CONFLICT

Protagonist

There is no one protagonist in this novel. It is the story of a family, the Buendías. Collectively, the family is the protagonist. Certain characters have a greater role in the actions of the family than others, but no one is the focus of the narrative.

Antagonist

If there is an antagonist in One Hundred Years of Solitude, it is the past. What finally marks the end of the family is the fulfillment of a family prophecy that incest would result in the birth of a child with a pig’s tail.

Climax

The climax occurs at the end of the novel with the translation of Melquíades’ parchment. The parchment is the story of the Buendías; when the translator reaches the point in the parchment that he is reading the parchment (he is reading himself), a storm comes and destroys the house.

Outcome

The Buendías, their memory, their house, and the city are destroyed.

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