Chronicle Of A Death Foretold Conflict Analysis

For as long as people have lived together, social classes have determined how members of each group interact with each other and live their daily lives. Gabriel Garcia Márquez explores the impact of these classes on Latin American culture in his novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, which centers around the events resulting in the murder of Santiago Nasar. On the night of her wedding, Angela Vicario’s wealthy husband, Bayardo San Román, discovers she is not a virgin. He returns her to her home, where her mother beats her and her twin brothers, Pablo and Pedro, demand she tells them who her perpetrator is. When she names Santiago Nasar, the brothers reluctantly enact a plan to kill him in order to restore their sister´s lost honor. Although most of the village knows of the brothers’ plan, no one does anything to stop the murder

The contrast between the socially unacceptable behaviors of the bishop, Bayardo, and Santiago demonstrates how their riches allow them to get away with a variety of distasteful behaviors rather than just one type. In addition to the power the bishop gains from his money providing him with the respect he needs in order to remain a religious leader when he is not devout, Bayardo’s money gives him power over Angela, his wife, and allows him to bypass the traditional marriage rituals of his culture. Similarly, the belief of Santiago’s wealth protecting him from being murdered by the twins reflects how their society has accepted how the wealthy are not punished for their actions. This disparity in the treatment of different social classes has existed in every culture throughout the world and continues to thrive today, so it is important to recognize how people’s wealth impacts their