A Man Killed By a Town (Chronicles of a Death Foretold)
Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold tells of the pretold death of a man, Santiago Nasar. The death of Santiago Nasar is revealed immediately, in the opening lines of the novel. Its reasons and details are divulged gradually throughout the entirety of the plot. Nasar is killed in the story because he is considered to be the one to blame for the premarital devirginization of one Angela Vicario, and so, in defense of her honor he must be killed. Although his death is the main event for the reader; it is not so for most of the other characters described within the story. Rather, it is the issue of the loss of virginity and a woman's honor, which is the basis for most people's concern. The real tragedy of this novel can be said to be the murdering of this man, Santiago Nasar, not by the actual murderers, but by his own town. He was killed in, by, and along with a town.The town, in which the story takes place, is a small Latin town in which everyone knows everyone. It is a town where morality, tradition and religion have great importance... or at least on the surface. It is a town in which traditional customs live on in many forms, the most applicable of which, is that of a virgin's purity and importance until marriage. In
the novel, Angela Vicario is wed to Bayardo San Roman, a newcomer in the town in search for a bride. After their marriage, Angela is returned to her mother's home and said to have not been a virgin at the time of their marriage. The people of this Caribbean town become consumed by their interest and disgust for this breech of morality that they fail to see the value, and importance of one man's life. Angela Vicario's brothers, Pedro and Pablo Vicario, enraged by this tragedy, set out to regain their sister's honor by killing the man who "violated" her. This man, according to Angela, but unconfirmed by other sources, was Santiago Nasar. This incident, is such an enormous tragedy in the eyes of the town, it is regarded as almost a death in its self and referred to as "Angela's misfortune". The cheated husband at one point is brought out from his house on a stretcher with the image of one arm dragging along the ground as if his life had been taken. He is referred to, and known as " poor Bayardo" by the townspeople. The fuss over all of this makes it seem as though this event was a greater tragedy than the loss of a life. Santiago was mercilessly slaughtered. Killed in vengeance for an act that was not proven to have been committed. People, regardless of their carelessness towards his defense, still doubted as to his definite guilt in the matter of the taking of Angela Vicario's virginity. Although she had endlessly insisted upon his being "the one", no other evidence or witness was ever produced to confirm her claim. The very thought of it did not even make sense to the people of the town. The two had never been seen together, let alone, speaking to one another. They had no affiliation to each other whatsoever, and yet she persisted in blaming him for her "misfortune
Some common words found in the essay are:
Santiago Nasar, Angela Vicario, Angela Vicario's, San Roman, Nasar Plotted, Nasar Santiago, Death Foretold, Pablo Vicario, Latin American, santiago nasar, people town, angela vicario, Bayardo San, death santiago nasar, mother's home, san roman, entire town, loss life, bayardo san, injustice brought, bayardo san roman, chronicle death foretold, tragedy novel,
Approximate Word count = 1199
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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