"...she asked God, without fear, if he really believed that people were made of iron in order to bear so many troubles and mortifications...desires to let herself go and scamper about like a foreigner and allow herself at last an instant of rebellion," (Marquez 251).
Ursula is the voice of reason throughout the book thus far, and acts as the mother figure for just about every person who steps foot either in her house or in Macando. She has watched and raised just about all of her family members; Colonel Aureliano Buendia, Jose Arcadio, Amaranta, and all of their children. She feels partly responsible for the impulsivity of all those named Jose, and the strong-willed nature of the Aurelianos. The family name endowment seems cyclic, with every generation repeating the same mistakes as the previous. Out of all the mistakes, Ursula seems static. She is described to be almost clairvoyant and carries a lot of emotional weight on her shoulders. With her old age rapidly approaching her, Ursula can't help but desire a rebellion for herself, since she's witnessed so many around her. Ursula's self-reflection shows that she is selfless and is just now realizing, around the age of ninety, that she has not allowed herself freedom. This burden that she carries can also explain why she did not want any of her grandchildren to be named after her. She acknowledges the personality traits that accompany certain names in the Buendia family, and does not wish her maternal burden on anyone else. Yet, I wonder why she does not want any of her great-grandchildren to be named after her if she is so desperate for freedom of her own. Another Ursula would bring about another voice of reason in the community, which would only help things. Without Ursula's name being passed down, Macando could be in shambles.
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