Love in the Time of Cholera

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Love in the Time of Cholera is one of the most famous examples of the literary movement known as magical realism. What is magical realism? What are some other examples of magical realism you have encountered? With what historical periods, countries, or literary devices do you associate magical realism?

Teaching Suggestion: Magical realism is a distinctive literary movement that can be difficult to define, but that is often characterized by merging elements of realism with elements of fantasy. Works of magical realism are set in the real world while incorporating fantastical elements that are treated as though they are part of normal everyday life. In addition to defining magical realism, it can be helpful to discuss the history of the literary movement with the class. Magical realism is associated most closely with Latin American authors of the “Boom” period such as Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende; elements of magical realism, however, can be found in writers as diverse as Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison, Haruki Murakami, and Neil Gaiman.

• This article from MasterClass provides a definition of magical realism and discusses notable examples.
• The Brown Daily Herald, a student news publication for the Brown University community, features insights on “Latin American Literary Traditions Through Time.”

2. Love in the Time of Cholera is a romance novel, though in many ways it is unique for the genre. What are some famous love stories? What are the qualities or characteristics usually associated with love stories?

Teaching Suggestion: This question provides the opportunity to introduce the theme The Interconnectedness of Love and Suffering before reading. While the romance genre can include a wide variety of works, love stories often have certain traits in common. Many love stories, including several traditional fairy tales (e.g., Cinderella and Snow White) show the lovers overcoming challenges that lead to a “happily ever after” ending. Other love stories, on the other hand, end tragically, sometimes with one or both lovers dying prematurely (as in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet).

• The New York Times details important characteristics of the genre in “What Makes for a Great Literary Romance?”
• This article from Psychology Today discusses love from a psychological standpoint.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

The novel, which takes place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is a love story that unfolds against the backdrop of the cholera epidemic ravaging the Caribbean. In the world of the novel, cholera is a terrible reality that is taken for granted by the characters: It is part of everyday life. If the novel were set today, what would be some of the everyday realities that the characters would take for granted?

Teaching Suggestion: In approaching this question, students may consider not only health concerns in current events but also political, social, economic, and technological ones. Encourage students to reflect on circumstances that would seem frightening or disturbing to an outside observer but become almost mundane once they grow to be a part of everyday life.