Active Reading Chapter 14

Meme's return is marred by the death of Colonel Aureliano. Aureliano Segundo returns to the house when Meme returns. Aureliano Segundo (AS) somehow gets Fernanda to have sex with him and they have a new baby girl, Amaranta Ursula, Ursula is highly against the name. Meme soon graduates from school and is an accredited clavichordist. Meme had always been a wild child but when she played the clavichord she became more mature and confident. Meme is spoiled by her father who showers her with gifts and visits to the circus. Petra, growing jealous, hated the attention Meme was getting from her father. Meme has become friends with Mr. Brown's daughter. AS is so excited by this he buys her some books to learn English. Meme, like her father is wild, see drinks on occasion and tells her father, who finds it funny.

Amaranta continues to make her shroud, sewing everyday without regard to others. Amaranta suddenly dies, oddly since she was always healthy. The mystery behind Amaranta's death is revealed as: "Death did not tell her when she was going to die or whether her hour was assigned before that of Rebeca, but ordered her to begin sewing her own shroud on the next sixth of April. She was authorized to make it as complicated and as fine as she wanted, but just as honestly executed as Rebeca’s, and she was told that she would die without pain, fear, or bitterness at dusk on the day that she finished it."

Meme has become a spoiled child, getting what ever she wants. She even has relations with Mauricio Babilonia, a banana factory worker. When the relationship is discovered Fernanda is against it but AS doesn't care. Fernanda soon cooks up a plot to get rid of Mauricio. She contacts the Mayor of the town and asks him to kill Mauricio, however he ends up just getting paralyzed.

Magical Realism: The yellow butterflies appearing everywhere, just like when JAB died and yellow flowers appeared. Death talking to Amaranta

Theme: The chapter seems to focus on accepting of roles. AS finally accepts his role as a father, poorly I might add. Also Fernanda accepts her role as supreme matriarch of the village.

Character Development: Fernanda has become like how Ursula once was. Meme has become out of control. Amaranta dies, knowing full well of it and becoming more of a layered character.

Quotes: "As far as I can see," she thought, "that’s the same thing that happens to drunken people." Ursula using her super powers.

"Amaranta Ursula, who was mischievous and sickly, and a touching correspondence with the invisible physicians." I think this means she got sick then well without explanation.