Chapter 15

Magical Realism

The way the town forgets about all the killings and deaths of the workers on strike is magical. It is possible to get rid of all evidence exposing the murderers but that shouldn't erase the memory of the whole massacre completely. The town doesn't suffer from short term memory lost anymore so to forget the whole event is magical.







Character

Jose Arcadio Segundo goes through the most change sin this chapter. He tries his best to help workers in a "funk" and ends up almost losing his life over it. But when trying to get back to the town and discuss the recent events with others his efforts are pointless. Then on top of that, he has to hide from the Republicans or he will die. He goes through a lot of suffering and depression all in one time period.









Summary

Continuing from Mauricio's death in the last chapter, Meme is deeply distraught and becomes mute. Fernanda tries to help by taking her back to the the town she grew up in, but Meme goes to a monastery only to think about Mauricio for the rest of he life. Meme is also with child from Mauricio, and the nuns from the monastery bring the child to the Buendia house when it's born. Fernanda is embarrassed by the illegitimate child and hides him in the barns and later claims he was found. Meanwhile Jose Segundo helps workers go on strike against the banana plantation. In response to their strike more laws are made, but this only causes an uproar in the worker who demolish the plantation. There seems progress after this because 3,000 workers are called to a meeting to fix all problems, but they are set up and killed. The remains are put on a train along with the captive Jose Segundo. He soon escapes by jumping of the train. When returning to Mocondo he sees that an
y evidence to the recent events are gone and no one believes him when in pursuit to convince the towns people otherwise. The a rainfall comes that destroys anything else to prove the bloodbath. Yet the government still destroy all workers and deny their actions. Segundo is the last to be tracked and they catch up to him hiding in Melquiades old laboratory which hasn't changed. They are so caught up in the appearance of it that they don't see Segundo hiding. He is now scared of the outside world and hides in the gypsies room studying.

Quote

"Well tell them that we found him floating in a basket," she said smiling.

"No one will believe it," the nun said

"If they believe it in the bible." Fernanda replied, "I don't see why they shouldn't believe it from me."

This conversation between the nun and Fernanda is significant to showing how she is ashamed of meme and the illegitimate child, so she lies to hide his true identity.

Theme

Block out- This is the theme of the chapter because everyone refuses to remember the massacre that just took place and are block out any memory of it that is in their presence all because of the Republicans.