Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera is a story in which the reader quickly takes the side of the underdog, Florentino Ariza, whose devastating love (68) for Fermina Daza comes to overshadow every aspect of his life. In sharp contrast with the womanizer Dr. Juvenal Urbino, Florentino Ariza is, "very thin, with Indian hair plastered down with scented pomade and eyeglasses for myopia, which added to his forlorn appearance" (54). As the novel progresses, the reader sees that the love Florentino has for Fermina Daza cannot compare to that of Dr. Urbino. However, when Fermina claims that her love for Florentino was, "nothing more than an illusion" (102), the reader's heart breaks with Florentino's. Despite Florentino's everlasting love, he doesn't seem to be good enough for Fermina. However, Fermina's character is a bit more complex than it seems. When her mother dies when Fermina is only a young child, she is prematurely forced into adulthood. She learns that being dependent on someone can only lead to disappointment, thus making it impossible to put complete faith in a man she only knows to be a telegraph operator and a violinist. When her Aunt Escolastica is forced to leave her, she once again experiences feelings of solitude. Only after this loss does she realize that, "one could be happy not only without love, but despite it" (87).
Fermina has trained herself to be a distant person. According to Hildebranda, Fermina’s cousin, Fermina was an “old maid of twenty” and “devoted to killing time” (129-130). Fermina attempts to occupy her mind doing menial chores in order to fill the gap of loneliness in her life. Similarly, she used Florentino as an outlet for her isolation. However, unknowingly, her curiosity turned into feelings of love. “These unexpected, almost childish antics caused an unfamiliar curiosity in Fermina Daza, but for several months it did not occur to her that it could go any further” (58). Once she sees that she is being dependent on another individual, Fermina becomes scared.
The relationship between Fermina Daza and her father is also key to understanding Fermina’s character. The death of Fermina’s mother causes Lorenzo Daza to change his state of mind. His goal was to, “turn his daughter into a great lady” (81). Lorenzo Daza’s desire to protect Fermina also leads to his increased strictness. He has an idealized vision for his daughter. With his expectations set so high, Fermina simply cannot afford to be second best. Once Florentino Ariza appears in the picture, Lorenzo Daza must do all that he can to protect his daughter from the potential distraction.
The many people that come in and out of Fermina Daza’s life greatly shape her character. She becomes self-sufficient, distant, and even at times, unsympathetic. She attempts to disguise her love for Florentino to hide her weakness, leading her to deal with that mistake for the next fifty years of her life. Her father’s desire for perfection weakens her morale, and even transforms her into a machine. Fermina's disposition becomes so cold that Florentino's vow of "perfect fidelity and his everlasting love" (61) is not quite enough (522).
3 comments:
Manasi Soni, I particularly enjoyed your characterization of Fermina. You bring up some good points, which many people fail to realize. She has had to endure a childhood different from most and this has helped shape her in ways that most cannot perceive. As you get further along in the novel, you will get a fuller understanding of Fermina.
HiDef--you, along with many others, have been graced with the wisdom of the learned Prof. Khera, but you are the only one I've seen who's heard from Mike Ouye, an online advertising salesman in the Bay area of California, whose hobbies apparently include clubbing and video games.
As to Fermina, you said, "She becomes self-sufficient, distant, and even at times, unsympathetic." I think you're the only one so far who has tried to work out a theory to explain why Fermina does what she does and how her influences have shaped her. Good job.
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