Active Reading Blog

Chapters 3 through 6 are about the growth and expansion of Macondo as well as the Buendia family. After the arivial of Amaranta, JAB's youngest child, a strange orphan appears outside of the Buendia home. The note that came with the child claimed that her parents are dead and she is a second cousin of Urusla. She is welcomed into the Buendia family with open arms and named Rebecca, after her desceased mother. Unknown to JAB and the rest of his family, Rebecca is infected with insomnia. She will eventually give the desease to the Buendia's and the rest of Macondo. Rebecca also has the disgusting habbit of eating dirt and wall chippings. She is temporaily cured of this habbit by Ursula but will eventually continue in times of nerviousness.
Another new arrival to the Buendia family is Jose Arcadio's illegitimate son, Arcadio the third. After being delivered by Pilar Ternera he is hastily taken in by Ursula and eventually becomes like a brother to both Rebecca and Amaranta.

During much of chapter 3 Macondo is suffering from the effects of insomnia. Because insomnia causes amnesia the entire village begins to forget the names of objects. To resolve this JAB begins to label all of his possessions, shortly after the entire villlage is covered in labels. The insomnia is finally cured when Melquíades the gypsey meraciously returns to the village. He gives JAB the antidote and the village returns to normal. After the insomnia epidemic Ursula realized that her family needed more room. She constructed large additions to her house to accomidate her family and decendants. Upon completion a government official by the name of Don Apolinar Moscote arrived in town and demanded that all houses be painted white. After a confrontation with JAB Don backed down but brought his family to the village. Aureliano falls in love with the magistrates daughter at the same time Rebecca false in love with an Italian paino maker. Unfortunately JAB hates Don and Amaranta is jealous of Rebecca. In the end Aureliano marries Dons daughter Remedios but Rebeccas marrage falters when she falls in love with Jose Arcadio. Because of this Pietro Crespi the piano maker tries to get with Amaranta but she denies him and he commits suecide. To make matters worse JAB goes insane, and Melquiades and Remedios die.