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com by Manka Muriu

How does García Márquez employ situational and dramatic irony in Chronicle of a Death
Foretold to underscore the socio-cultural values that contribute to the community's
complicity in relation to the murder?

A murder foretold, and a community's silent complicity, Chronicle of a Death Foretold

by Gabriel García Márquez invites the reader to witness the complexity of inexcusable actions

justified through socio-cultural values. Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a novella that revolves

around the murder of Santiago Nasar, in a sparsely populated, closely-knit Colombian town. The

story is narrated in a non-linear fashion, with the reader made aware from the beginning of the

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impending killing of Santiago Nasar. Similarly, the murder, as the title points out, is foretold,

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creating an atmosphere of inevitability. The primary reason for Nasar’s murder is the perceived

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violation of Angela Vicario's honor. Angela, a young woman who was engaged to another man,
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accuses Santiago of taking her virginity and thus dishonoring her. Consequently, this accusation
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obliges Angela's brothers, the Vicario twins, to restore their family's honor by killing Santiago.
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The narrative explores the complex relationship of socio-cultural values and traditions within the
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community. This results in norms, deeply rooted in the town’s social culture, which often conflict
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with the characters’ own morality. The central question of the novella revolves around how could
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such an egregious crime occur when everyone knew how likely it was to happen. Márquez

employs dramatic and situational irony to underscore how the socio-cultural scaffolding values

of the community shapes the collective complicity of Santiago Nasar’s murder. Through the use

of irony Márquez unveils the hypocritical nature of a society that upholds moral traditional

values while simultaneously allowing the violation of these values.

Through use of dramatic irony, Márquez creates a stark contrast between the reader's

perspective and the discrepancy between characters’ professed values, influenced by the

socio-cultural norms, and their actions. For instance, even starting with the title, and throughout
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the novel, the reader seems to have the bird's eye view, and realize more than the community.

Fundamentally, the reader is waiting for the moment of revelation, when the characters realize

the inevitable and the guilt that follows. The dramatic irony begins with the title, as one would

expect the novel to be in the chronicle form, however, the narration jumps between different time

frames. This nonlinear technique emphasizes the inevitability of a collective murder through the

passive attitude of the village. By choosing the ominous title, Chronicle of a Death Foretold,

García Márquez underscores the paradoxical nature of the community's attitude towards the

murder of Santiago Nasar. Through the use of the word "death" as opposed to "murder" or

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"killing", the tone of the title downplays the severity of the crime, reflecting the village's

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condoning attitude towards the impending murder. With this diction, García Márquez highlights
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how the community's deeply ingrained socio-cultural values, particularly the obsession with
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honor and revenge, serve to distort their perception of morality. If it was not evident from the
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title, the author confirms the suspicion of the inevitability, as stated “There had never been a
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death more foretold” (30). The narrator emphasizes the accurate prediction of Santiago Nasar's
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fate with the adjective "more foretold”; indicating that the entire community was warned about
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the tragedy, yet the characters remain oblivious to these signs or outright dismiss them.
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Additionally, when Pablo Vicario states that “We killed him openly, but we're innocent" (29),

Márquez reflects the community stance, as Pablo is convinced that the crime will ultimately be

accepted. By employing this paradox, García Márquez underscores the hypocrisy ingrained

within the societal norms of the Colombian town. The manner of openly accepting their crime in

public, while claiming innocence, is explained by the deep-rooted belief that they acted

according to the unwritten rules of their people. The community's unwavering commitment to

one’s honor as a socio-cultural pillar, demonstrated by the murder to restore Angela Vicario's
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honor, overshadows the significance of individual right to life and justice. This dramatic irony,

highlights the community's complicity in Santiago Nasar's murder, reflecting the skewed moral

compass and eagerness to enact revenge instead of thoroughly investigating the circumstances

within the judicial system. Furthermore, the complicity of the community is confirmed by the

quote “The only thing they knew for sure was that Angela Vicario’s brothers were waiting for

him to kill him” (13). In addition, when the brothers admit their true intentions to town members

“‘We're going to kill Santiago Nasar,’ Pedro Vicario said." (63). The dramatic irony portrays the

extent to which honor and revenge are intertwined in the community; even when a civil order

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representative, Colonel Lazaro Aponte, is informed of the twins’ plot, nothing is done to prevent

