Lorenzo Daza Character Analysis in Love in the Time of Cholera

Fermina Daza’s father is a tyrannical figure. After the death of his wife and the success of his business, he leaves Spain to live a comfortable life in the new continent. His economic status and ambition cause him to want his daughter to become an upper-class lady at all costs, even if this causes her unhappiness. As a result, he opposes Fermina’s marriage to lower-class suitor Florentino Ariza and takes her on a trip throughout the countryside in attempts to make her forget about him. In the same vein, he later supports her marriage to Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Lorenzo is also a deeply immoral person. Although his mule-trading business is regarded with suspicion, this is actually the only legitimate activity he takes part in. By contrast, news articles later report the extent of his illegal activities, from arms trafficking to the trafficking of Chinese immigrants. This causes deep humiliation for Fermina and forces Lorenzo to flee the country for Spain, where he ultimately dies.

Lorenzo Daza Character Timeline in Love in the Time of Cholera

The timeline below shows where the character Lorenzo Daza appears in Love in the Time of Cholera. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Daza as soon as he sees her. He is sent to deliver a telegram to Lorenzo Daza, who lives in an old, half-ruined house. Lorenzo Daza, who does not have many... (full context)

Social Norms vs. Personal Fulfillment Theme Icon

Florentino later discovers that Lorenzo Daza arrived from Spain after the death of his wife with his only daughter and... (full context)

Aware of Lorenzo Daza’s domineering attitude, Escolástica allows Fermina to communicate secretly with Florentino. The young lovers hide... (full context)

Moral Corruption and Cynicism Theme Icon

Four months before Florentino and Fermina have promised to be engaged, Lorenzo Daza approaches Florentino and tells him that they need to talk. The week before, Sister... (full context)

As punishment, Lorenzo sent his sister Escolástica back to Spain. Many years later, Fermina discovered that her aunt... (full context)

Lorenzo admits to Florentino that his only goal is for his daughter to become a high-society... (full context)

That week, Lorenzo Daza takes his daughter out of the city, only mentioning that they are going “to... (full context)

Fermina’s father, Lorenzo, in the meantime, assumes that his daughter has forgotten all about her suitor. Paradoxically, Fermina’s... (full context)

...happy life if she shares it with a man she loves. Simultaneously, her relationship with Lorenzo Daza becomes smoother, giving the impression that it is close and loving. (full context)

...At the age of 17, Fermina now has a more imposing attitude and, recognizing this, Lorenzo gives her the “keys to [her] life”: authority over the house. (full context)

...before examining her. However, both Fermina and Dr. Urbino are distraught by the presence of Lorenzo Daza in the room. Though overcome by emotion, Dr. Urbino examines Fermina’s body in the... (full context)

Lorenzo Daza, who has observed the interaction from another window, then yells at Dr. Urbino to... (full context)

...her to pass the time. Although she manages to live in the same house with Lorenzo in a smooth way, one day he returns home announcing that they are suffering from... (full context)

...period, Fermina also discovers that her father’s business has always been illegal. As a result, Lorenzo Daza leaves the country, and Fermina is relieved when she learns he had died. (full context)

...visits from then on as an admission of guilt. Simultaneously, a newspaper publishes information about Lorenzo Daza’s business, proving that he had falsified money and participated in arms trafficking during the... (full context)