THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A DEATH MORE FORETOLD: The Value of Honour in Latin American Culture

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Atupele Ndisale

IB English A1

February 2, 2009

“THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A DEATH MORE FORETOLD”:

The Value of Honour in Latin American Culture

        "The brothers were brought up to be men. The girls were brought up to be married” (p. 30). Honour is an aspect of life that has always been greatly valued in Latin American society or culture. For men, honour is simply acquired or shown through three main things; courage, assertiveness (strength), and authority, particularly over women. On the other hand, for women, honour simply lies in the question of whether or not they had been involved in a sexual relationship outside or before a marriage. The males of the society are expected to protect and defend this honour and any failure to do so doesn’t only result in the diminishment of the women’s honour, subjecting her to ridicule, but that of their own. This importance or value of honour in Latin American society or culture is one of the main issues that Gabriel García Márquez manages to cover in his short novel, entitled Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Through his use of several narrative techniques, characters, and motifs in the novel, the degree to which honour is valued in a small Columbian town is made clearly apparent, allowing the reader to become that much more acquainted with Latin American culture.

One of the main themes or motifs in the Chronicle of a Death Foretold is revenge. Although it’s learnt early on in the novel that Santiago Nasar dies, the question of how and why he dies are left unanswered until later on in the novel. By the last chapter, however, not only is the way in which Santiago’s murder took place made clear, but so is the motive. As said by Pablo Vicario, “it was a matter of honor” (p. 49). According to Angela Vicario, Santiago Nasar was responsible for taking away her virginity before marriage – her honour. In the defense of this honour, Pablo and Pedro Vicario set out to kill Santiago, reflecting on the courage and assertiveness that distinguish ‘honorable’ men from ‘dishonorable’ men in Latin American society. Marquez purposefully uses twins/two murderers to emphasize on the point that Santiago’s death was not only their fault, but the entire town’s responsibility (collective responsibility). Nevertheless, in preparation for the murder, “the Vicario twins [firstly] went to the bin in the pigsty where they kept their sacrificial tools and picked out the two best knives: one for quartering…and the other for trimming.” (p. 51). At this point, we’re not only given the impression that Santiago’s murder was going to be gruesome (foreshadowing), but that it was inevitable. This inevitability is made further evident when given the impression that Santiago’s murder was simply an act of tradition – a sacrifice, particularly through the line: “they sharpened them on the grindstone, and the way they always did: Pedro holding the knives and turning them over on the stone, and Pablo working the crank” (p. 52). In addition, Marquez’ use of sacrificial imagery throughout the novel also contributes greatly to this notion. Take into account such phrases as “carved up like a pig” (p. 2). In fact, a comparison between Santiago and a pig is drawn towards the end of the novel, when Pedro looked to stab his heart during his slaughter: “he looked for it almost in the armpit, where pigs have it” (p. 120). Nevertheless, when murdering Santiago, in order to ensure his death, the Vicario twins stabbed him several times, leaving him with seven fatal wounds and damaged organs. On the last page, we learn that he was stabbed to the point that “his own viscera [was visible] in the sunlight” (p. 121)! In court, the Vicario twins’ lawyer simply argued that the murder was a "homicide in legitimate defense of honor” and won the case, illustrating that ‘honour’ is valued to a large extent in the small Columbian town – a town that represents Latin America as a whole (p. 48). Therefore, through the illustration of revenge, Gabriel García Márquez manages to cover the importance of honour in Latin American society or culture.

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Another one of the main themes or motifs covered in the Chronicle of a Death Foretold is the difference in the position of both men and women in society. As stated by the unknown narrator early in the novel, "the brothers were brought up to be men. The girls were brought up to be married. They knew how to do screen embroidery, sew by machine, weave bone lace, wash and iron, make artificial flowers and fancy candy, and write engagement announcements…[my mother] thought there were no better-reared daughters (Poncio Vicario’s daughters). 'They're perfect,' she was frequently heard to say. 'Any man ...

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