100 Years of Solitude

Melquiades:
The gypsy Melquiades is an interesting character because he didn't seem to fit the stereotype of a gypsy. People generally have a distrust of gypsies because they usually play the roll of the mystic and are supposedly known for stealing and lying. They are nomads who often make their money by entertaining as the second group of gyspies in 100 Years of Solitude do. They amaze their audience with things they've never seen before and tricks which appear to be magic. However Melquiades appears to be the opposite. He still makes his living by bringing incredible, unheard of inventions for sale to Macondo but he is honest and tries to warn Jose Arcadio Buendia every time he comes up with a far fetched idea for how these inventions will help make him rich. Melquiades seems to me to be the voice of reason, a stoic character who is there to guide Jose Arcadio Buendia as he can.

Theme of Mysticism
I was confused by the blurring of reality and fiction within the novel because the village and the people all seem to be "realistic" until random acts of what appears to be magic occur. The strange thing is that they take it all in stride and as a result are very superstitious. The youngest son predicts Ursula's stew spilling and the pot moves of its own accord to the edge of the table. The Armenian gypsy apparently melts into a puddle with his special 'invisibility potion'. The reader hears about all the impossible products the gypsy's present, but does not expect them to actually work. I expected the magic carpet to be a hoax, all smoke and mirrors, but Jose Arcadio Buendia watches it float past his window and pays almost no attention. I never know what to expect now, or when something inexplicable or magical happens.