Previous
Oxymorons
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Widowhood:
Márquez uses the surprising and paradoxical notion of a “widow whose husband had still not died” to characterize the difficulties that threaten to undermine the marriage between Fernanda del Carpio and Aureliano Segundo. As Aureliano Segundo begins to transfer his life to the home of his lover, Petra Cotes, Márquez writes that:
First, with the pretext of taking the burden off his wife, he transferred his parties. Then, with the pretext that the animals were losing their fertility, he transferred his barns and stables. Finally, with the pretext that it was cooler in his concubine’s house, he transferred the small office [...] When Fernanda realized that she was a widow whose husband had still not died, it was already too late for things to return to their former state. Aureliano Segundo barely ate at home and the only appearances he put in, such as to sleep with his wife, were not enough to convince anyone.
Here, Márquez characterizes Fernanda as a “widow whose husband had still not died,” a paradox given that a widow is, by definition, a woman whose husband has died. By using this paradoxical phrase, then, Márquez implies that Aureliano Segundo is in some sense already dead to Fernanda, leaving her alone in their family home in a state similar to that of a widow.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Mistress and Wife :
Márquez uses a simile that paradoxically suggests that Aureliano Segundo is cheating on his mistress with his wife. After he temporarily returns to his family home following his near-death at the end of his eating contest with The Elephant, Márquez writes that:
He did recover, indeed, in less than a week, and two weeks later he was celebrating the fact of his survival with unprecedented festivities. He continued living at Petra Cotes’s but he would visit Fernanda every day and sometimes he would stay to eat with the family, as if fate had reversed the situation and had made him the husband of his concubine and the lover of his wife.
Previously, Aureliano Segundo had spent most of his time living in the home of Petra Cotes, his mistress, neglecting his wife, Fernanda del Carpio. After a near-death experience, however, he begins to spend more time with his wife, to the consternation of Petra. Here, Márquez writes, in a simile, that it was "as if fate had reversed the situation," making Aureliano Segundo "the husband of his concubine and the lover of his wife." In one of the many paradoxes that characterize Aureliano Segundo's marriage, he feels as though he is cheating on his mistress, to whom he has pledged loyalty, when he returns home to his legal wife.
Related Themes:
