100 Years of Solitude Chapters 11-15

4. Arrival of modern inventions in Macondo
The arrival of inventions was definitely a big impact on the town. It shows how much the town expanded, from the citizens not being able to remember what thing were, to actually having modern inventions arrive. It probably seemed like magic to them, because they haven’t seen it before, and it doesn’t fit into what they see as reality. It started with them all being amazed by the electric bulbs. Next they were able to go to the movies, use the phonograph, telephone, ticket window. All these inventions had mixed results on the town; some people didn’t know how to feel because they’ve never seen it before. Some were excited, some were disappointed, no one really knew what reality was any more. If more and more inventions are brought into Macondo, it will change their whole perspective in how they live their lives. The importance of these new inventions being brought into the towns was it could change how they perceive what the view as being real. I think that if we kept getting new inventions in our society today, we would perceive it as being different, by taking our chances in trying them out. If these inventions are successful, then someone will make a newer and improved version. With improved technology, it will be easier to make more products.

7. Ursula clairvoyance
Ursula grows very old quickly, and has been going blind. It was interesting how the author described how she was going blind, “She did not put the blame on her staggering old age or the dark clouds that barely permitted her to make out the shape of things.” When she was going blind, no one would notice. On page 236 it said, “She did not tell anyone about it because it would have been a public recognition of her uselessness. She concentrated on a silent schooling in the distances of things and people’s voices, so that she would still be able to see with her memory the shadows of the cataracts no longer allowed her to. Later on she would discover the unforeseen help of odors, which were defined in the shadows with a strength that was much more convicting than that of bulk and color, and which saved her finally from the shame of admitting defeat. In the darkness of the room she was able to thread a needle and sew a buttonhole and she knew when the milk was about to boil. She knew with so much certainty the location of everything that she herself forgot that she was blind at times. On one occasion Fernanda had the whole house upset because she had lost her wedding ring, and Ursula found it on a shelf in the children’s bedroom. Quite simply, while the others were going carelessly all about, she watched them with her four senses so that they never took her by surprise, and after some time she discovered that every member of the family, without realizing it, repeated the same path every day, the same actions, and almost repeated the same words at the same hour.” I think that Ursula was pretty intelligent in how she used her senses to figure out what was going on. Even though she couldn’t see, that didn’t stop her from doing her normal activities each day. She would still sew, and communicate with her family. Her clairvoyance was impressive; she was able to see beyond her senses. She was able to make images by seeing with her memory of things and people’s voices. Even though her family didn’t notice that she was becoming blind, she still tried her best to notice them, by using her remaining senses.