Honor, a Path to Death
According to the Oxford dictionary, the term "honor" comes from the Latin word "honos," which means respect and esteem. In many cultures, the concept of honor is imperative because it provides the foundation for the values and morals of humanity. Moreover, for some individuals, trust is about the integrity of their beliefs, while for others, it is a source of dignity and social status. In some cultures, the affairs of esteem are sacred. It is an obligation for a shamed person to regain the family reputation and avoid social humiliation. In most of the cases, killing is the only way to obtain back the honor of the individual or families. In the novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel García Márquez, the main character, …show more content…
The Samurai claimed that he killed himself to preserve the little honor that was left. For instance, he declared that he was disgraced when the Bandit raped his wife. Orit Kamir states that “For an individual to watch another man take his woman is the most devastating humiliation with any honor culture, including the one of the Samurai" (32). However, the Samurai felt more humiliated when the wife begged the Bandit to take her with him and to go with him; the woman demanded the bandit to kill her husband. What type of woman wishes to run away with the individual who raped her? By begging the Bandit to take her with him, the wife demonstrated that she had no respect for her husband anymore. "The woman betrayed the honor and reputation of the Samurai by bringing his ultimate shame in a culture where honor is ranked above life" (Kamir 32). After the wife and the Bandit had left, the Samurai killed himself with the dagger of his wife. According to David Medine, in the Japanese context, this is his way of recovering whatever honor that he can" (58). Furthermore, by killing himself with the dagger of his wife, the Samurai tried to clean his honor and social
According to the Oxford dictionary, the term "honor" comes from the Latin word "honos," which means respect and esteem. In many cultures, the concept of honor is imperative because it provides the foundation for the values and morals of humanity. Moreover, for some individuals, trust is about the integrity of their beliefs, while for others, it is a source of dignity and social status. In some cultures, the affairs of esteem are sacred. It is an obligation for a shamed person to regain the family reputation and avoid social humiliation. In most of the cases, killing is the only way to obtain back the honor of the individual or families. In the novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel García Márquez, the main character, …show more content…
The Samurai claimed that he killed himself to preserve the little honor that was left. For instance, he declared that he was disgraced when the Bandit raped his wife. Orit Kamir states that “For an individual to watch another man take his woman is the most devastating humiliation with any honor culture, including the one of the Samurai" (32). However, the Samurai felt more humiliated when the wife begged the Bandit to take her with him and to go with him; the woman demanded the bandit to kill her husband. What type of woman wishes to run away with the individual who raped her? By begging the Bandit to take her with him, the wife demonstrated that she had no respect for her husband anymore. "The woman betrayed the honor and reputation of the Samurai by bringing his ultimate shame in a culture where honor is ranked above life" (Kamir 32). After the wife and the Bandit had left, the Samurai killed himself with the dagger of his wife. According to David Medine, in the Japanese context, this is his way of recovering whatever honor that he can" (58). Furthermore, by killing himself with the dagger of his wife, the Samurai tried to clean his honor and social