Cultural Influence in Chronicle Of A Death Foretold Essay

In the culture of the Colombian town in which the narrative in Chronicle of a Death Foretold 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, and the defense of this ideal is directly responsible for Santiago Nasar's murder.

Pedro and Pablo Vicario murder Santiago in order to restore the honor of their sister, Angela Vicario. Angela dishonors her family by marrying Bayardo San Roman, the son of a wealthy family, when she had already slept with someone else. While being questioned about her virginity by her brother Pedro, Angela is able to pull a name out of her head, nailing it to the wall with her well-aimed dart, like a butterfly with no will whose sentence has always been written. The name she speaks is Santiago Nasar, and while many suspicions have been aroused against her claim, the Vicario brothers set off after Santiago and thus their sisters honor.

The brothers decision to murder Santiago is not as much a choice but an obligation to uphold the families honor. This can be determined by their actions up to the crime. As they moved through the town preparing for the murder and searching for Santiago, they made sure that everyone knew what they were planning to do. This behavior, which is clearly detrimental to their supposed goal, may be a clear sign as to their unwillingness to murder Santiago. They wish to be stopped, but only while attempting to carry out their responsibility to the family.

Unfortunately almost no one attempts to stop the brothers. The community as a whole agrees that Santiagos murder in the name of honor is the correct course of action. Pablos fianc, Prudencia Cotes, even goes as far as to say she never would have married Pablo if he hadn't upheld his sister's honor by killing Santiago. So, instead of trying to stop it, villagers set up around Santiagos home and wait to witness the death that was foretold. The cost of upholding an ideal is the death of a man whos guilt was never proved.