Is Westeros Macondo?

Those unaware or not familiar with the story of Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude), writen by Gabriel García Márquez, may think George R. R. Martin is breaking ground when writing into the main plot line incestuous relationships. In Macondo, the protagonists are from a long line of Buendías whose adventures and influence over the banana republic have brought both prosperity and ruin to its citizens throughout their many generations. Although the magical realism of the novel doesn’t include dragons and mystical powers, it uses the supernatural to frame the antics of the family and the repercussions of their unorthodox actions.

In the critically acclaimed novel, everyone dies in the end and the town disappears after a tornado erases it from the map. Macondo’s decimation is thought to have been brought upon its inhabitants because of the love affair between the last Buendía and his aunt. This offense was unforgivable, especially in Catholic Latin America, so the powers that be decided to eradicate the family and start anew. Hmmm… We’ve been had! How did I not see this before?

George has insisted, from the beginning of the HBO campaign, that in his vision for Game of Thrones everybody dies and magic fades away. He is quoted as saying that he wanted to write an ending similar to Lord of The Rings (LOTR) where the supernatural creatures leave the land in the hands of men, so that they may rule supreme. We know that Gondor thrives under the rule of Aragorn, and that his descendants become kind and just monarchs, bringing prosperity to all kingdoms of Middle Earth. Sounds a bit idyllic but hey, Martin can surprise us.

A Song of Ice and Fire will end with an aunt and nephew romance that unfolds as the final stages of the war with the White Walkers and the Night King progress. So if A Song of Ice and Fire is LOTR and Cien Años’s bastard child – think of England as being Ice and Latin America as being Fire – you can have a field day with the parallels in GoT. It is fairly safe to assume that the end will be an amalgamation of both novels. The Ice Dragon will serve as the tornado; the Night King as the catalyst for the Targaryen’s destruction; and the narrator, most likely Sam Tarly, will survive them all.

P.S. Will there be only ashes left to rule over after all? Are all of our favorite houses suffering the fate of the Buendías? Season 7’s conclusion will either validate or reject my pontificating. Until all is revealed, we can only guess what the ending will teach us. Even if it turns out this theory is way off, I hope Martin reads Cien Años, if he hasn’t already. He and Márquez would have enjoyed each other’s company.

Westeros is Macondo’s sister city. 😉