Chronicle Of A Death Foretold Analysis

1210 Words5 Pages
What is in a name or how significant is a name? What if the ultimate fate depended on our name?This idea is explored in the masterpiece Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, where the use of Onomastics and symbology serves as a pathway to the protagonists’ destinies. These literary tools are an integral part of the novella and so extravagant in their application that they bind characters to their ultimate fate. We see this exemplified through the characters Santiago Nasar, Angela Vicario and Maria Alejandria Cervantes.
The symbology behind Santiago Nasar’s name connects him to his fate of being crucified for the sins of the town.The name Santiago refers to the word saint which conveys the holy nature of his name. Nasar is associated with the lord Jesus himself it refers to the birthplace of Jesus Nazareth. The entire novella revolves around the death of Santiago Nasar and instances that lead to his death. Santiago Nasar was put to death for the sins of the town the way Jesus died for the sins of humanity. The town is considered sinful on account of the fact that they were excessively devoted to the cults of honor and image. By acknowledging the existence and adherence to these cults in the society we can also understand the town folks passiveness about the murder. The reasons why people fail to stop the Vicario twins is their image in the community of being well behaved and highly respected and they are going against one of the community 's unspoken