Surrealism in Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Societal Critique
School
Trinity Valley Community College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
ENGLISH 130
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 10, 2024
Pages
2
Uploaded by DoctorGerbilPerson1205
Through surrealism,Chronicle of a Death Foretoldcritiques the failure of societal institutions toacknowledge the subconscious and the irrational, revealing how this neglect perpetuates cyclesof tragedy and exposes the fragility of societal constructs.Idea 1: Surrealism highlights the importance of subconscious and dreamsymbolism, exposing societal failures to heed subconscious warnings.●Reference 1 (Research Article):Breton views surrealism as a means to integrate theunconscious into reality, showing that dreams hold critical truths often dismissed byrational thought.○Quote:"I believe in the future transmutation of those two seemingly contradictorystates, dream and reality, into a sort of absolute reality, of surreality." (Breton,What is Surrealism?)(what_is_surrealism (1)).○Explanation:Breton emphasizes the power of dreams as a source of truth,challenging society’s prioritization of rationalism over the unconscious. Thisrelates to the novel’s depiction of Santiago’s dreams, which contain warnings thatare dismissed by societal norms, illustrating how ignoring subconscious insightsleads to tragedy.●Reference 2 (Novel):Santiago Nasar’s prophetic dreams are disregarded by hismother, reflecting society's inattention to the subconscious.○Quote:“She hadn’t noticed any ominous augury in those two dreams of herson’s, or in the other dreams of trees he’d described... preceding his death.”(Márquez, p. 4)(Untitled document (10)).○Explanation:Santiago’s mother’s failure to interpret the dream reflects society’sneglect of the unconscious. This oversight highlights surrealism’s critique ofrational institutions that undervalue subconscious realities, showing how suchignorance contributes to inevitable tragedies.Idea 2: Surrealism critiques rigid societal norms by exposing theirhypocrisy and irrationality.●Reference 1 (Research Article):Surrealism juxtaposes the irrational with societalconstructs, challenging the supposed rationality of traditional norms.○Quote:“Under pretext of progress, all that rightly or wrongly may be regarded asfantasy or superstition has been banished... Imagination is perhaps on the pointof reclaiming its rights.” (Breton)(what_is_surrealism (1)).○Explanation:Breton’s critique of societal rejection of imagination applies to thenovel’s rigid honor codes, which are based on deeply ingrained but flawed
traditions. Surrealism exposes these norms as restrictive constructs that ignorehuman complexities, perpetuating conflict instead of resolving it.●Reference 2 (Novel):The Vicario brothers’ adherence to honor codes reflectssurrealism’s critique of societal constructs.○Quote:“The brothers were brought up to be men. The girls had been reared toget married... ‘Any man will be happy with them because they’ve been raised tosuffer.’” (Márquez, p. 31)(Untitled document (10)).○Explanation:The quote underscores societal expectations that enforcetraditional gender roles and suppress individual desires. By juxtaposing theirrationality of such traditions with the consequences they cause, the novel alignswith surrealism’s critique of societal hypocrisy and its destructive outcomes.Idea 3: The inevitability of tragedy stems from society’s failure toacknowledge irrational forces like chance and spontaneity.●Reference 1 (Research Article):Surrealism emphasizes chance and irrationality,challenging the illusion of control inherent in societal structures.○Quote:“The irrational and logically inexplicable... forces the viewer toacknowledge the inherent 'sense' of the irrational.”(Britannica)(what_is_surrealism (1)).○Explanation:This perspective reveals how societal structures attempt to imposeorder, yet surrealism uncovers the irrational forces that disrupt this order. In thenovel, chance events surrounding Santiago’s death emphasize the fragility ofsocietal constructs when faced with the unpredictable.●Reference 2 (Novel):Santiago’s death hinges on a series of coincidences that no oneunderstands, embodying surrealism’s focus on the irrational.○Quote:“No one could understand such fatal coincidences... The door to thesquare was cited several times with a dime-novel title: 'The Fatal Door.'”(Márquez, p. 12)(Untitled document (10)).○Explanation:The absurdity of Santiago’s death, dictated by a seemingly randomseries of events, mirrors surrealism’s assertion that irrational forces ultimatelygovern human existence. The societal inaction in response to these eventscritiques institutions that rely on rationality, failing to address or adapt to theunpredictable.