The set of events that affect people’s lives form the vicissitudes. In general, vicissitudes are a combination of favorable and unfavorable events that happen unevenly in time.
Some synonyms of the term
The word vicissitudes is used in the plural, but there is also in the singular, vicissitude. This is due to a time when several situations occurred continuously and that is why its use in the plural is more common.
The term vicissitudes could be replaced by others: chance, possibilities, problems, alterations, setbacks, among others. However, it should be remembered that the synonyms are similar terms, but not exactly the same.
A reflection of the concept and its etymology
When analyzing a specific fact, we could refer to it through the term casual event. When several events related to each other occur, it is customary to say that there was an incident. And when there is a set of events, some of which are positive and others not, it is more correct to use the word vicissitudes.
Consequently, we refer to the vicissitudes implying that any kind of circumstances occurred. For this reason, it is customary to talk about the vicissitudes of life in general or in relation to an extended period of time.
When we talk about vicissitudes, what is expressed is a certain relationship between the good and bad things in life. In other words, there is a change in incidents, some favorable and some adverse
In the field of fiction, the vicissitudes of a literary character are his adventures and misadventures. For a character to be attractive to the reader, its creator has to invent different situations and all of them constitute his experiences or vicissitudes as a character . When thinking about the character of Don Quixote, his trip is full of ups and downs, setbacks, wanderings, adventures and misadventures.
Vicissitude comes from the Latin, specifically from the word vicissitudo, which means change. Its origin reminds us that the idea of change is associated with existence itself. In fact, living means undergoing frequent changes. And being subject to these changing circumstances makes us express the word vicissitudes.
