Feminist Literary Criticism of Notable Female Characters in One Hundred Years of Solitude

Abstract

Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) presents a richly layered portrayal of women who simultaneously sustain and challenge the patriarchal structures of Macondo. This study applies feminist literary criticism to examine how key female characters—Úrsula Iguarán, Amaranta, Rebeca, Remedios the Beauty, Fernanda del Carpio, Pilar Ternera, and Amaranta Úrsula—navigate power, sexuality, and autonomy in a society dominated by male authority. The analysis reveals that while these women are central to the emotional and structural integrity of the Buendía family, their agency is often constrained by societal norms, male dominance, and the novel’s cyclical temporality. García Márquez both reinforces and subverts traditional gender roles, offering a complex narrative that reflects broader tensions in the representation of women in Latin American literature. By interrogating these dynamics, this paper contributes to critical conversations on gender, identity, and resistance in literary discourse.