Wednesday, November 21, 2007

The Historical Context of Love in the Time of Cholera

It is nearly impossible for people living in the present day to fully comprehend the cultures and lifestyles of those in the past or in different parts of the world. People living under democracies are closed to the idea of living under communist rule or a dictator. People whose cultures and religions allow them to date and choose their own partners don’t understand arranged marriages. People who have never lived through a civil war can’t fathom what it is like to have war that close to home. And people who live in a society that has a three tier class system don’t understand the extreme division between the lower and upper class, not only economically but socially, in other parts of the world. In Love in the Time of Cholera, it is a challenge as a reader to look past what we see as the ‘norms’ of society, and read the book with and understanding of the historical context. It is for that reason that I decided, after having a hard time understanding the characters and their lifestyles, to do some research.

From my research, I learned that Love in the time of Cholera is set in an unnamed city of Columbia, located along the Caribbean coast. This land was first found in 1533, by Pedro de Heredia, a Spaniard. Columbia was under Spanish rule during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, with the native populations forced into slavery, or a sort of indentured servitude. In the early 1800’s, when France invaded Spain, Columbia threw out its Spanish officials, and the Republic of Columbia was born. Although free of their rule from Spain, Columbia then entered a period of civil unrest. The Liberal and Conservative parties battled over the government, the church, and the sharing of power between the two. Because of these disagreements, Columbia suffered civil wars from 1840 to 1842, and 1899 to 1902, during which internal political struggles consumed the country, allowing for little trade or international relations. Finally in 1991 a constitution was adopted with a system close to that of the United Sates. Columbia now has a diversified economy, with exports such as oil, textiles, clothing, chemicals, and coffee, and is slowly becoming known for more than its most notorious export, cocaine.

Love in the Time of Cholera takes place from the late 1800’s to around 1930 – the time in which Columbia transitions from the colonial to the modern period. It is important for the reader to understand that the country has undergone and is undergoing civil wars throughout the story, and that there are still slave quarters along the coast, filled by the large lower class, and separated socially from the upper class. Gabriel García Márquez comments often upon the lifestyles of the “poor mulattoes”, making them seemingly uncivilized and barbaric. He states that “During the weekend they danced without mercy, drank themselves blind on home-brewed alcohol, made wild love among the icaco plants, and on Sunday at midnight they broke up their own party with bloody free-for-alls.” (17). On the other hand, the upper class, for example Dr. Urbino, were part of the old colonial elite, and kept hold to their power during and after the revolution. There is little or no communication between those of the different social classes, and when there is communication, it is not often accepted.

Fermina Daza comes from a family that is seeking a higher social standing, and in the culture she has grown up in, does not have the opportunity to marry for love, but rather for money. When Florentino Ariza begins to court Fermina, her father does not want her having any communication with him, for he is not seen as good enough for her. This is hard to understand growing up in the society in which most of the students at PCDS have. Most of us are allowed to date, and are going to be given the opportunity to choose who we want to marry, despite their religion, race, or social class. Even though Florentino and Fermina are ‘in love’, they will never have the opportunity to be together, because Fermina’s father will never allow it. And one day, when Fermina is older and understands the difference between social classes in her culture, she will marry for money and reputation (to Dr. Urbino) rather than for love. Without having a clear understanding of the time period in which this novel takes place, and the culture surrounding that time, it would be difficult as a reader to understand why the Fermina is not allowed to marry Florentino, and why their love is not socially accepted and therefore, secretive.