Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez

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Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez

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Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, is a story

that brings one to question the code of honor that exists in the

Columbian town. Marquez' paints a picture that shows how societal

values, such as honor, have become more important than the inherent

good of human life. The Vicario brothers' belief that their sister was

done wrong was brought upon by this honor, along with racial and

social tension. The dangerous path of both honor and religious faith

caused Santiago's untimely death.

"'Before God and before men,' Pablo Vicario said. 'It was a matter of

honor'" (Marquez 56). In the town honor is taken very seriously and

any action taken to protect one's own honor or family's honor is never

questioned. If someone loses their honor, they automatically become an

outcast in the society. Angela Vicario's father had "lost his sight

from doing so much fine work in gold in order to maintain the honor of

the house" (33). When Angela Vicario explained she lost her virginity

to Santiago Nasar, the honor and respect of the family was lost.

The Vicario brothers felt it was their purpose to keep some sort of

semblance of honor to their family name. Angela's supposed premarital

relations with Santiago Nasar were enough in this culture to warrant

death. The idea that honor can cross the boundaries of religion is

considered to be very powerful. It is an action in which one can take

the life of someone else. The act of killing someone becomes a

powerful and almost godlike statement. Honor can extend beyond the

reaches of religion, as shown in this story. Angela Vicario could have

been beaten to death because she infring...

... middle of paper ...

...d the bishop

does not get off his ship that he is traveling on and instead asks to

eat cock-comb soup, one that is costly to make and considered to be a

sexual innuendo. He only offers his blessing on the boat nearly a few

hundred yards off shore. The people take pride in how they are of

religious faith, yet a whorehouse and constant sexual relations

saturates everyone in the town.

Marquez in Chronicle of a Death Foretold attempts to show that people

naturally blur the interpretation of their own beliefs. The honor code

that exists in the town is merely outdated. The hypocritical system of

honor and religion breeds infidelity, murder, and deceit. The Vicario

brothers abused honor and God's repentance as reasons for their act.

In this town, religion and honor can be a dangerous force to merge,

and Santiago Nasar was an innocent victim right in the way.

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