one was bound to seek revenge on the assassinate. When the order is finally carried out, and they are about to kill him, Jose Arcadio shows up with a gun. They don't shoot him because they believe divine providence saved Aureliano. But one day after Jose Arcadio goes out hunting, and returns to his room, he gets killed. Rebeca was never the same after that. Amaranta, then was falling in love with Colonel Gerineldo Marquez. But she refused to be with him, no matter how many times he would ask. When Jose Arcadio Buendia finally died, there was yellow flowers falling from the sky.
Quotes: "Don't be clever Buendia," he told him. " That's just a trick to gain more time." (pg. 126)
This quote explains the fact that Aureliano is trying in desperation to escape the fate of death, for now anyway.
"Let's go Buendia," he told him. "Our time has come". Showing that when it was time for Aureliano's execution, that the guard knew that it was time for him to die as well. He knew he would die because some one would kill him for killing the colonel.
Themes: The themes in this chapter are death, and fear. In this chapter Jose Arcadio Buendia dies, finally, after his crazy fantasies lead him astray. He finally loses all sense of self, and in the end subdues to his eminent faith. Jose Arcadio is also killed, mysteriously shot with no open wounds. Aureliano also , almost dies. He doesn't fear it but accepts it. The ones who fear for the people who did/will die are Ursula and Rebeca. Rebeca fears for what her life will be like once Jose Arcadio is dead. She shuts herself up in her house in response to that fear and is rarely seen again. Ursula also fears for Aureliano, she even brings him a pistol in hopes he might be able to use it to escape. But she doesn't fear for her husband, because he knows that he is finally at rest from all of his crazy fantasies and is able to find rest in his afterlife.

Chapter Eight (3/12/07)

Magical Realism: It was magical that Pilar knew what was going to happen to Aureliano Jose. She knew that if he left her house the night he was suppose to die, he would indeed meet his face and wouldn't be able to escape. However she knew that if he didn't go, he would marry the woman in her house, and live a happy life. The fact that she knew his fate, seemed again possible, but not at all probable.
Character Development: In chapter eight Aureliano Jose grows from an adolescent into a grown young man. He becomes more in tune with certain 'feelings' that a man thinks more of than a little boy, and that is his sexual drive. He starts to have sexual feelings towards his aunt, and he also begins to sleep with different women that he brings to the home of Pilar. Amaranta also changes, from a woman who does not like to express feelings of love at all to men to one who does. She becomes quite passionate with her nephew. She flirts, and plays games of infatuation with him, although she later comes to regret it. She then again changes to a woman, who hates the notion of showing affection, especially when she realizes that her behavior is incestuous.
Plot Summary: In the beginning of chapter eight, it starts off with showing the growing lust between Amaranta and Aureliano Jose. The start to play games of lust and infatuation with each other, and that leads to the increase in tension between them. They even almost got caught kissing once, which snapped Amaranta into reality, and she realized that it had to stop. Amaranta eventually started barring her door, so that he would not come in. Aureliano during this time, was off fighting different battles, with no real reason to them. He took Aureliano Jose with him, but he deserted them and came back home. He would always keep persisting, but eventually gave up and would take different girls to Pilar's house to sleep with them. But Pilar told him one day to not leave the house, because she knew something was going to happen to him. A man of the conservative army shot him. But Pilar knew that if he wouldn't have gone he would have lived, and married the woman who was waiting for him.
Quotes: "I don't care if they're born as armadillos, " he begged. (pg. 149) This shows Aureliano Jose's determination that he wants to marry his aunt, despite the fact that it may be incest or wrong in the eyes of others in his family.
"Go to hell friend," he answered. This shows General Moncada that he is upset with the way Colonel Aureliano has been acting. That he sees him turning into a tyrant right before his eyes, he is no longer the same man.
Themes: In the chapter some of the most apparent themes are change and one sided love. Aureliano Jose is very much in love with Amaranta, but she does not return the love, even though she comes very close to doing so. He eventually realizes that this won't happen and gives up in trying to pursue in loving her. Colonel Aureliano changes, he goes from a somewhat fair man to a tyrant. He was even going to kill one of his good friends over some trivial issue. Ursula however manages to show him the error of his ways. And he gives way to letting his friend off the hook. So he actually changes back the man he was, and lets his virtues, or whatever he has that is close to them, show once again.

