Solitude

The dominant theme of the novel, as evident from the title, is solitude. Each character has his or her particular form of solitude. Here solitude is not defined as loneliness, but rather a fated seclusion by space or some neurotic obsession. In fact, the danger of being marked by solitude is its effect on others. "If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by yourself!" Ursula tells her husband. One form of solitude is that of madness - the first Jose Arcadio's solitude is being tied to a tree, speaking in a foreign tongue, and lost in thought. The ultimate expression of solitude, however, is Colonel Aureliano's achievement of absolute power, an "inner coldness which shattered his bones." Consequently, he orders a chalk circle to be marked around him at all times - nobody is allowed near him. Amaranta is another extreme example. Her coldness is...