Chronicles of a Death Foretold

1866 Words8 Pages
Jenny Byun English 1A A. Ackerman October 23, 2012 To Gut the Monsters Deep Inside The death of an individual can unveil the true shadows of a culture's lifestyle. A simple death can act as a curtain being lifted, where the bones of a culture can be seen for what it is, ravenous and hungry for foul murder. In this novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a small Colombian town is shaken when Santiago Nasar, a man of mixed blood and wealth is grotesquely murdered by Pedro and Pablo Vicario. This carnage was executed in order to cleanse their little sister, Angela, Vicario of her sinful act. Angela Vicario on her exciting wedding night, was caught in a lie. Her husband Bayardo San Roman realized she was damaged goods. Her virginity was taken by another man prior to their engagement. Consequently, she was returned to her home, where she was pressed by her family to reveal the man who had touched her. Naming Santiago declared him a dead man and the brothers' set out for revenge. As rumors raced across the town, many failed to warn Santiago of his pending death and sadly allowed the blood of a man to be spattered on the doorstep of his own home. The underlying cause of Santiago Nasar's death is the cultural ideology of machismo, the abandonment of moral sensibility, and the unjust double standard Angela and the Vicario Brothers live by. A primary factor that aids in Santiago's murder is the stringent rule of machismo. Machismo in the Vicario Brothers' minds is simply a way of life. After realizing Santiago is the suspected man to taint Angela's purity, an immediate flame to kill Santiago ignites. Pedro Vicario an experienced soldier is quick to show machismo because, “The army routine, aggravated by the fear of death, had matured his tendency to command” (Garcia Marquez 60). Survival was key for Pedro. Dedicating his time to the army

More about Chronicles of a Death Foretold

Open Document