Love in the Time of Cholera
Calling all you romantics and Marquez lovers...This is your home. How long would you wait for love?
Mr. Walsh was telling me about a friend who titled his story collection "Love in the Time of Caller ID"...very punny, I'd say...
Due Dates:
Blog #1: 12/16
Blog #2: 12/23
Blog #3: 1/6
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posted by Ms. Clapp @ 9:49 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
While reading Love in the Time of Cholera, I found that aging and death reappear many times throughout the novel. In the beginning, the topic is mentioned with the death of Jeremiah Saint-Amour who kills himself at the age of sixty because he does not want to get any older. Due to this reason, Dr. Urbino comes to the realization that he will soon die because of his old age. Therefore, his fears of aging provoke him to “begin taking secret medicines” so that death does not come to him. Through Dr. Urbino, Marquez suggests the idea that with old age comes physical decay. Dr. Urbino was once considered the strong, male figure in the family due to his authority. However, as he begins to age, he is reduced to a “child”. Fermina assumes the central authority in the family and begins taking care of him. This is demonstrated through the argument that takes place over the missing soap in the bathroom. Although Fermina realizes that it is her mistake, she remains arrogant until Dr. Urbino confesses that there indeed had been soap in the bathroom. Similarly, as Dr. Urbino grows older, his wife degrades him by forcing him to go to the bathroom like a woman. Dr. Urbino’s aging ultimately leads to his decay because he is completely dependent upon his wife for support.
The question I want to put out there is why do you think people are so afraid of aging and accepting the natural way of life?
Furthermore, the idea of age relates to the passage of time in the novel. Florentino still loves Fermina even though it has been thirty years since he had proposed to her. After Dr. Urbino’s death, he returns once more to propose to Fermina. However, she rejects him because she is still coping with the death of her husband. Florentino’s everlasting love for Fermina illustrates the idea that love is something worth waiting for in life. The effects of love cannot be forgotten even if leads to immense suffering. The effects of love correlate to the epidemic cholera because both of them result in suffering and sickness. Florentino’s obsession for Fermina causes him pain and suffering to the point that he is unable to endure it both physically and mentally.
Therefore, do you think that Marquez is suggesting that love in itself is a sickness that destroys the lives of people?
Overall, I felt like this novel was much easier to read than One Hundred Years of Solitude. Although there are still time shifts that occur, the language is very easy to understand.
Jeremiah Saint- Amour's death does cause the doctor to think about death and he even himself wonders about death and considered his close friends suicide as a good thing, calling him a "martyr". Dr. Juvenal is somewhat afraid of death by the his self medication and searches of methods for his developing forgetfulness. He does know that his death is unpreventable and when he dies, he does seem to accept it peacefully. The only regret he probably would have had was that he did not receive his last rites.
As far as people's fear of death , I think is partially due to the idea that people are afraid of not knowing what happens after death or the fear of not existing. People usually try to prevent natural aging as much as possible to not reach decrepitude and idleness. This is the case for Jermiah, who already suffers from being crippled. Aging would have caused him more physical problems.Even in our society people are always trying to prevent physical aging through medicines, surgery even diets.
Marquez does seem to show basic human behavior through these two characters in the beginning by showing their fear of death.
Florentino does express sickness similar to cholera when he waits for Fermina's response but it doesn't really destroy his life because he still continues to love Fermina after thirty years.He doesn't give up his love for her yet he still lives his life normally, even after she left and married Juvenal Urbino. His love is part obsessive by the way he can remeber the exact years , months dates of his love and always calls it everlasting. His mother even tells him to embrace the sickness that feels when he is young saying that it doesn't come around all the time. It seems that Marquez is suggesting that love is full of sickness if it is true love like Florentino's.
In 100 years of Solitude when something had some symbolic value it was usually emphasized and mentioned throughout the novel. I think that it is the seem in this novel as well.I have noticed that the parrot has been spoken of a few times. It seems that when it is mentioned something bad happens.For example, he humiliates Dr. Urbino when he refuses to speak in front of others, caused the firemen to destroy the house when in persuit of the parrot, and makes Dr. Urbino die when he tries to get the bird. Although Florentino gets rid of it eventually. I feel that the parrot might have some affilition with mischive or destruction.
