Machismo in the Novel - Chronicle of the Death Foretold

Israel Perez

English 112

November 9, 2005

Professor Palade

Machismo in the novel

Chronicle of the Death Foretold

The novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is one of his best known pieces of work. The storyline of Chronicle of a Death Foretold revolves around the death of a man marked as a young bride's perpetrator. In the novel the murder is recounted in a journalistic style. The narrator investigates the murder 27 years after the fact. The story is about Bayardo San Roman, a rich, mysterious stranger to the town who arranges a marriage with Angela Vicario. On their wedding night Bayardo returns his new wife to her family because she was not a virgin. Her parents beat a name of the offender out of her and she names Santiago Nasar, a rich, handsome man about town. Her two brothers then kill him early then morning after the wedding.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold consists of many different themes that can be recognized by the reader. One of these themes is the topic machismo. Machismo is a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness, sense of power, or the right to dominate. This theme in turn can be related to the theme of moral responsibility. In this novel the power to dominate is aimed towards women. Machismo used in this novel can also be observed as a form of emphasis on male pride and on the characters sexual behavior. This story takes place during a time when women were looked at and considered to be inferior to men. Women at that time were looked at as a possession. They were the possession of their fathers, husbands, and even brothers. That is considered to be machismo.

In this culture women are divided into categories of saints and whores. This was determined according to the economic class that the woman was part of. Poor women in this culture were considered available for the use of society. An example of this is the bordello in town. It is the male behavior to frequently visit this place. This is where women can be used for their every desire. Men are proud to go there and have no shame. This is even true when diseases are transmitted from their visits. Machismo is very evident in the bordello.

On the other hand higher class women are reserved for marriage, suffering, and piety. An example is the Vicario family. The mother of the family was a school teacher, but that changed. She is known for her devotion, meekness, and the spirit of sacrifice which she has for her husband and children. The daughters she were perfectly raised to society standards. It is said that any man will be happy with them because they had been raised to suffer. That is one of the qualities that make a woman a part of the higher class. They were taught embroidery, machine sewing, and lace weaving all skills needed to be considered a perfect wife during that time.

The outlook on marriage was that it was an obligation or duty for women. Marriage in this society was something not out of love. So when Angel Vicario is told by her parents she must marry a stranger by the name of Bayardo San Roman, she has no choice to go with their decision. The parents see this as an opportunity to move in social class. There are many other examples of machismo in the story. Drinking is another example of machismo, and this is used by the Vicario brothers. Drinking in abundance is a way for them to show how manly they are. Santiago Nasar, like his father before him, is a sparrow hawk. Father and son have made a habit of having young female servants for their own sexual satisfaction. This is also a form of machismo.

The best example of machismo in this story is Santiago's murder. This is the reason why Santiago was murdered in the first place. During that time in order for a woman to get married she needed to be a virgin. She was to lose her virginity the night of her wedding. This was considered a sign of ownership for her husband. When Angela Vicario's husband discovers his bride's lost virtue the night of their wedding, he returns her to the house of her mother. In their eyes Angela was damaged goods and a disgrace to her family. Her twin brothers, set out to revenge their sister's lost honor in the accepted