Chronicle Of A Death Foretold Essay

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez is the account (through an unnamed narrator) of Santiago Nasar’s murder twenty-seven years ago. In Garcia Marquez The Man and His Work, Bell-Villada indicates that, “it is a novel not only about a horrendous crime but about the narrator’s task of piecing together the crime.” The difficulty of this task is seen when the unnamed narrator describes the action as, “trying to put the broken mirror of memory together from so many scattered shards” (6). This metaphor creates an image of scattered truths that can cause pain when handled carelessly. Initially, the sequence of events convey the causes and consequences of the murder and then reveal the actual scene of Santiago’s murder. The actions of the townspeople allude to how Santiago would die, nevertheless, his death is inevitable. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel García Marquez uses the violent actions of Victoria

The morning of Santiago’s murder, “she [Victoria] pulled out the insides of a rabbit by the roots and threw the steaming guts to the dogs” as Santiago watched with fright (10). Marquez uses descriptive actions such as “pulled” and “threw” to create imagery that heighten Victoria’s actions in the eyes of Santiago. The dogs eat the rabbits’ intestines which results in a desire for more intestines because they are “aroused by the smell of death” (73). Marquez use of the word “arouse” addresses the strong urge the dogs feel to consume the intestines. Divina Flor cries for help because “they [dogs] want is to eat his guts” (73). The dogs are placed in the stable, but they soon escape and enter the house. Placida Linero eventually shouts, “those shitty dogs...kill them!” (74). Placida’s harsh languages express her frustration towards the dogs’ behavior ultimately leads to her final command of their