Love in the Time of Cholera: Dec 26, 2007

I do not agree with Jessica when she said that Florentino Ariza has been decent throughout the book with his endless love affairs. It is true that he has a feeling of emptiness without Fermina Daza. It is also true that he hopes to live his normal routine life without always thinking about Fermina. However, by having relationships with endless women does not agree with me. Also, not only in this part of the book has he take it too far in his relationship with a fourteen-years-old girl but also in previous incidents.

Only because America Vicuna has almost a blood relationship with Florentino Ariza, he takes advantage of this. He takes her out of school when he is pleased. This passage also shows the haughtiness and disobedient of human beings, rather they are young or old. Both Florentino Ariza and America Vicuna disregard other people’s advice at not being too close with each other.

Another time when Florentino Ariza went too far is when he accidentally leads to the death of a woman. The name of this woman is Olimpia Zuleta. The following passage helps to support what I said.
“Six months after their first meeting, they found themselves at last in a cabin on a riverboat that was being painted at the docks. It was a marvelous afternoon. Olimpia Zuleta had the joyous love of a startled pigeon fancier, and she preferred to remain naked for several hours in a slow-moving repose that was, for her, as loving as love itself. The cabin was dismantled, half painted, and they would take the odor of turpentine away with them in the memory of a happy afternoon. In a sudden inspiration, Florentino Ariza opened a can of red paint that was within reach of the bunk, wet his index finger, and painted the pubis of the beautiful pigeon fancier with an arrow of blood pointing south, and on her belly the words: This pussy is mine. That same night, Olimpia Zuleta undressed in front of her husband, having forgotten what was scrawled there, and he did not say a word, his breathing did not even change, nothing, but he went to the bathroom for his razor while she was putting on her nightgown, and in a single slash he cut her throat” (217).