Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses as a variety of different narrative approaches in the chronicles of a death foretold, to effect the readers perception of narrator himself. These unique narrative strategies make the reader question the intentions of the narrator, his own character and the means in which the narrator tells the unusual hazy and jumbled chronicle of Santiago's murder.
The narrator's characteristics and his unique magical realism have an important effect in the narration of the chronicle. The narrator's position in relation to the town and Santiago is very significant. The narrator is Santiago's old friend, they are both of the same segregated class. The narrators aliment with the victim makes the reader query what it may be the narrator is trying to achieve through his peculiar investigation. His friendship with Santiago seems to show he may be swaying towards Santiago's innocence, in the chronicle. The narrator describes Santiago in a way that was obviously not shared by the town, "By his nature, Santiago was merry, peaceful and openhearted."(6).
This is definitely not the perception that the reader receives from other recollections of the towns people, for example the narrator describes "Santiago had an almost magical talent for disguises"(75), however this is his description of when Santiago dressed up whores so they looked so similar that they would burst out in tears. The narrator seems to portray Santiago in the light, and the reader is able to see this through the obvious contradiction of his views of Santiago and the town's. Even though the narrator seems to describe Santiago in an honorable way unlike many others would have not, his lack of moral outrage at the murder itself or the town that stood by and watched seems very unusual. He seems to have no real emotional feelings towards the murder...