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Narrative in the Chronicles of a Death Foretold Essay

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Narrative in the Chronicles of a death foretold

The novel consists of a detailed history of the circumstances of the murder taken by the narrator, a journalist and former friend of the victim, twenty-seven years after the incident in question. The long range effects of this murder on the citizens of the town in which it occurs, and their unspoken involvement in the crime itself, are revealed in the course of the narrator’s history.

The novel tells the story of the narrator's return to the Colombian town to resolve the details of the murder. First person narration throughout, narrator himself is like a detective, exploring ideas, comments. The story itself is based on a real occurrence, but the novel, while seemingly journalistic, …show more content…

Chronological order is messed up, many flashbacks- piecing together of a puzzle. The way narrator has presented d events is effective and thus engages d reader’s attention. The presentation of events in this way is effective and adds to the efforts of the direct story in engaging the reader’s attention. For a plot such as this, a mere collection of episodes and viewpoints adding to a whole event- the confusion of chronology and lack of extreme straightforwardness creates interest, and a vision of piecing together all aspects bit by bit. Getting close to the killing, the time differences get shorter and shorter to build up suspense
Obviously the most concise definition of magical realism is that it is the combination of magical and real elements. The magical elements that marquez has used are, superstitions, exaggerations, dreams that come true, universal humor and the coincidence of bizarre events. These Elements are present within Chronicle of a Death Foretold n it is this magical realism that makes the novel interesting.
Culture in most respects should be looked at holistically. Examining specific ideas and concepts within it become seemingly difficult because they form an intricate web, which can be related to other concepts and premises. Actions dialogue and even the descriptions of objects, people, and scenes enable readers to formulate a basic outline of the culture exhibited by the society expressed by Marquez.

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