His examination revealed that he had no fever, no pain anywhere, and that his only concrete feeling was an urgent desire to die. All that was needed was shrewd questioning... to conclude once again that the symptoms of love were the same as those of cholera.
This excerpt from Gabriel García Márquez's 'Love in the Time of Cholera' captures the intricate and often paradoxical nature of love and human emotion. The comparison between the symptoms of love and cholera underscores the intensity and almost epidemic-like spread of romantic longing, suggesting that love can be contagious, overwhelming, and even destructive. The metaphor implies that love's symptoms—such as feverishness, pain, and an intense craving—can mirror physical ailments, blurring the lines between sickness and passion. What makes this reflection particularly compelling is the idea that love, despite its universal prevalence and deep emotional impact, can be as elusive and inscrutable as a medical diagnosis. Shrewd questioning, as the quote suggests, is often enough to reveal the true nature of someone’s feelings, which are frequently masked or hidden beneath outward appearances. García Márquez masterfully plays with the ambiguity of human emotions, showing how love can sometimes be regarded as a kind of madness or a contagious disease we willingly or unwillingly catch. This analogy invites readers to contemplate the nature of emotional vulnerability and the ways in which love often manifests physically as much as psychologically. The quote reminds us that beneath outward health, there can lie profound internal struggles that are just as urgent and critical as any physical ailment. It also highlights that a keen observer—like a shrewd interrogator—can discern the true state of a person’s heart, revealing that love's symptoms are as varied and intense as they are inevitable and universal.
