Gabriel Garcia Marquez Gender Roles Essay

It is no mystery that the women in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude center on their lives around home or sexual ventures. They have no interests in the politics or wars that surround the village of Macondo. They have no desire to pursue creative expression or ponder about reality like the men in the novel do. It could be that the incest taboo, which revolves around the family, is what keeps the women disengaged from outside concerns and more focused on their home environment and sexual escapades. Ursula spends a good chunk of her life trying to keep away incestuous behavior from polluting the family, yet it spreads like wildfire.

It is in fact the women who oppose the temptation of incest in fear of their offspring being born with defects such as a pig’s tail. But in a twist, the women confined in unorthodox relationships are generally more compassionate and overall happier than the other woman. Amaranta Ursula, Petra Cotes, and Rebeca are said examples of being in unusual relationships not conforming to what is generally believed or is
They are intended to reproduce and continue the bloodline of the Buendias family. Garcia Marquez is showing how plagued Latin America is with sexism. The women exploit their sexuality by using it as a weapon to manipulate men and hold power. Pilar Tenera is portrayed as the most sexual character in the novel. She has sexual relations with many of the Buendias men, being the first lover of many, and even bears some of their children. She exercises power through her sexual nature. Next to Ursula, she holds the most influence on the men and their lives in the Buendias family. She is practically an alternative mother to the Buendias men and onsets their adulthood by feeding their incestuous nature at a young age. Besides to fulfill their sexual desires, the men come to her for advice and