Angela Vicario's Theory Of Reconstructive Memory

According to psychology, memories are, to some extent, unreliable. Many factors, both external and internal, affect memories. For example, the theory of schema stats that it provides a mental framework for understanding and remembering information. Thus, people can obtain information from their memories, easily and rapidly. However, as everything has two sides, the schema has also its negative perspective. One of which is the theory of reconstructive memory. As stated by Bartlett in 1932, memory can be altered by existing schema in order to create meaning in the incoming information. Nevertheless, outgoing information from people’s memories can also be modified. This alteration might be done intentionally; in other words, people lie about

Angela Vicario, who is indirectly involved in the murder, tries to protect the person who took away her virginity and “really loved her” (53). Even though she does not love the person, she insists on not revealing his name and, instead, lies to everyone, naming Santiago as her lover. The power of love encourages Angela to lie. Though, Angela does not see the effect that this lie will bring. Another reason she chooses to say Santiago's name is that she thinks her brothers will “never dare go up against him” (53). She idealizes the situation in which her brothers will not “kill anybody, much less someone rich” (33). Santiago’s social status makes him “untouchable”(60); thus, he is the perfect person for the lie. Angela underestimates her brothers while, at the same time, overestimating the weight of Santiago’s social

The Vicario brothers believe in Angela’s lie for the reasons that first, Angela has no reason to lie about; second, she is beaten by her mother “with such rage that [she thinks her mother is] going to kill [her]” (28); lastly, maintaining her reputation is what a woman is expected to do. For all these reasons, the Vicario brothers believe what Angela says and causes the murder. On the other hand, the town’s people do not believe in the fact that Vicario brothers are going to kill someone. But this indifference makes the lie become a truth as well. When people hear the rumor, the only thing they say is “those two aren't about to kill anybody” (33) or “it [is just] a drunkards' talk” (7). They idealize the schema of the Vicario brothers, that their personalities will not compel them to do so; therefore, nobody stops the