Chapter Nine (3/13/07)

Magic Realism: In this chapter Aureliano is having visions, as he has always had, about what will happen next in his life, he had visions of various things. But in this chapter, even at his old age he is still having visions about the war and other things. Ursula in this chapter sees the ghost of Jose Arcadio Buendia, she sees him walking about the house as if he were still alive, and as if he didn't even die.
Character Development: In chapter nine Colonel Aureliano changes from a man who is indifferent about the war, to a man who grows to detest it all together. He can't even stand to hear the mention of the war. He came to resent all things he once stood for. Amaranta also changes in this chapter, she use to at least value Colonel Marquez, but then she grew to resent the very idea of him. When he would come around, she told him to just go away and to forget about her.
Plot Summary: In chapter nine Aureliano becomes more secluded, he starts to care less and less about the war, and himself as well. Colonel Marquez was trying to pursue Amaranta more and more. She keeps rejecting his attempts over and over. But when they leave, Aureliano and Marquez, to go forth on another task, and the task comes to an end, Aureliano tries to kill himself. He fails at this however, and this turns him into a man literally dead on the inside.
Quotes: "Let's forget about each other forever," she told him. "We're too old for this sort of stuff." (pg.163).This stands out to me, because it shows Amaranta's determination to turn down Marquez. Even though she might want to be with him, it's as though she won't give herself the chance to be happy.
"You can't come in colonel," she told him. "You may be in command of your war, but I'm in command of my house." (pg. 165). This shows that Ursula is determined to keep things in order within her house, even though things out side in the world may be falling apart.
Themes: Themes in chapter nine is resignation. Colonel Aureliano gives up on the war and on his life in general. He starts to give up on the war, and he doesn't even want to hear anything about it anymore. He gave up on his life when he tried to kill himself. He failed, so he gave up on living and just walked on about life as though he were not there anyway. Amaranta gives up on trying to have happiness. She figures that she went through most of her life in misery, and since that's all she knows, she decides to continue on is such that way. She shows this by turning down the man he loves, when he asks to marry her over and over again.

Chapter Ten (3/15/07)

Magical Realism: In chapter ten Aureliano Segundo was able to see the ghost of Melquiades, and was also able to talk to him, particularly conversing with about his predictions that he wrote down years ago. Also When Aureliano Segundo grew up and was sleeping with Petra Cotes, he said the animals were multiplying to fast because of some magic that came from his sleeping with her. Also it's hard to believe that Remedios the Beauty was able to put man in a trance by the man taking a mere look at her, and they would be put under her spell for the rest of their life.

Character Development: In chapter ten the twins are the two that change the most. They each take on their own identity, no longer acting the same. Jose Arcadio Segundo becomes more involved in religious activity then anything else, while his brother Aureliano Segundo gets involved in Melquiades' studies. They both started off with the same exact personality, but grew into two totally different people. They no longer shared the bond that kept them together anymore, they grew into two opposites.

Plot summary: In chapter ten the twins are growing up. They each start to develop their own personalities. One becomes involved in religion, the other in Melquiades' work. The chapter describes in minor detail how they each progress into their own likings, but when they grow older they each share a common interest in one thing, and that is Petra Cotes. They both start to sleep with her, but after a certain 'private incident' Jose Arcadio Segundo stops sleeping with her, and leaves her for his brother. As they get older, Aureliano Segundo starts to raise animals and raffles them off, this brings him a great deal of money. Jose Arcadio Segundo gets an outrageous ides to try and start bringing ships through Macondo, but his idea fails. During a carnival when Remedios the beauty wins queen, an uprising breaks out and Fernanda gets hurt. Ursula takes care of her. When she leaves to go home Aureliano Segundo goes to her house to find her to marry her.

Quotes: "That's what your great-father did," Ursula said. "He used to talk to himself too."(pg. 184). This signifies to me that the family passes down it's eccentricities from one generation to the other, as if it is a curse that is doomed to be passed down as long as a Buendia live.

"It's better that way," she approved. "Let's hope that he becomes a priest so that God will finally come into this house." (pg. 185). This shows that Ursula feels that there is some kind of curse that is ruining her family because so many bad things keeps repeating themselves over to different people of the family.

Themes: A theme in this chapter that is the most apparent is that of change. The twins change into entirely different people the from what they once were. They change into their own individuals, but they also change into the people they are meant to be by fate, which ultimately was decided upon way before they were born.