Summarize chapter 2 of The General in His Labyrinth.

In the second chapter of Gabriel García Márquez's The General in His Labyrinth, General Simón Bolívar has resigned from power and is leaving Colombia in deteriorating health, traveling along the Magdalena River and reflecting on his life as he goes.

As the chapter opens, the general reflects on the difficult travel of the first day. His faithful servant, José Palacios, is beside him, attending his every need. The departure has been a painful one, as the general and José reflect on how only a short time before, people had greeted the general with love. Things are different now.

The general rides along, brooding on the sudden change that has befallen him. He takes leave of many of his companions after the first day and continues on with only José and five other men. Even the general's favorite dogs are gone.

The group stops at a convent and are well-received by the Mother Superior, yet she mistakes another man for the highest ranking officer. The general no longer looks the part. They move on and spend the night at an inn converted from a tobacco factory. The general recalls days gone by when he had planned military campaigns. Now he is ill and forced to leave his country. He insists upon sleeping in the open air and does not eat or drink much. He cannot sleep, and the flow of the river bothers him. When José goes to sleep, the general gets up and wanders away, still caught up in the past, reflecting on his old victories and defeats, his outrageous exploits, and his symbolic gestures. The general also remembers Queen María Luisa and how they met.

In the morning, the general speaks of Cassandro, General Francisco de Paula Santander, and his betrayal of the general through an assassination attempt. The general remembers the night in detail and how he had sent Santander into exile in Paris. José knows that sometimes the general's memories and dreams of Santander do not reflect reality.

The general writes a few lines to his mistress with a warning, and he recalls Fernando, his aide and nephew. The innkeeper has stolen one of the general's shirts as a souvenir. The general reflects on the Aroa Mines and plays several games of cards, losing continually.

The journey continues in the extreme heat, and the general's health deteriorates further. The plan is to go to Europe. When another party nearly runs the general and his men off the road, the general thinks they must be carrying a letter for Santander.

What is the summary of chapter three in The General in His Labyrinth?

Chapter 3 of Gabriel García Márquez’s The General in His Labyrinth is a continuation of the General’s journey; the chapter includes many instances of flashback as the General reminisces upon the life he has lived and the people he has known.

The General is growing sicker, and he is faithfully cared for by Jose Palacios, his loyal attendant. A fever plagues the General’s attempts to rest, and Jose remains by his side to rock his hammock and sway away the swarming mosquitoes. The mail arrives, and the General asks that the correspondence be read to him. He is particularly irritated that Santander’s followers are referred to as “liberals” in one letter, insisting that “no one is more liberal” than himself.

The General begins to whistle a tune and reminds Jose that the song is a waltz which was played on the night they arrived in Lima from Chuquisaca. On that evening, the General had asked that the song be played again and again until he had an opportunity to dance with every lady in Lima. On his last night in Honda, he waits in the hammock for the victory waltz to be played; when it is clear that the song will not be repeated, he puts on his riding clothes and presents himself at the ball, dancing for almost three hours and repeating the song each time he obtains a new dance partner.

When he returns to the house just after midnight, he is told that there is a woman waiting for him. As he meets her, the General bows just before realizing that the woman is Miranda Lyndsay, a woman who had saved his life fifteen years prior. She is shocked by the physical transformation of the General, whose thinning white hair gives him the appearance of a “dead man.” She has come to ask a favor of the General; her husband is serving a prison term for killing a man in an open duel, and she asks the General to use his power to release him. The General concedes that he is now “ill and destitute” but that he will do everything in his power to assist her.

The following day, the General boards a boat after exerting much energy to reach it. His personal cook, Quitena Fernanda Barriga, whom the General sometimes refers to as Fernanda the Seventh, is on board without the General’s knowledge. She prepares cornmeal mush, which he has particularly enjoyed since becoming ill; the fatigued General eats two plates with “great delight.”

The attempted voyage is difficult. The group first encounters a fierce storm and is saved when the General takes command and redirects the effort to steer correctly. The heat is unbearable during the daytime hours, and the sounds from the jungle are deafening. The only passenger who shows no signs of boredom is Jose, who has spent his entire life with the General—through his two exiles, his campaigns, and all of his frontline battles.

The group takes a German aboard who lies about his identity and background. When they encounter a mail launch sailing upstream, the General asks them to please take the German to the port of Nare. This is quickly arranged.

A stray dog also finds a home with the travelers; for his scruffy appearance and “stench of mange,” the General names the dog Bolivar.

What is the summary of chapter 7 in The General in His Labyrinth?

Chapter 7 of The General in His Labyrinth begins with General Rafael Urdaneta coming to power in Colombia and offering the General (Simon Bolivar, the protagonist) the presidency of the Republic. The General declines, saying that he cannot legitimately assume the presidency as Don Joaquin Mosquera has not renounced his title. As other military officers try to position themselves for the conflict which appears to be coming, the General proceeds further away from the action, traveling along the river towards Santa Marta.

On the journey, the General is taken seriously ill, and complains of pain in his spleen and liver. He is carried ashore to the town of Soledad, where he stays for over a month, regaining his strength, and reacting with impatience when he is informed of military and political intrigues. He is treated by the local physician, Dr. Gastelbondo, whom he finds congenial, but his health declines further. They discuss politics, and the doctor is amazed at the temporary power of anger to revive the General.

The General sends a letter to Urdaneta, asking him to destroy his other letters, a request which Urdaneta ignores. As his health fails, the General lives more and more in the past. He recalls the execution of General Manuel Piar thirteen years ago in Angostura. This was carried out on his orders, but he had refused to witness it and the necessity saddened him greatly. Now, however, he says that he does not regret his actions, and would do the same thing again if he had the chance.