Countless acclaimed novels achieve prestige through the tendency of their esteemed authors to criticize their culture and times; among these is Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez critiques Colombian culture through an investigative description of the events that led to the death of a fellow citizen in a small Colombian town. Marquez incorporates tensions and contrasts in the first chapter in an attempt to illustrate the flaws of Colombian culture, particularly through the relationship between Santiago and his servants, the role of the Vicario twins, and the community's relationship with the bishop .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayFirst, Marquez generates tension between Santiago Nasar, the brutally murdered protagonist, and his servant, Victoria Guzman. On the morning of Santiago's death, an altercation between Victoria Guzman and Santiago ensued because Santiago believed he had the right to "have" Victoria's daughter, Divina Flor. Santiago “grabbed [Divina] by the wrist” (Marquez, 8) and concluded that “the time [had] come for [her] to be tamed” (8). This presumption was common at that time in Colombia due to the unyielding machismo, which is the masculine pride of men. However, Victoria thwarted Santiago's request, "showed him the bloody knife" (8) and claimed that he would never have Divina "as long as she was alive" (8). The tension between them is clearly noticeable, and as Santiago is a man and his employer, Victoria's actions are very alarming. “Despite her age” (7) and her gender, Victoria is the only woman in this novel characterized as stubborn and resolute. Furthermore, Victoria is the only citizen who confronts the dominant social norms and does not accept the illusion of machismo or the corresponding values ​​of her culture and traditions. Victoria attempts to break the cycle in which “she had been seduced by Ibrahim Nasar” (8), Santiago’s father, so that Divina would not be “destined for Santiago Nasar’s furtive bed” (8). Marquez critiques this society's blind acceptance of traditions and cultures through Victoria's disparate perspectives and prowess. Additionally, Victoria's ability to resist the "inevitable cycle" indicates that Santiago's death may not have been inevitable, further incriminating this city. Likewise, Victoria is the only citizen whose reason for not warning Santiago is unambiguous, because "deep in her heart, she wanted them to kill him" (11). Victoria's disgust and lack of "affection" (7) for Santiago may have indirectly caused his death, since she could have easily warned him and prevented his brutal death. However, Victoria is neither the antagonist of this novel nor the fault of her decision not to warn him, since she hated him for his machismo. The tension created between Victoria and Santiago is a key element used by Marquez to criticize machismo and male entitlement and superiority. Furthermore, Marquez criticizes the society's unwavering faith in its traditions and religion, even if it has repeatedly disappointed them, through the contrasts in the city's relationship with the bishop. The city had prepared dozens of “gifts for the bishop” (15), howled with “jobilation” (12), woke up early and gathered on the docks to wait for the bishop. The enthusiasm of the city is juxtaposed with the "mechanical" movements of the bishop, "without [...] inspiration" (16). This contrast illustrates the extent to which rituals and traditions are rooted in the nature of the community, since the city grantsseveral times his faith in the bishop, even if he “never gets off his boat” (15). Marquez expresses how delusional the town is behaving because they follow their traditions and beliefs so strictly, even though their faith has continually disappointed them. For example, even the bishop, who embodies their religion, has let them down because he is not passionate about his role in Catholicism and carries out his obligations “mechanically”. However, the town continues to follow its traditions and beliefs without hesitation, to the point where an innocent person is murdered. Additionally, Marquez expresses how absurd the town's conduct and attitude is through the irony of Santiago dying because the town was too preoccupied with his religious beliefs and "the bishop's visit to worry about any other news” (20). Likewise, the contrast between the bishop's enthusiasm for the city and that of the bishops "in the [red] hat of [their] city" (6) underlines the extent to which this community is absurd. Additionally, the bishop's hatred of the city could be interpreted as abhorrence of its immoral and corrupt nature. Through the contrast between the town's reaction to the bishop and the bishop's reaction to the town, Marquez criticizes the town's faith in rituals and traditions and the lack of consideration for the disastrous consequences that these traditions lead. Furthermore, Marquez critiques the contradictory and unethical expectations of society through the role of the Vicario twins and the contrasting statements that depict them. First, Pablo and Pedro Vicario are depicted as "tough but good-natured" (14), symbolizing their internal conflict over whether or not to assassinate Santiago for the honor of their family. Being described as "tough" illustrates the expectation of men to be tough and masculine due to machismo, indicating that they are obligated to restore their family's honor. However, juxtaposing the previous description with "good kind" emphasizes that they did not make their decision based on malicious intent, but sincerely believe that their actions were justified. Likewise, they are first described as "devastated by so many hours of bad living" (14), implying their internal conflict over whether or not they should kill Santiago, and in contrast, described as diligent and always performing “their duty and duty.” [ing]” (14), which suggests their acceptance of their obligation to kill Santiago. Marquez criticizes the expectations and beliefs that arise in this society due to machismo by equating murder and shaving, as they are both community expectations. The conflicting descriptions depict the Vicario twins' dilemma and create ambiguity as to whether or not they are immoral. Their reluctance is all the more justified as they “looked at [Santiago] more with pity” (15) than with rage or hatred, and easily acceded to Clotilde's request to “leave him for later” (14). Additionally, Marquez's choice of twins as murderers is significant because they act as one person with a split personality, since they never come to a final decision, which encapsulates their internal struggle. This highlights the flaws of a patriarchal community, since their machismo pushed them to commit this crime. The twins are conflicted between what the community and the Church expect of them, so much so that their internal sense of right and wrong fades. Indeed, the twins embody the entire city, because all the inhabitants of the city are complicit in this crime since they knew the twins' motivations and decided not to warn Santiago. Specifically, the twins' internal conflict is reflected in the town, as they were all aware of the wrongdoing.