Matthew Tory
Ms. Porteus
ENG4U-3
February 1 2015
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Assessment
Part I
1. Discuss the significance/impact of the theme of honour as it pertains to the novel.
a. The theme of honour significantly impacts the events that take place in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. There are three instances in this book where the theme of honour is most apparent.
Firstly, it is what drives the Vicario brothers to murder Santiago Nasar. The brothers were in essence “forced” to kill Santiago Nasar, because they felt it was a necessary act o protect their family’s honour. Santiago Nasar brought shame and dishonour to the Vicario family by violating principles of religion. Specifically, he took the virginity of Angela Vicario without the…show more content… Chronicle of a Death Foretold can best be defined as a modern tragedy. This is primarily due to the fact that the individuals involved in the tragedy are not particularly extraordinary. Santiago Nasar, the novel’s chief character, does not pass through a series of misfortunes, as defined by a classical tragedy. Rather, he is absent for all precursor misfortunes, which do not directly affect him. He is only present in the final, devastating catastrophe. Angela Vicario encounters misfortune when her true virginity is discovered. Subsequently, Santiago Nasar stumbles upon the final misfortune when he is murdered.
2. What is the “cult of machismo” referred to in the novel? In what way does adherence to it influence the course of events in Chronicle of a Death Foretold? (100 words, 3 marks)
a. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the “cult of machismo” refers to the strong or exaggerated sense of masculine pride adopted by males in Latin American culture. This cultural phenomenon influences the course of events in the novel because it is the source of Vicario brothers’ ambitions to kill Santiago Nasar. Machismo suggests that courage, strength, and entitlement are the fundamental aspects of manhood. When the opportunity arose for the brothers to assume their dominance, they did not hesitate. Without the “cult of machismo” the means by which the brothers dealt with the situation might have been more