Memo lines

“FOREVER..” When the CAPTAIN SAMARITANO asked them if how long will they
keep their love, and Florentino said forever. It shows his commitment amidst their old
age. And there, the captain concludes that life, not death is limitless.

Per page basis

PAGE 1
● Overview of the novel
● Happened in the cholera epidemic 1800s to 1900s
● Short background of Gabriel Jose Garcia Marquez “GABO”
● El Amor En Los Tiempos del Colera - SPANISH (1985)
● Love in the Time of Cholera- (1988)
● Influenced in writing by his grandparents
● Colonel Nicolas Mejia- POLITICS and Dona Tranquilina-
SUPERSTITIONS
PAGE 2
● Parents of Marquez
● Gabriel Eligio Garcia- PHARMACIST
● Luisa Iguaran- HOUSEWIFE
PAGE 3
● Historical Context (cholera epidemic)
● Family history (His father experienced disapproval from Luisa’s parents)
PAGE 4
● SUMMARY
● Themes of UNREQUITED LOVE, LOVE AS A DISEASE, UNDYING LOVE
PAGE 5
● Character Analysis
● Florentino Ariza- male protagonist who waited for 50 years, for the woman of
his dreams, Fermina.
● Florentino's love is so strong, and it challenges the usual ideas about age
and love.
PAGE 6
● Fermina Daza- primary love interest of Florentino
● Independent and strong
● Societal norms
● Dr. Juvenal Urbino- practical, social standards
PAGE 7
● Lorenzo Daza- father of Fermina (strict, controlling and authoritative)
PAGE 8, 9 and 10
● Narrative Styles and Techniques
● Magical Realism
● In media res, flashbacks
 ● Metaphors and allegories to mean more than what's on the surface.
Metaphors, like Florentino's love letters representing his lasting commitment,
make abstract ideas easier to understand by giving them concrete examples.
The story also has allegorical parts, where characters and events stand for
bigger themes.
PAGE 11
● Symbolism- Love is a disease
● Cholera isn't just a sickness; it stands for the messed-up and crazy side of
love.
PAGE 12 and 13
● Critique- The narrative suggests that love is not bound by age and requires
patience and persistence. This portrayal challenges societal constructs and
traditional beliefs about love. The novel portrays love as a powerful force,
akin to a disease, yet worth the risk and the wait.
● Their reunion symbolizes the idea that true love can withstand the test of
time and external obstacles.
Genre
Magical Realism
Where Florentino waited for 50 years and it shows his undying love which is the
abnormal concept. Because who would have wait for the same person in 50 years?
Also, Florentino had a sexual affairs for more than 600 women including minor with
14 years old- Americana Vicuna. And Leona Casiani as the oldest where she viewed
Florentino as his son.
It is also a magical realism even if Marquez did not use supernatural elements but
the characters personality and what they did along the plot reveals the magical
realism itself.

Themes
On page 4, I put there the theme of love as a disease. This means that his feelings
of love are so strong and overwhelming that they affect him like an illness. The
author uses this idea to show how love can be intense, cause suffering, and change
a person over time. And it requires strong commitment. Knowing that Florentino
waited for 50 years, I can say that love really is a disease. If you’re truly in love with
someone, regardless of how many affairs and relationships you had to forget that
person, you will always come back to him/ her.

Choose your best character

The character that I loved the most is Florentino. He is the representation that
nothing is impossible. He waited for 50 years, being jealous, ashamed of who he
was because of how Fermina and Urbino is portrayed by the society, but he keeps
on doing things for his betterment so that Fermina will have a chance to notice him
that he was improving. Also, amidst the feeling of loneliness, he tried to escape from
it– tho having affairs with widows and minors, but he keeps on thinking about
Fermina all his life. I can say that he is genuinely in love. And his enduring love does
not change despite passage of time. HE IS FAITHFUL IN SPIRIT, NOT IN FLESH.

The character that I like least is DR. JUVENAL URBINO

He seems so practical that his wife have to act decently, without any freedom
especially with the mother of Dr. Urbino because they are controlling. He He seems
to be not in love with Fermina because he only married him for the sake of societal
expectations. And thus, he had an affair with Barbara Lynch.

What does a character represent in terms of themes

FLORENTINO ARIZA
● Florentino's character explores the theme of romantic idealism and the
transformative power of love. His long wait for Fermina becomes a metaphor
for the endurance of true love despite the passage of time.
FERMINA DAZA
● Fermina Daza represents the practical and pragmatic aspects of love. Initially
rejecting Florentino's advances, she chooses a more conventional path by
marrying Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Throughout the novel, she grapples with societal
expectations and her own understanding of love.
● Fermina's character delves into themes of societal norms, the evolution of
love within marriage, and the complexities of personal choice. Her journey
reflects the challenges of reconciling societal expectations with individual
desires.
DR. JUVENAL URBINO
● Dr. Juvenal Urbino embodies the rational and scientific approach to life. As a
successful and accomplished man, he represents the societal norms of his
time and the pursuit of progress and order.
● Dr. Urbino's character is intertwined with themes of societal expectations, the
clash between tradition and modernity, and the limitations of a purely rational
approach to life and love. His marriage to Fermina is marked by both stability
and challenges.

TECHNIQUES USED BY THE AUTHOR

He used the technique “In media res” because in his novel, he first presented the
present lives of the character where DR. Urbino died from reaching the parrot in a
mango tree, and Fermina who grieved from his loss. And later on, they recount their
past of where and when did Fermina and Florentino met, and how did Florentino
developed this undying love for her that lasted for 50 years.

What is the novel all about?

The novel is about the lifelong love story between Florentino Ariza and Fermina
Daza. The narrative explores the complexities of love, time, and relationships,
spanning over 50 years in a Caribbean town. The characters navigate through the
challenges of unrequited love, societal expectations, and the passage of time,
offering a profound exploration of human emotions and the enduring nature of true
love.

What chapter
CHAPTER 1 DR. JUVENAL URBINO POV
● The death of Jeremiah De Saint Amour
● Present life of Fermina Daza at 72 and his husband, Urbino, 81
CHAPTER 2
● Introduces Florentino
● He courted Fermina through the help of Escolastica, Fermina’s aunt
● Florentino is honored to die for love when he was threatened by Lorenzo
Daza.
● Fermina return and told Florentino that her love for him was just an illusion.
CHAPTER 3
● Urbino was portrayed as a perfect suitor
● Florentino realized that sexual experiences might be able to replace his love
for Fermina.
● 682 long-term sexual affairs
CHAPTER 4
● Fermina and Urbino married
● Florentino was ashamed (found Leona Cassiani/ 20 years older)
● Fermina has a son, Marco Aurelio
CHAPTER 5
● Fermina found out that his husband is having an affair with Barbara Lynch
● Florentino had an affair with America Varon (14 yrs old that sooner committed
suicide because he failed his exam)
CHAPTER 6
● Florentino began writing letters to Fermina
● They began to reunite again after 50 years of waiting

If there is a movie adaptation (cite the differences)

The novel has a movie adaptation in 2007 directed by MIKE NEWELL.
● The movie does not emphasize more the internal struggles of the characters
and emotions as of the novel.

Did you think the movie justify the novel?

I don't think so, because I haven’t watched the movie. But as I scroll on the movie
reviews, there were some that are disappointed because they didn’t emphasize the
inner struggles and emotions of the characters than of what’s in the novel.