Out of the Wings

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Diatriba de amor contra un hombre sentado (c.1988), Gabriel García Márquez

Titles
English title: Diatribe of Love Against a Seated Man
Date written: c. 1988
First production date: 1988
Keywords: family > marriage, family > patriarchy, family > duty, power > inter-personal/game play, women > marginalisation of, love > desire, love > lust
Pitch

Happiness is not like they say, that’s for sure, that it only lasts a moment and you don’t know you have it till it’s gone.  The truth is that it lasts as long as love lasts, because if you’ve got love, even dying’s okay.

Graciela Jaraiz de la Vera talks to her husband, Floro, as he sits in an armchair reading the newspaper.  It’s the eve of their silver wedding anniversary and they’re holding a lavish party to celebrate.   The hundreds of guests are soon to arrive and the band  is getting ready to play.  But as they prepare, Graciela revisits their 25 years of marriage and makes a painful realisation - that it has given her everything, except love.

Synopsis

On the eve of their silver wedding anniversary celebrations, Graciela Jaraiz de la Vera delivers a diatribe against Flavio, her husband of 25 years, as he sits, unresponsively reading a... (Read more...)

Critical response

Diatriba de amor contra un hombre sentado was first performed in Buenos Aires, where Cien años de soledad was originally published. Reviews focused on whether, although beautifully writ... (Read more...)

Editions
  • García Márquez, Gabriel. 1994. Diatriba de amor contra un hombre sentado. Santafé de Bogotá, Arango Editores

Entry written by Gwendolen Mackeith. Last updated on 4 March 2011.

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