Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Essay by isaac24291High School, 11th gradeA, March 2014

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Isaac Kang

IB English/ Per. 1

May 29 2013

IB English Final Essay

In the novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez utilizes five sections of the book to examine and analyze the events leading up to the death of main character, Santiago Nasar. It is evident throughout the novel that the hunt for Santiago is initiated by character, Angela Vicario, who accuses Nasar of stealing her virginity. Because of this, it is easily assumed that Angela Vicario is to blame for Nasar's death. However, through other sections of the novel, Marquez makes it clear there are more people who contributed and are equally responsible for the killing of Santiago Nasar. These people include the Vicario brothers who physically committed the act, along with the naive society who carelessly allowed the murder to take place. Furthermore, Santiago Nasar's execution cannot be blamed solely on one person, but is the fault of many.

The Vicario brothers are the easiest culprits to blame for Nasar's murder as they are the ones who physically committed the crime. Though blood was shed on their hands, the Vicarios cannot solely be held responsible for Nasar's execution. Because of their position in society, the brothers are obligated to defend their family's honor. They are forced to submit to society's demands and eventually succumb to its pressures. In order to ensure their honor, the Vicario brothers loudly proclaim their intent to murder Santiago Nasar. They present themselves as honorable avengers and purposefully aim to have the authorities stop them because "[Clotilde] was certain that the Vicario brothers were not as eager to carry out the sentence as to find someone who would do them the favor of stopping them" (Marquez pg. 57). This shows that the Vicario brothers are obligated to kill Santiago...