WIT Supervised Writing (IB English)

WIT Supervised Writing 1 - Marquez
How Marquez explores the concept of honor in A Chronicle of a Death foretold.

There are have been many cultures throughout history who have valued the concept of honour as
an underlying basic law of society, above all others. Specifically this use of honour and in
particular its definition is something that historically varies depending on your society and class.
What is honour? Is it merely a fundamental value that must be sustained in order to live? Or, is it
a word that is used as a means of one self-promoting themselves? In Gabriel Garcia Marquezs,
Chronicle of a Death Foretold the concept of honour is opaquely depicted as a means of an
excuse to uphold one or ones family character.

Early on in the novel, shortly after being given a brief by Marquez of Santiago Nasar in the lead
up to his death, the Vicario family as well as the San Roman family are introduced. The quotation,
Poncio Vicario, was a poor man's goldsmith, and he'd lost his sight from doing so much fine work
in gold in order to maintain the honour of the house, is strategically added into the novel early as
a way to present to readers what in context honour is seen to be. This quotation is a stepping
stone to ambiguity that can be seen throughout the book. This perception of honour being
something that is earned after hard work and class is what honour in context is seen to be on its
face. Below the face or the simple definition of what honour is, is a complex array of fluctuating
meanings, of what honour really is.
Marques explores honour in A Chronicle of a Death Foretold by utilising the nature of a
traditional ceremony of nuptials. Intercourse on wedding night, in Hispanic culture is believed to
be the final part of the marriage service before the couple is officially wed. This process, must be
done with honour though and to do this the women must be a virgin or she is unworthy for the
man and she must be returned. In the novel, Angela Vicario knows she is not a virgin before the
wedding. Traditionally, the stain of honour which is mentioned in the novel is something that is
publically displayed after initial intercourse after marriage to show that the women was a virgin
and has now lost her virginity. The fact the Angela is not a virgin will mean, that unless the stain
of honour is faked she will be disposed of by Bayardo San Roman and she will be never able to
marry again.
What is so opaque to the reader is, what occurs on the wedding night. Angela prepares to fake
the stain of honour and before the wedding has full intention on doing this. What bewilders
readers is what she does on the night. For some reason she does not complete her actions, she is
disposed of and then beaten savagely in silence by her mother. This scenario brings a range of Big
questions to the readers. One of them is, why didnt she fake the stain of honour? It could not be
for her own honour or her families, because now she is publically known as a slut and her family
have now lost so much honour. A further question that can be raised from the issue is, why was
she so silent when her mother was beating her? This reaction would be common if you felt bad
for losing family honour, however she could of upheld her family name by faking the stain of
honour on the linen. This whole contradictory scenario places the whole concept of what is
honour in this town and why would Angela not do anything she could to attempt at upholding it.
Marquez after this point in A Chronicle of a Death Foretold has set a precedent for the
complexity of what is honour?, for the rest of the book.
What honour is, is an intentionally confusing concept in A Chronicle of a Death Foretold which
is in place by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to attempt at showing the confusion and bewilderment of
what honour is, in context and also to show that honour is a fluctuating means of self indulgence
in many ways.

(More to say If I had time, including conclusion)

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WIT Supervised Writing 1 - Marquez

How Marquez explores the concept of honor in A Chronicle of a Death foretold.

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