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Pilar Ternera, daughter of one of the founding families of Macondo, is a fortune teller, procuress, and a second matriarch of the Buendía family, mothering the third generation of Buendía sons, Aureliano José and Arcadio. Although she is never an official Buendía, and Úrsula eventually kicks her out for good, Pilar’s influence can be felt over the family line as the carnal foil to Úrsula’s piety and order. While Úrsula attempts to teach her children propriety, Pilar becomes the sexual instructor for both sons of the second generation and even finds women for members of future generations to sleep with. Úrsula strives to have an open house, full of guests and hospitality. Pilar’s home, too, is full of hospitality, always open for women who need a space to carry out love affairs or practice sex work. While Úrsula is industrious, always having a project or business in mind, for most of the novel Pilar is languid. She never even charges women for use of her rooms. Although we may expect the novel to portray Pilar Ternera as a corrupting or sordid force, her sexuality is instead treated as an essential part of life, as vital as Úrsula’s more typical mothering, creating an outlet for escape, exploration, and pleasure.
