"Cronica de una muerte anunciada", Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "The town itself is the protagonist of the novel. The novel's chief interest lies in its exploration of the town's collective psyche or communal values". Develop and Discuss.

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After reading the book, I was unable to obtain a copy of the original Spanish of “Cronica de una muerte anunciada”, when writing the essay and so I have tried to use the English translation to choose quotes and translate them back into Spanish myself.  I apologise for this oversight on my part.  I hope this is acceptable.


Cronica de una muerte anunciada”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

“The town itself is the protagonist of the novel.  The novel’s chief interest lies in its exploration of the town’s collective psyche or communal values”.  Develop and Discuss.

A small town in Latin America is the setting for the novel, “Cronica de una muerte anunciada”, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  Angela Vicario marries Bayardo San Roman, a handsome stranger who comes to the town.  However, on their wedding night, Bayardo San Roman discovers that Angela Vicario is not a virgin.  Her brothers, Pedro and Pablo, interrogate her until she tells them the name of her perpetrator.  She gives them the name Santiago Nasar.  The Vicario brothers plan to kill Santiago Nasar, a rich Arab inhabitant of the town, to avenge the lost honour of their sister, Angela Vicario.  They openly proclaim all around the town that they are going to kill him and the rumour, as it is perceived by the town’s folk, rapidly spreads through the community. However, the ways and customs of the country at that time mean that the majority of those who believe the Vicario brothers also believe that they are doing the right thing in restoring Angela’s honour and do nothing to prevent the tragedy.  Those who are told and do try to prevent the incident are unsuccessful, as a series of unforeseeable events gets in their way.  It was “una muerte anunciada”, a death foretold.

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Although the basic outline of the plot is essentially an account of all the events leading up to the death of Santiago Nasar, the chief interest is undoubtedly the town as a collective.  Marquez uses the story of Santiago Nasar’s tragic death to illustrate and analyse the community and the trappings of living in a small town.  The claustrophobia of the town is almost tangible.  Every event that takes place is quickly spread to all the citizens.  Everyone knows everyone else’s business and there seems to be some sort of link between every person.  As the story unfolds, you ...

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