Prompt: Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a society. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect the fate of the characters and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
Strength in Numbers
Societal Values and Fate in Chronicle of a Death Foretold While individuals often collectively dictate what values a society upholds, the society impacts how its citizens must act in order to succeed. In Gabriel García Márquez’s novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, life revolves around maintaining one’s reputation in the eyes of others. Caught in the crossfire is Santiago Nasar, a young man accused of having premarital sex with Angela …show more content…
To the townspeople, gathering respect from the people of the town is paramount. Brides who engaged in premarital sex often hatched plans “to feign her lost possession, so… she could display open under the sun in the courtyard of her house the linen sheet with the stain of honour” (Garcia Marquez 38). The exposed diction of “under the open sun” emphasizes how the brides put their private lives into the open in order to appear “honorable.” Be it “feigned” or not, “to be honorable, a woman had to demonstrate her chastity” (Lipsett-Rivera 2). Similarly, society shuns to its fringes those who do not hypocritically maintain their honor. After her daughter was publicly rejected by Bayardo, Angela’s mother beats her so harshly that Angela thought her mother “was going to kill” her (Garcia Marquez 46). Societal values transcend mother-daughter relations — in fact, they transcend life and death boundaries, as Angela’s mother was ready to ruthlessly “kill” her own daughter over this dishonorable act. The will of society ultimately punishes Angela with shame and physical harm, whether her mother willingly inflicted it or
Strength in Numbers
Societal Values and Fate in Chronicle of a Death Foretold While individuals often collectively dictate what values a society upholds, the society impacts how its citizens must act in order to succeed. In Gabriel García Márquez’s novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, life revolves around maintaining one’s reputation in the eyes of others. Caught in the crossfire is Santiago Nasar, a young man accused of having premarital sex with Angela …show more content…
To the townspeople, gathering respect from the people of the town is paramount. Brides who engaged in premarital sex often hatched plans “to feign her lost possession, so… she could display open under the sun in the courtyard of her house the linen sheet with the stain of honour” (Garcia Marquez 38). The exposed diction of “under the open sun” emphasizes how the brides put their private lives into the open in order to appear “honorable.” Be it “feigned” or not, “to be honorable, a woman had to demonstrate her chastity” (Lipsett-Rivera 2). Similarly, society shuns to its fringes those who do not hypocritically maintain their honor. After her daughter was publicly rejected by Bayardo, Angela’s mother beats her so harshly that Angela thought her mother “was going to kill” her (Garcia Marquez 46). Societal values transcend mother-daughter relations — in fact, they transcend life and death boundaries, as Angela’s mother was ready to ruthlessly “kill” her own daughter over this dishonorable act. The will of society ultimately punishes Angela with shame and physical harm, whether her mother willingly inflicted it or