Does anybody feel that the parrot might have some form of symbolic value or represents anything in the novel?
I had a different reaction toward how Fermina treats Dr.Urbino. I didn’t think Fermina “degrades” Dr.Urbino as he got older. I actually thought that she shows a lot of care and support for him. As Dr.Urbino grew older, he starts to lose his strength and mentality, and eventually comes to rely on his wife for support. She basically helps him do everything, bathe, cloth, and even fed him. At one point I actually thought it was humorous how Dr.Urbino gave up and admit there was soap in the bathroom when there wasn’t. It seems like a couple bickering, it didn’t really seem like a serious issue, just both parties refusing to admit their defeat. It mentions in the book how it was their “first real argument.” To me, it seems like a small deal, in contact to the book, if that was their first real argument, then their relationship must be pretty good. I didn’t get why Marquez choose Dr.Urbino to start off the story with. I thought he was the main character at first because from the beginning it was basically all about him. However when I went back to read the summary I realized that he wasn’t the main character. Why do you think Marquez wanted us to know about Dr.Urbino first, before actually introducing us the real male character Florentino?
To answer Neelam’s question about life and death, I think it’s a common fear around the world. I mean as a teenager we wouldn’t necessarily think of dying because we still have many years ahead of us.. However as people get older, and get into their older days, they start to reflect on their life. They start to think of all the things they have accomplished or have not accomplished yet. The thing they could have done, but did not. All the choices they have made whether good ones or bad ones. It’s those questions that add up to their fears of dying, to die without any accomplishment.
I noticed similarities in this book and One Hundred Years of Solitude. Time is never in chronicle order, there’s always flashbacks, events mention in the presen,t but the reader doesn’t know what happens until later in the story. The obvious one being the “love” between Florentino and Fermina. I can’t wait to read more of their “love” what happened between them. Florentino obviously still loves Fermina very much; however based on her reaction she had erased him off her memory.
I think the parrot might symbolize destruction or death like you said. When it escaped and went up the tree, the fire fighters had to come and rescue it. However when the couple came home they discover that not only was the parrot still out, but their house basically got destroyed. Also the parrot directly or indirect caused the death of Dr.Urbino. I have a feeling it's going to reappear later on in the story.
I agree with the insight given about death, love, and the parrot. The main reason I believe that Dr. Urbino and Jeremiah Saint-Amor were both afraid of death was because of the fact that they were afraid of loosing their lifestyles in some sort of way. When people begin to age they no longer rely on themselves but need the help of others in order to get things done. I believe that both men were in some sort of solitude, I'm not sure how exactly but Jeremiah Saint-Amor didn't really have someone that he could count on fully other than Dr. Urbino and his lover. Although these two people took the most part of his life they did not fully understand him to some extent. His lover seemed blinded by her love towards him that when he speaks to her about his death, she doesn't even try to stop him. I believe she wanted him alive but respected his choice to the extent that she let him die, which to me sounds ludicrous. Maybe this also combines the fact that love sometimes does make people blind and can become a sickness. People don't really see what is going on around them when they're in love. After Dr. Urbino found Jeremiah Saint-Amor's letter and went to meet his lover, he found out exactly how Jeremiah had planned his death and confided with her. He became outraged with the idea that she did not try to stop him and even gave the idea of reporting him. She replies saying "I could not do that... I loved him too much." (15)
But one thing that I didn't really understand was why Jeremiah had asked her to remember him with a rose. It just sounds strange to me. I believe that their may be a deeper meaning that is not yet revealed.
