Character Analysis of Úrsula Iguarán Buendía Bridget Yeager College

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, documents both the triumphs and tribulations of a village called Macondo and its founders, the Buendía family. José Arcadio Buendía and his wife, Úrsula Iguarán, establish Macondo in early nineteenth century Colombia. The novel closely follows the couple and their descendants, spanning six generations, each as complex as the next. Although the story presents a linear organization on the surface, the structure of the novel is more circular. Names, personalities, events, and relationships repeat themselves within the Buendía family. Úrsula, who lives to be well over 100 years old, is the woman who most fully recognizes that her family’s time in Macondo is simply a repetitive loop driven by solitude. She describes this loop, saying, “It’s as if time had turned around and we were back at the beginning” (193). Although some may consider her old age to be a blessing, it is also a terrible curse. A centenarian, Úrsula endures immense suffering as her descendants repeat their ancestors' mistakes.

Despite her family’s troubled nature, Úrsula is responsible for the survival and the longevity of the family name. She is a strong character who excels in her roles as the Buendía...