Love in the Time of Cholera

The “free” women in the city are often widowed or otherwise unencumbered by men. Why does García Márquez call these women “free”? In what ways might contemporary feminist theory agree with or challenge his view?

What does the sunken galleon symbolize for Florentino Ariza?

What role does nostalgia play in this novel? What physical space does it take up in the lives of these characters?

García Márquez writes nonchalantly, sometimes even humorously about death. What is the impact of this casual attitude on the reading experience?

How does Fermina Daza’s character develop over the course of the novel? How and when does she embrace her own identity and what defines her identity?

In this novel, love takes many victims. How and why does García Márquez equate love with suffering?

As the main characters age, they experience pains often linked to old age, like physical weakness, loneliness, and nostalgia. Explore how each of these pains manifests in the novel’s older characters.

How does the setting of the unnamed city shift over time? What remains consistent? How does the city reflect the lives and preoccupations of the characters?