Honour Violence Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Throughout time, both violence and brutality have often been used to take control. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella “A Chronicle of a Death Foretold” relies on both these aspects to show what devastations they can bring on to a society. Marquez’ use of machismo and honour work to show the link between them, and the lifestyle of the town and its Latin American culture.
Machismo is a great part of the Latin American culture seen in the town. Machismo is a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness, sense of power, or the right to dominate. It can be seen in the emphasis on male pride in the novella and on the sexual behavior of the male characters. The men take pride in visiting Maria Cervantes's brothel, where they use women for sex. They are not ashamed of their actions, because their society endorses such desires and deeds. When Bayardo San Roman returns Angela Vicario, he demonstrates machismo-a woman is only worth marrying, he suggests, when she is a virgin; after that she is soiled. The Vicario brothers' murder of Santiago Nasar is an even greater machismo act-an attempt to take back Angela's honor by killing the man who deflowered her. As the string of events in the novella shows, the severe emphasis on masculine and feminine behavior leads to injustice. One man's machismo commits another man's-Bayardo's refusal to accept Angela leads the Vicarios to kill Santiago without trial or evidence.
The killing of Santiago by the Vicario brothers can further be explored through honour. In the Latin American culture of the Colombian town in which the narrative takes place, honor is taken very seriously. Nobody in the novel ever questions any action that is taken to preserve someone's honor, since it is commonly believed to be a fundamental moral trait that is vital to keep intact. A person without honor is an outcast in the community. All of the characters in the novel are influenced by this powerful construction of honor. The defense of this ideal is directly
Machismo is a great part of the Latin American culture seen in the town. Machismo is a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness, sense of power, or the right to dominate. It can be seen in the emphasis on male pride in the novella and on the sexual behavior of the male characters. The men take pride in visiting Maria Cervantes's brothel, where they use women for sex. They are not ashamed of their actions, because their society endorses such desires and deeds. When Bayardo San Roman returns Angela Vicario, he demonstrates machismo-a woman is only worth marrying, he suggests, when she is a virgin; after that she is soiled. The Vicario brothers' murder of Santiago Nasar is an even greater machismo act-an attempt to take back Angela's honor by killing the man who deflowered her. As the string of events in the novella shows, the severe emphasis on masculine and feminine behavior leads to injustice. One man's machismo commits another man's-Bayardo's refusal to accept Angela leads the Vicarios to kill Santiago without trial or evidence.
The killing of Santiago by the Vicario brothers can further be explored through honour. In the Latin American culture of the Colombian town in which the narrative takes place, honor is taken very seriously. Nobody in the novel ever questions any action that is taken to preserve someone's honor, since it is commonly believed to be a fundamental moral trait that is vital to keep intact. A person without honor is an outcast in the community. All of the characters in the novel are influenced by this powerful construction of honor. The defense of this ideal is directly