Cien Años - End

So I think I’ll talk about change. We witness Macondo transforming from when the first humble houses were established into the throes of a violent modernization. Initially, the town becomes rooted into the ground with the first births of children and the first burials of the dead, then eventually it becomes drawn into the reach of governmental authority with the arrival of the magistrate, and tainted by political colours which draw the men out into a protracted and pointless war. The foreign influences that flow into Macondo increase in volume and have further points of origin; from the strange and enchanting objects peddled intermittently by gypsies to the permanent market of goods of increasing technological sophistication. These products have profound impacts on daily life; the light bulb lengthens the day and the train enables rapid and far-reaching transportation. The arrival of the gringos – with their cultural impositions and labour exploitation – seem to signal the beginning of the end.

However, how many of these changes are, in a way, superficial? Have they actually altered the character of the people, the way they interact with each other, or the way they perceive everyday life? I’ll give an example; say that a McDonalds is built outside of the US in an otherwise un-corporate town. Though I'd say this is a bad thing for the negative impacts that it would have on local people, I disagree with those who call this total Americanization, a cultural disaster, a signal that the world is becoming homogenous. This underestimates how strong and deep local cultural meanings and values are. Likewise, I was interested to see in class when we made our list of “cambios” and “continuidades” that the latter category was bigger, that more remained the same. That recurring characteristics, enduring practices, persistent obsessions, and eternal circumstances carry on as if written into the landscape upon which all of this flux occurs. Some things may change, but through it all what is essential about Macondo and its characters remains intact.

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