In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Márquez uses symbols of falconry, flowers, and religion to reflect on important thematic aspects of sexuality, purity, and honor. These symbols represent and provide insight into Márquez’s characters. Márquez’s use of symbolism helps pave the way for the themes that he presents in the novel. Márquez depicts the main character, Santiago Nasar, as a predator in the novel through not only the aggressive tone he uses when he describes him but also through Santiago’s actions. Santiago’s main role is a scapegoat, as he is immediately blamed for taking the honor of Angela Vicario. Although, the narrator never specifically named Santiago as the person who took Angela’s virginity, the way Santiago acts suggests Santiago is to blame. Additionally, at the beginning of the novel, Márquez introduces the falcon motif to represent Santiago. Santiago is directly correlated with this falcon motif, evident when Márquez says, “From his father he learned at a very young age the manipulation of firearms, his love for horses, and the mastery of high-flying birds of prey” (Márquez 7). Márquez begins intertwining the falcon motif in Santiago. Márquez continues with the falconry symbolism by saying, “She couldn't avoid the butcher hawk hand again. ‘He grabbed my whole pussy,’ Divina Flor told me. ‘It was what he always did when he caught me alone in some corner of the house’”(Márquez 13). Evidently, Santiago is a sexual predator which is clearly illustrated in the
