The essays to the right were written by high school seniors. Over the course of six weeks, they read, discussed, and researched Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. I served as a guide through this process, not a source. I provided the direction, not the route. They are the scholars, not me.
The essays are presented in topical order. The essays on Magic Realism and on Surrealism, written by Ariana Acquarulo and Emma Missett respectively, are very similar in their aesthetic approaches. Lucien Rizzo's essay on incest, Brittany Viele's essay on time, and Kirsten Smith's essay on masculinity and femininity all offer close readings. Nicole Bouchard and TJ McNamara approach the novel from the two dominant literary movements of the twentieth century, Postmodernism and Modernism. Danielle Cappello, in her look at Marquez's life, Andrew Lavoie, in his examination of Colombian history, and Robert Mercier, in his review of satire, all approach the text from social, political, and economic perspectives. Julianna Marcarelli took stock of the many biblical allusions and considered the Catholic tradition in Latin America in her theological reading. And, finally, Xinyou Peng considered the role and influence of fairy tales.
True, the essays are not scholarly in the strictest sense of the word. The authors, though very talented and intelligent, have yet to graduate from high school and most of the authors, though destined for four-year institutions, will not pursue degrees in literature once they are there. However, anyone looking for answers to some of the novel's many puzzles will find these essays both impressive and illuminating. One Hundred Years of Solitude is a complex and mysterious text, and they deserve high praise for all that they have uncovered and deciphered.