Anyways, getting to the parrot, in the beginning I actually thought that it could be some sort of friend to Dr. Urbino. Although he was just a little animal, he brought the Doctor happiness. Dr. Urbino had never liked any other animal especially after what happened to Fermina's animals he would never allow anything that could not speak to enter the house. This parrot was of great pride to him because he had put so much time and effort in order to teach him so many things. When the parrot becomes well known thats when I believe the bad luck began. The parrot embarrassed Dr. Urbino in front of the government officials, then how he escaped and then leading to Dr. Urbino's death. This probably happened because he might have felt used in some way. He did not want to cooperate with the humans because in some way he had taken the characteristics of a human. Like Katherine said, I too believe that the parrot may come back into the story somewhere along the line.
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I have noticed that in the beginning when Fermina and Florentino were younger they had a very passionte relationship even though they barely knew each other. They resembled Romeo and juliet, when they wrote to each other and proclaimed that they would never be able to live without each other even if they were seperated. Florentino worshipped Fermina and she likewise in her own way. The couple even went to the point of a secret engagement. They found ways to communicate behind Lorenzo Daza's disapproval.All these things would seem to support a true pure love yet when Fermina sets her eyes on Floretino after so long she just tells him to forget it. I think that she just had a childhood crush she mistaked for love and changed her personality when becoming a women but Floretino always should that he really loved her.
My question is why do you guys think fermina stopped loving Floretino and forgot about him and do you think this has any affect on her reluctance to accept Juvenal.
During the second part of the novel, Marquez primarily focuses on the relationship between Florentino and Fermina. I agree with Melissa on the idea that love can become transformed into a physical sickness. Despite the fact that Fermina rejects him many times, Florentino continues to pursue her. Fermina comes to the realization that her love for Florentino was an act of childishness. She did not truly love Florentino but instead it was a way for her to rebel against her father. Therefore, Fermina begins to ignore Florentino because she no longer has any desire for him. Florentino still maintains the hope that there is a possibility that one day Fermina may return to him. As time passes, Fermina moves on in her life and gets married to Dr. Urbino. I found it very interesting to note that Marquez establishes class distinctions and separations in this novel. Fermina’s father, Lorenzo prefers Dr. Urbino because he is well known and recognized in society as opposed to Florentino who has no title and money in society. Therefore, the question I had is why do you think Marquez deliberately chooses class distinctions in society?
Furthermore, I found it surprising that whenever a man is unable to attain or obtain his love then he resorts to lust or physical desire for compensation. This is shown by One Hundred Years of Solitude, where the Arcadio Buendias had many liaisons because they were never able to achieve their true love. Similarly, in the novel, Florentino sinks deep into depression as he learns that Fermina is married. Therefore, he begins to sleep with many women in order to forget his memories about Fermina and satisfy his emotional desire. Also, by doing this, he is able to alleviate his pain and suffering that result from his love sickness.
What do you think Marquez is suggesting by the idea that love can replaced temporarily by lust and sexual desire?
This second part of the book reminds me of the book The Great Gatsby that I read last year. In the book, Gatsby had loved Daisy ever since when he was a young man. His love for her doesn’t changed after many years, rather he buys a mansion where he can see a “green” light from her house across the river every day. His behavior is stalkish like just like how in this book Florentino sits at the bench in the park everyday waiting for Fermina. Their unwavering love for their lovers can be seem as obsessive While both female characters moves on and continues their love life, the two main characters lives in their own world, waiting, hoping that one day their love will return and reunite.
Before Fermina left she was a young girl who had no previous experience of love. I think it was just like puppy love for her, she was just interested because a guy shows romantic feelings for her, and it was not real love. When her father found out and threatened her, she held a knife on her throat; it’s just like throwing a fit because she didn’t get what she wants. The action shows her childish and immature side. After she returns and matures, she realizes that her love for Florentino was not real. It was all just an illusion. After she assumes the role and responsibility of her household and starts acting like a mature young woman she started to act like a woman, instead of a young girl.
