Chronicle of a Death Foretold is about society; in particular, it explores the male-dominated culture present in mid-20th century Colombian society, and the injustice towards women that stems from this. Gabriel Garcia-Marquez uses irony and diction in order to depict the dominant attributes of men, which are made apparent through the characterisation of Santiago Nasar and Bayardo San Roman as brutal, virile, and all-powerful. This serves to fulfil his purpose of criticising the misogynistic nature of patriarchal Colombian society.
Santiago Nasar is characterised by Marquez as privileged and well-off in order to exemplify his dominance. The phrase “a privileged existence, afforded by money and maleness” (Marquez 17) (in reference to Santiago’s …show more content…
Women were seen as objects to fulfil the sexual desires of their husbands, while the husbands themselves were free to frequent brothels (such as that of María Alejandrina Cervantes) and engage in as many sexual encounters as they liked (Farahmandian). People accepted this now-immoral behaviour, which led to women being vulnerable to sexual harassment and injustice in society. Thus the characterisation of Santiago Nasar in this manner serves as a criticism of society: it shows that Santiago, and by extension all men, are driven by their sexual desires, and see women only as sources to fulfil those desires. Therefore, the fact that men like Santiago have the authority to fulfil their sexual desires without consent shows that they are dominant in Colombian …show more content…
Specifically, the future of speech “he’s swimming in gold” (Marquez 26) shows that Bayardo San Roman—the “he” to whom Marquez is referring”—is very affluent. This can be explored through the meanings that gold is associated with: it is symbolic of high status and excessive wealth due to its connotations of luxury and extravagance. Furthermore, the use of the adverb “swimming” comments on the vastness of the volume of gold that Bayardo San Roman possesses, as it is implied that he would be able to propel his entire body through it. This is relevant because of the way in which Bayardo San Roman uses his monetary prowess: he fashions a wedding so immense that even Santiago Nasar, a man whose own considerable wealth allows him to engage in hobbies such as falconry and horse riding, has “his best time on the eve of his death calculating the expense” (Marquez 41). Overall, the combination of San Roman’s masculine physique, excess wealth, and unmitigated power shows that he is dominant due to the influence that these characteristics afford him. This is a criticism of the misogynistic nature of Colombian society as Bayardo San Roman’s characteristics can be seen as a reflection of those of all
Santiago Nasar is characterised by Marquez as privileged and well-off in order to exemplify his dominance. The phrase “a privileged existence, afforded by money and maleness” (Marquez 17) (in reference to Santiago’s …show more content…
Women were seen as objects to fulfil the sexual desires of their husbands, while the husbands themselves were free to frequent brothels (such as that of María Alejandrina Cervantes) and engage in as many sexual encounters as they liked (Farahmandian). People accepted this now-immoral behaviour, which led to women being vulnerable to sexual harassment and injustice in society. Thus the characterisation of Santiago Nasar in this manner serves as a criticism of society: it shows that Santiago, and by extension all men, are driven by their sexual desires, and see women only as sources to fulfil those desires. Therefore, the fact that men like Santiago have the authority to fulfil their sexual desires without consent shows that they are dominant in Colombian …show more content…
Specifically, the future of speech “he’s swimming in gold” (Marquez 26) shows that Bayardo San Roman—the “he” to whom Marquez is referring”—is very affluent. This can be explored through the meanings that gold is associated with: it is symbolic of high status and excessive wealth due to its connotations of luxury and extravagance. Furthermore, the use of the adverb “swimming” comments on the vastness of the volume of gold that Bayardo San Roman possesses, as it is implied that he would be able to propel his entire body through it. This is relevant because of the way in which Bayardo San Roman uses his monetary prowess: he fashions a wedding so immense that even Santiago Nasar, a man whose own considerable wealth allows him to engage in hobbies such as falconry and horse riding, has “his best time on the eve of his death calculating the expense” (Marquez 41). Overall, the combination of San Roman’s masculine physique, excess wealth, and unmitigated power shows that he is dominant due to the influence that these characteristics afford him. This is a criticism of the misogynistic nature of Colombian society as Bayardo San Roman’s characteristics can be seen as a reflection of those of all