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Idiom
Explanation and Analysis—Fairy:
José Arcadio Buendía uses a common but homophobic idiom when describing Pietro Crespi, an Italian music instructor who comes to Macondo to show its residents how to use a mechanical pianola, a musical instrument. After Crespi begins to provide dancing lessons for the young women, the narrator notes that:
In the living room, next to the parlor, Pietro Crespi taught them how to dance. He showed them the steps without touching them, keeping time with a metronome, under the friendly eye of Úrsula, who did not leave the room for a moment while her daughters had their lesson [...] “You don’t have to worry so much,” José Arcadio Buendía told her. “The man’s a fairy.” But she did not leave off her vigilance until the apprenticeship was over and the Italian left Macondo. Then they began to organize the party.
Úrsula keeps a close eye on the proceedings to ensure that her daughters are not tempted by the dapper young Italian, who is notably more cultured and fashionable than most of the other men in Macondo. José Arcadio Buendía, however, dismisses her concerns, stating that Crespi is a “fairy.” Here, he uses an idiom, often considered rude or offensive, which refers to homosexual men. His use of this idiom reflects his own somewhat stereotypical understanding of gender and sexuality. In fact, Crespi soon courts both of the Buendía daughters, particularly Rebeca.
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