El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba Analysis

‘El coronel no tiene quien le escriba’ is a novella written by the Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, one of the most representative authors of the 20th century and one of the most emblematic of magical realist writers. The novel is set in an unidentified small town, typified as “el pueblo” where an unnamed colonel, a veteran who took part in the War of the Thousand Days, is constantly waiting for the letter that will approve his war pension. The old man lives with his asthmatic and exasperated wife in a humble and decrepit house and both are forced to live a miserable life due to debt, poverty, starvation and their son’s death for clandestine activities against the repressive government. Throughout the novel, the author has particularly

She doesn’t pretend that everything will work out and she constantly mentions to her husband the unfulfilled promises made to him by the politicians of his own Party. As the novel proceeds, it becomes ever more apparent that the dialogues between the colonel and his wife become increasingly frustrating. Unlike the colonel, the woman, who has a more rational view of the entire situation, cannot help but wonder how they are both going to survive while waiting endlessly for the letter. Things between the two of them start to get worse when the woman announces to the colonel that she went around town trying to sell their old clock and a painting. She knows they need money to survive, however grave the consequences. Meanwhile, she ignores the fact that she is causing pain to her husband. The colonel feels bitter and offended by all this: ‘El coronel se encontrò amargo.’ He cannot accept the fact that anyone knows they are starving and aware of their disastrous economic situation: ‘De manera que ahora todo el mundo sabe que nos estamos muriendo de hambre.’ Thus, he is determined to maintain some dignity without showing any