The social environment as presented by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

The carnage of Santiago Nasar initiated by the Vicario brothers and the severe fury directed at Angela by her mother on finding out the truth about her daughters depravity indicates how Angela had a duty towards her family to remain unsullied until marriage. As a part of her duty towards her family she was obliged to marry Bayardo because he was affluent and moneyed, even though she did not love him. In the same vein, Pedro also sets off for war to earn money for his family while Pablo remains at home to take care of his parents. This shows us how a sense of duty towards the family was very important within the society. Angela was forced into matrimony with Bayardo San Roman by her family because he came from a prestigious family while the Vicarios were relatively poor. Angela’s family did not consider her wish or opinion of any importance, they were content with receiving gifts from Bayardo’s family and were in high spirits at the prospect of living a comfortable life after Angela’s marriage. ‘The parents decisive argument was that a family dignified by modest means had no right to disdain that prize of destiny.’ Hence their concern was the material gain that they would receive through this alliance.

Marquez portrays women as helpless creatures within Colombian society who had no say or freedom to express their opinion. Women were considered vulnerable and their aspirations were regarded as insignificant and trivial. Significantly Angela’s marriage to Bayardo because of his wealth epitomizes how commitment to a rich man was the only means by which a woman could obtain financial security in her life. Women did not enjoy any individual worth nor could they command a say in their own lives, hence they were forced to follow the dictats of the men in their parental home and later the husband, once married. Angela’s mother lived her life in a very constricted social environment and felt it is perfectly in order for Angela to follow the same norms without any questions or hesitation. Thus Marquez has portrayed women as totally domesticated creatures who have been taught to live within the confines of their homes and never to overstep the boundaries of their narrow societal beliefs. A similar situation has been described in ‘The Kite Runner’ by Hosseini wherein he has given a detailed account of the miserable plight of women in Afghanistan who do not enjoy any social or political rights. They appear to be as helpless and dependent on men as Marquez has depicted women in ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold.’

Marquez also emphasizes on male pride and the sexuality of their characters in the novel. Moreover, Marquez suggests double standards for men and women quite explicitly in the novel. It is acceptable for men to treat women as disposable pleasures rather than meaningful pursuits-they feel proud of visiting Maria Cervantes’s brothel…‘it was she who did away with my generations virginity’ -shows how Maria was an object of desire for the men who used her for their sexual needs as she was the ‘most serviceable in bed’. They did not feel ashamed of their actions as the society endorsed male sexuality. It was all right for men to visit prostitutes to satisfy their desires but it was deplorable for a woman to take a lover before marriage. When Bayardo found out that Angela had had a lover in the past, she is rejected and returned to her house on her wedding night. She is also subjected to a beating by her mother which shows the double standards present within the society.

The Latin American community of the town was one with its roots stemmed deep in religion and faith which also explains why the notion of virginity was seen as one of such critical importance. The town’s close ties to the Catholic religion elucidates why the belief of a woman staying ‘pure’ until marriage was considered so important. The principles of Catholicism did not adhere with what Angela did and without even questioning her claim, severe actions were taken against Santiago Nasar for the ‘crime’ that he had committed. The significance of the Church is greatly stressed upon by Marquez’s depiction of the society, however it is ironic that although the story takes place in a town that is religious, religions seems to have lost much of its value. In the novel and this can be seen by the sumptuous preparations that the people of the town made upon the arrival of the Bishop. However on the big day, the bishop does not even step foot in the town and sails right on by with a mere wave to the innumerable spectators. It seems as if the Bishop does not value religion, he does not take the name of god or do anything remotely close to spiritual or pious, instead he keeps on waving his hand back and forth in an obliging manner. Thus through this event, Marquez ultimately reveals a society in which moral frameworks such as the law and religion appear to be ineffective to mentor and secure the citizens.

Marquez’s portrayal of Colombian society is one in which he has depicted a very narrow-minded and petty social structure where violence predominates and social customs which have been passed down through generations are allowed to prevail. In order to practice these and uphold their values they are willing to kill in cold blood and there is no stigma attached to such killings, in fact it is celebrated as an honor killing. Such an incident as presented in the story of Nasar can only be realistically acceptable in a society such as the Colombian society. In any free thinking society, such a story of blood and gore would not be acceptable or believable. Hence, Marquez has been able to capture the essence of the story as well as the Colombian society in all its stilted detail in order to make the novel chronicle the events which he has described.