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Summary Of Melqu�ades In One Hundred Years Of Solitude

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A person is shaped by where he or she comes from. It affects who the person is and how the person interacts with others. In One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez, the mysterious origins of the gypsy Melquíades largely impacts his character and relationships. Unlike the Buendia family, it is unknown where Melquíades originated. His mysterious origins reflect his supernatural and magical characteristics, contributing to the novel’s magic realism.
In the beginning of the novel, since the first page, the readers are introduced to Melquíades as a gypsy who brings mysterious inventions and magical items to the village of Macondo. “A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquíades, put on bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemist of Macedonia” (Marquez 1). This description is the only piece of information pertaining to Melquíades’ character the readers receive when introduced to him, leading the readers to wonder where he came from and the obscurity of his origins. His origins are unknown and enigmatic even though he is most important character besides the Buendia family. As the readers progresses through the novel, they learn more of his mysterious origins and of the magical inventions he brings to Macondo, shaping Melquíades as a person of magical origins which allows him to perform magic. For example, to the readers, Melquíades distorts fantasy and reality with magic because he brings new inventions and items, such as a magnet, ice, and a magic carpet, fascinating the people of Macondo with what he brings. The magic carpet furthers the idea of his magical origin; if he has a magical item in his possession, he must be of magical origins to be able obtain and control such item. In addition, tales of his adventure throughout the world present Melquíades as a person of magic and wisdom, having “his immense wisdom and his mysterious breadth” (6). He had traveled all over the world, miraculously surviving from all the plagues and disasters he encountered. His character is further influenced by his mysterious origins when Melquíades returns to Macondo young and fit in contrast to his elderly appearance the

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