A Death Foretold

InIn the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold Gabriel Marquez uses ambiguity, irony and characterization to portray different values of women during this period. Marquez’s use of literary features to describe women in the novel illustrates the intensity of the machismo culture. Chronicle of a Death Foretold, shows the struggles of a women, and through this it reveals the machismo culture in the 1950’s.

This shows how the Vicario sisters are described as having been raised to fulfil their role as prospective wives. Marquez uses this quote in his writing to give an evident insight to the Colombian norms of society in the late 20th century, women did not have much of a choice and must abide by strict rules which were given by their parents and or their male siblings.

The self-centeredness of the village is displayed through them attempting to gain personal benefits from the bishop. Moreover, the village’s church ‘looked like a trash heap’ (13). Marquez’ use of a simile linking the description of the church with a trash heap suggests that the townspeople have no respect for Catholicism. As the bishop hasn’t been making any attempt to convey the Catholic ideals onto the village, the villagers have abandoned them, which thus has caused them to become selfish. This shows how corrupted authority figures can have negative impacts on the village.

The concept and belief of honor in the Columbian culture in Chronicle of a Death Foretold is one of the deciding aspects of the character's actions, motives, and beliefs. Nobody questions the actions taken to preserve ones honor because it is such an important moral trait that one must cherish. In this society a man or woman without honor is an outcast to the community and to the culture. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold two twin brothers are burdened with defending this tradition of honor. The brothers find out that their sister has lost her virginity before marriage and she claims that Santiago Nasar is to blame. To regain the honor of their sister, and their family the brothers believe it is their duty to kill Santiago Nasar. Could such

Tradition typically serves as the heart of societal and cultural health. In the case of Gabriel García Márquez’s novella Chronicle of a Death Foretold, this could not be further from the truth. The story depicts a scandal between a scantily married woman named Angela Vicario who reveals to her groom Bayardo San Román that she has already been deflowered. Following the tradition in this town, she is returned to her mother for a beating. Angela’s twin brothers are told that the culprit is Santiago Nasar, a rich townsman, and the brothers, again following the rules of the town, set out to murder him. Although the brothers do not want to complete the task, the people who know about the plan, namely everyone in the town, fails to intervene. Márquez’s judgement about harmful traditions slowly exposes itself through the careful and disordered irony of the text to show how a ritualized society defaces the purpose of honor.

Gender Roles of a Culture Foretold On the surface, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella Chronicle of a Death Foretold presents itself as a nonlinear account of a murder in a small town. However, the story is not told in the typical “whodunit” style. The reader is not required to figure out who was killed or who did the killing because within pages one realizes everyone already knows. Chronicle, instead, tells the story of an entire community’s lack of moral obligation as they do nothing to prevent said murder from taking place.

Furthermore, the act of Bayardo returning his impure wife and the Vicario brothers killing the perpetrator of their sister shows the significance of honour in the Colombian society. Moreover, Bayardo returns his newlywed wife to her family once he realises she is not a virgin. Bayardo “didn’t enter, but softly pushed his wife into the house without speaking a word” (García Márquez 46). Bayardo does not want any association with an impure woman, 1111since it would potentially taint his reputation. Also, Bayardo “grabbed her by her arm and brought her into the light” (García Márquez 46) depicting how it is the role of the man to return his wife if she was not a virgin.

Marquez, in Chronicle of a Death Foretold, shows how honor guides people's decisions and gives them justification for them as well. The focus of this novella (the murder of Santiago Nasar), revolved around the concept of honor, and is repeated throughout the book. The merciless actions of the Vicario brothers shows the extremes of honor and its consequences.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is known for revealing aspects of Latin American culture during the 1980’s- aspects that still predominate today’s society. Specifically in his novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, depicts a typical Colombian town, while taking a journalistic approach to the investigative and the psychological component of the twenty-seven-year-old murder of Santiago Nasar. Throughout this approach, Marquez intends to limit the influence of emotion, yet tension is inevitable after the failed marriage of Angela Vicario and Bayardo San Roman. Bayardo San Roman instigates this division and brings to light his persona, which relates to the persona of many Latin American men. Most importantly, Marquez manipulates the character of Bayardo San

Having a well-defined set of values is extremely important in any community anywhere in the world. These values shape and differentiate cultures around the world. Sometimes these values have a more weighted meaning to some individuals than it does to others. This plays a key factor in Gabriel García Márquezs’ book, Chronicle of a Death Foretold. This story is set in Colombia in the 1950’s during a time when the repercussions for murder were very different than in present day. In this book, the main theme of honor is what drives every character to perform the specific actions that they do. Some characters on the other hand, don’t live up to the honor of their society like they are expected to, at least not in the eyes of their peers. This moral ground is leading cause to the inevitable, violent death of Santiago Nasar, and the persecution of both Pedro and Pablo Vicario.

Why don’t we seem to get out of the expectations of our society? In Chronicle of a Death Foretold is based on Colombia’s culture and society in 1950’s. It expresses the roles of both men and women, and the expectations that they must comply to. Honor and guilt are one of the strongest traits that are evaluated throughout the novel. The culture is critiqued, over the acts that were done and must be identified.

Following the concept of magic realism, is the strong sense of honor in the novel. First and foremost, the Vicario brothers killed Santiago to the restore their sister’s honor. The brothers were then found innocent for the crime of murder because the two killed Santiago to restore their sister’s honor. Honor is incorporated throughout the entire novel in every character. “I knew what they were up to, and I didn’t only agree, I never would have married him if he hadn’t done what a man should do” (62). This was said by Prudencia Cotes, at this time she was the fiancé of Pablo. Although this woman is his fiancé, and clearly loves him she couldn’t marry a man who didn’t reclaim the honor of a relative. In the culture of the Vicario brother’s defending their family honor is not an option but a necessity of a man. This concept of necessity will be explored later on. Also the town accepted this murder of Santiago Nasar. When the peoples of the town learned of the situation that was happening. They avoided Santiago

Márquez provides a religious and political commentary through the comparison of independent action and duty to fate and religion, when Father Amador is ordered by Colonel Lazaro Aponte to

In Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, honor is a very prominent theme in the town and its culture. The need for honor influences many actions taken by individuals and traditions that characters strictly follow. As the narrator’s mother states, honor is love. The reader sees this statement supported throughout the story through beliefs and actions of the Vicario twins, Angela’s mother, and the townspeople as a whole. Honor is such a guiding force in the small community that it almost replaces what love should be. Pura Vicario, Angela’s mother, for example, values honor more than she values true family cherishing and love. Angela’s twin brothers have high respect for their own family honor, and they strive to uphold it by showing their love for their sister in hunting Santiago to retrieve her honor. The townspeople display their devotion to honor as they do not attempt to stop Santiago Nasar’s death. The qualified statement honor is love applies to the novel in actions by the twins, Angela’s mother, and the townspeople, and how their desperation to defend honor controls them.

In Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, honor is a very prominent theme in the town and its culture. Actions taken by individuals and traditions that characters strictly follow are influenced by the need for honor. As the narrator’s mother states, “honor is love.” The reader sees this statement supported throughout the story through beliefs and actions of the Vicario twins, Angela’s mother, and the townspeople as a whole. Honor is extremely important and is a guiding force in the small community, so that it almost replaces what love should be. Angela’s mother, for example, values honor more than she values true family cherishing and love. The twins have high respect for their own family honor, and they strive to uphold it by showing their love for their sister in hunting Santiago to retrieve her honor. The townspeople display their devotion to honor as they do not attempt to stop Santiago Nasar’s death. “Honor is love” is a qualified statement and applies to the novel in actions by the twins, Angela’s mother, and the townspeople, and how desperate they are to defend honor.