Chronicle Of A Death Foretold Gender Roles

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In Gabrial Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, gender roles force men and women into purity-centered and machismo-centered positions and determine how characters react to Santiago's murder.
Paragraph 1: Like women, the men in the novel are subject to gender roles. While they are granted more freedom and agency than women, they are expected to uphold the honor of their families and think that violence is seen as an acceptable way to do so. For example, women are expected to maintain everything in order and care for everyone, so it was surprising that Angela's mother, “for once in her life, she did not pay any attention to her husband” (22). Angela Vicario, the future bride of Bayardo San Roman, is forced to marry a man she does not love …show more content…

Her brothers then beat Angela until she reveals the name of the man who took her virginity, which leads to Santiago Nasar's murder. Also, the women in the novel are expected to be submissive and well-behaved to men. For instance, when Angela's mom discovers that her daughter has lost her virginity, she describes it as the “horror of the night” (34) she will never forget. She does not question her about what happened or why but, on the contrary, assumes that her daughter needs to have been at fault. She then forces Angela to disclose the name of the man who took her virginity and forces her to marry a man she does not love. Angela's loss of innocence before marriage is seen as a dishonor to her family, and her brothers feel obligated to restore their family's reverence by the fviolation. Her parents never missed a “chance to keep their daughter away from the claws of a seigneur” (68)These gender roles are evident throughout the novel, from how the characters behave to how others treat them. For example, male characters are described as macho, and their masculinity is often linked to their ability to dominate women. On the other hand, the female characters are often seen as passive and helpless, unable to make decisions for