The end of the book was very much like one of a fairy tale, the lovers finally got their wish of staying together for the rest of their lives.I was relieved and even happy to know that Florentino Ariza finally got to be with Fermina after about 50 years or more of waiting and sacrifice. He was completely in love with her even to the point of sickness which must refer to cholera.When ever he was sick such as when he waited for fermina's response and when he visited fermina at her home. He had some form of stomach issues which can be related to cholera symptons. Fermina, I thought slowly started to recover and recognize her love for Florentino slowly throughout the years, she too held to the memories of her passion when she was younger such as her vivid memory of Hildebranda's village and the emotions she felt each time she went to the telegram office there.I felt that she was just too stubborn to accept Florentino's love.If she had never really felt anything, she would have never behaved so akward during the moments she was near in public places. In way Florentino's and fermina's behaviour was like that of Darcy and Elizabeth's when they were forced to act with civility in front of people. When Florentino and Fermina were alone they loved each other more and fermina was even ashamed of being found alone with Florentino.Marquez like Austen were both aware of the influence of society in the world.
To everyone else, what did you think about the story? Was there anything interesting that you found in the story that you read.
I really enjoyed the ending because it wraps up all of events and situations in the novel. At the end of the novel, Marquez demonstrates what cholera signifies in society. Cholera is not just referred to as a plague that destroys the lives of many people but is also used symbolically to refer to love sickness. The symptoms of cholera correspond to the effects of love because it makes a person suffer intense pain. In Florentino’s case, he suffers both physically and emotionally from the illness because he is left longing for love for fifty years of his life. Marquez suggests the idea that Florentino is infected by love for Fermina, which continues to torment him just as cholera has plagued the society, and left its victims helpless. However, Marquez’s happy ending illustrates the idea that true love is worth waiting for despite the time. Florentino spent fifty years in search of Fermina’s love but this love helped altered him as a person. It is due to his passion for Fermina that Florentino obtains a job as a clerk at the River Company of the Caribbean rather than being an aimless wanderer. Although he does waste his life away for the sake of Fermina, his actions eventually provide him with happiness. At the end of the novel, Florentino falsely informs the Captain of the ship on which him and Fermina are on about the outbreak of cholera on the ship. Therefore, it is his love sickness that eventually allows him to be with Fermina. In a sense, Florentino succumbs to the disease that has been engulfing his life by submitting himself to Fermina and uniting with her once and for all.
Overall, Marquez suggests the idea that love is everlasting and it is never too late to fall in love. In both Florentino and Fermina’s case, though they are of old age and are about to die, they continue to love each other without society’s approval. They overcome their old age in order to fulfill their life long love. I was really surprised that Marquez believes in these ideas about love. After reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, I thought that Marquez’s work is focused on revealing the reality of the world. However, through this novel, he proves to be a romantic by emphasizing the importance of love in life and its ability to change people forever.
This certainly was not the ending I had in mind. After reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, where basically all the character dies, I was waiting for the death of Florentino and Ferminia. However, surprise, surprise, not only did they survive, well in a way, they ended up together. Despite all the obstacles and years, they finally got together in the end. It seems like a fairytale. When the captain raised the “yellow flag of cholera,” like what Neelam mention Florentino finally succumbed to the disease. After so many years of suffering and longing to be with Ferminia, he finally accomplished his goal. Even though raising the flag means they may never return to society, it’s a bitter sweet ending because at last the two lovers can finally love without the restrictions of society.
I’m not too sure if Marquez is suggesting that true love is everlasting that it’s never too late to fall in love. I feel that the idea of everlasting love in the book is unrealistic. I mean spending your whole life trying to obtain something so far out of reach. What if by some bad fate one of them dies or something happens? Is it really love that Florentino seeks, or is it just the journey that he wants? When Floretino realizes that Ferminia is married, he lost his sense of direction, his willingness to live. It is only after he decides that he must wait for Dr.Urbino to died, and then obtains Ferminias’ love that he has a purpose to live. Thus begin his journey of obtaining the social class and wealth that he deems worthy of Fermina.
Other than Fermina I think Leona is one of the only female that Florentino shares his love or rather gratitude toward. She’s like one of that second female character that stays by the main characters side and never asks for anything. Their relationship is pure and simple, unlike the others that Florentino had involved himself with. At first they were attracted toward one another in a sexual way, however by the end of the book Florention announces that they have “killed the tiger” meaning that the sexual tension between them is gone. What do you guys think of Leona Cassiani?
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