The Role Of Prostitution In One Hundred Years Of Solitude

In One Hundred Years of Solitude, women are often demonstrated as ignorant people of the outside world, but they possess characteristics of innocence, virginity, and old age which permit them supernatural intuition and insight. Their major function is reproduction so that they can continue generations of children within the family. Their highest forms of power is to be guardians of the household and Garcia Marquez represents women in the novel with similar roles of the columbian society. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Garcia Marquez is not a feminist, but a sexist who depict women with stereotypical expectations causing them to be incapable of complete independence.
The knowledge accessible to women is demonstrated as a perplexing combination
Every male member of the Buendia family has at one time relied on the women of Macondo to provide them with sexual release. Pilar is displayed as the grotesque replica of Ursula who manages to become one hundred forty five years old and “never refused the countless men that sought her out... Without giving her money or love and only occasionally pleasure” (pg. 156). This implies that women do not always seek compensation for their bodies. However, in many cases, they seek money or love of a man. For example, Nigromanta demanded payment from Aureliano when she realized that she can not conquer him. Whereas men have inherent values through their capacity to work, prostitution is the only value women have outside of marriage and due to this, they are prone abuse, as indicated by the girl who burned down her grandmother's house and had to work as a whore to pay it back. Also, after the town was devastated by floods, Petra Cortes helped Aureliano support his wife and children, while starving herself. However, when Aureliano had died, she decided to move in with Aureliano's widow and become her servant which demonstrates that even after the man has died, the woman must remain a servant to the