The General and His Labyrinth
The General and His Labyrinth
Memorialized as one of South America's greatest liberators, General Simon Bolivar led the wars to independence for Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. With the strength of passion and heartbreak of true love, Bolivar succeeded as a liberator, but fell short in his ultimate dream to unify his beloved continent. In his fictional novel, "The General and His Labyrinth", Gabriel Garcia Marquez narrates the General's two year journey down the Magdalena River from Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia to the sea. Throughout his voyage, the General recalls historical memories, powerful emotions, and passionate nights. Though Marquez's account of Bolivar's final two years of life is fictional, he captures many of his "larger than life" qualities through impressive stories of invincibility and unbelievable assassination escapes. Consistent with historical records, Marquez portrays Bolivar as a bold man with unsurpassed leadership skills who fought for his country and won. Symbolic of failure and a changing state of mind, Marquez inflicts a fictional, nameless disease upon the General. His overall attitude of frustration and exhaustion in the novel are owed, in large part, to his old age and growing sickness. The fluctuating severity of the General's disease parallels the varying degrees of confidence and hope that he has in himself, his future, and his dream of unity. Bolivar's real life memories are confused with hallucinations and sweetened with the creative touches of Garcia Marquez. Similar to other South American heroes, Simon Bolivar is dually loved and hated by all. His almost mythical victories, tragic flaws, and seemingly unattainable goal of total unity culminate to form the mysterious dynamic of his character as a conqueror, failure, fighter, and lover. At the beginning of the novel, Jose Palacios, the General's oldest servant, finds Bolivar floating in a bathtub naked with his eyes open in a trance- like state.
Memorialized as one of South America's greatest liberators, General Simon Bolivar led the wars to independence for Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. With the strength of passion and heartbreak of true love, Bolivar succeeded as a liberator, but fell short in his ultimate dream to unify his beloved continent. In his fictional novel, "The General and His Labyrinth", Gabriel Garcia Marquez narrates the General's two year journey down the Magdalena River from Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia to the sea. Throughout his voyage, the General recalls historical memories, powerful emotions, and passionate nights. Though Marquez's account of Bolivar's final two years of life is fictional, he captures many of his "larger than life" qualities through impressive stories of invincibility and unbelievable assassination escapes. Consistent with historical records, Marquez portrays Bolivar as a bold man with unsurpassed leadership skills who fought for his country and won. Symbolic of failure and a changing state of mind, Marquez inflicts a fictional, nameless disease upon the General. His overall attitude of frustration and exhaustion in the novel are owed, in large part, to his old age and growing sickness. The fluctuating severity of the General's disease parallels the varying degrees of confidence and hope that he has in himself, his future, and his dream of unity. Bolivar's real life memories are confused with hallucinations and sweetened with the creative touches of Garcia Marquez. Similar to other South American heroes, Simon Bolivar is dually loved and hated by all. His almost mythical victories, tragic flaws, and seemingly unattainable goal of total unity culminate to form the mysterious dynamic of his character as a conqueror, failure, fighter, and lover. At the beginning of the novel, Jose Palacios, the General's oldest servant, finds Bolivar floating in a bathtub naked with his eyes open in a trance- like state.