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it from happening. Therefore, the lack of interference, and tacit acceptance of the community,
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reflects the distorted importance of honor in the society. In summary, through the use of dramatic
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irony, Gabriel García Márquez highlights to what extent the deeply ingrained social-cultural
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values ultimately determine the community's complicity in the tragic murder of Santiago Nasar.
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In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel García Márquez employs situational irony to

underscore the socio-cultural values that contribute to the community's complicity in Santiago
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Nasar's murder. For instance, when "The men who were going to kill him had slept on the
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benches... they looked like insomniac sleepwalkers" (9). Situational irony is utilized as the

Vicario twins, bound by their perceived sense of duty to restore their family's honor, had

carefully planned the murder. However, their sleepy appearance on the day of the crime,

resembling "insomniac sleepwalkers," contrasts with the usually calculated actions of a

stereotypical murderer. This exposes the apathy of the community, in its obsession with honor,

who have become blind to the reality of the situation. They are asleep to the true consequences of

their values and actions, just as the twins appear to be sleepwalking through their honor-driven
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mission. Furthermore, the townspeople, aware of the twins' intentions, fail to intervene or

question the situation, deepening their collective reluctance to challenge traditional values of

honor. Likewise, when "Santiago Nasar put on a shirt and pants of white linen... If it hadn't been

for the bishop's arrival, he would have dressed in his khaki outfit" (3). The choice of Santiago

Nasar clothes is ironic because it contrasts with the reader’s expectation that someone dressed in

white is safe and at peace. This situation creates a striking contrast between his appearance and

the violent outcome, an example of situational irony. The community's obsession with

appearances and customs leads Nasar to dress for an occasion, not realizing he is dressing for his

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own funeral. This irony portrays the society's complicity in the murder, as their fixation on

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maintaining traditions prevents them from questioning or preventing the tragedy. For example,
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when "The twins hesitated for an instant. They looked at each other, dazed by the result of the
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answer, and their glances took in the empty square, the quince trees, the stopped town.” (57). The
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situational irony is that the Vicario twins, despite their resolve to kill Santiago Nasar, hesitate.
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This hesitation allows the murder to take place in front of numerous witnesses, without anyone
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acting to prevent the murder, further portraying the-society’s complicity. The irony does not only
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lay in Nasar's fate, but also in the society's collective inaction while witnessing a crime. The
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townspeople's inability to question until what limit one believes in upholding-honor and

exercising revenge, blinds them to the consequences of their actions. Furthermore, the town’s

professed values are evident when “Victoria Guzman showed [Santiago Nasar] the bloody knife.

‘Let go of her, white man,’ she ordered him seriously. ‘You won’t have a drink of that water as

long as I’m alive’” (6). This quote illustrates the traditional value that the community prides

itself in by standing up against injustice as Victoria Guzman confronts Santiago Nasar. The

juxtaposition of Victoria Guzman's quickness to fight injustice paired with her complicity when
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Santiago Nasar is faced with a similar injustice and violent retribution underscores the hypocrisy

of the society. Furthermore, the visual imagery of a bloody knife reinforces that violence is

commonplace in the community. To conclude, Garcia Márquez utilizes situational irony to reveal

how the socio-cultural values applied blindly contribute to the community’s complicity to the

murder.

In conclusion, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Garcia Márquez employs

dramatic and situational irony to reveal how the socio-cultural values dictate the code of

behavior and, ultimately, how the community is transformed into complicit bystanders. Both

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situational and dramatic irony serve as powerful narrative devices, shedding light on the contrast

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between professed traditional values, derived actions and their consequences within the
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Colombian town. The novella suggests that socio-cultural values, such as honor and revenge,
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when pushed to extreme interpretation and blindly followed, act as a double-edged sword. Honor
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can be a source of tradition and identity, however, it can also be detrimental, often leading to the
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unquestioning acceptance of actions which damage individual morality. In the novella, pursuit of
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honor and fear of societal judgment drives the Vicario brothers to commit heinous acts, while
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other characters, such as Colonel Lazaro, choose to turn a blind eye, thus revealing the dangers
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of letting cultural norms dictate personal morality.

Works Cited

Márquez, García Gabriel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Translated by Gregory Rabassa,

Penguin Books, 2014.

Word Count: 1500

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