Chronicle of a Death ForetoldChronicle of a Death Foretold

By Gabriel Garcia MarquezBy Gabriel Garcia Marquez

About the authorAbout the author Born in Aracataca, Columbia Born in Aracataca, Columbia

in 1928in 1928 Grew up in a house with his Grew up in a house with his

aunts, uncles, and aunts, uncles, and grandparentsgrandparents

The women told him tales of The women told him tales of superstition and fantasy superstition and fantasy while the men kept him while the men kept him grounded in realitygrounded in reality

Dropped out of college Dropped out of college because of civil war and because of civil war and became a reporter for a became a reporter for a newspapernewspaper

His best known work is His best known work is One One Hundred Years of SolitudeHundred Years of Solitude

His writing reflects the His writing reflects the influences of his influences of his grandmother’s stories as grandmother’s stories as well as the myths, well as the myths, superstitions, and lifestyle of superstitions, and lifestyle of Latin AmericaLatin America

Awarded the Nobel Prize for Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982Literature in 1982

A Brief Summary…A Brief Summary… Relates the events leading up to & Relates the events leading up to &

following the murder of 21 year old following the murder of 21 year old Santiago NasarSantiago Nasar

He is killed by the Vicario twins to He is killed by the Vicario twins to avenge the loss of their sister’s honoravenge the loss of their sister’s honor

27 years later, the narrator returns to 27 years later, the narrator returns to his home town to put back together his home town to put back together “the broken mirror of memory”“the broken mirror of memory”

The story is constructed from the The story is constructed from the fragmented & sometimes conflicting fragmented & sometimes conflicting versions of events remembered by the versions of events remembered by the townspeople and the narrator himselftownspeople and the narrator himself

Historical ContextHistorical Context Latin American CultureLatin American Culture

Derived from both Derived from both European European settlers’/conquerors’ settlers’/conquerors’ customs as well as the customs as well as the traditions of native traditions of native inhabitantsinhabitants

Resulted from an Resulted from an intermixing of male intermixing of male immigrants and female immigrants and female nativesnatives

Marquez blends Marquez blends elements of both elements of both culturescultures

Themes to look for…Themes to look for…► HonorHonor

How does honor play a role in the How does honor play a role in the events that take place?events that take place?

► RevengeRevenge Which characters seek revenge?Which characters seek revenge? What type of revenge is enacted?What type of revenge is enacted?

► Gender RolesGender Roles What is the difference What is the difference

between what is acceptable between what is acceptable for men and what is for men and what is acceptable for women?acceptable for women?

► SupernaturalSupernatural What kind of omens are What kind of omens are

perceived before the perceived before the murder?murder?

► DeceptionDeception Who is deceived by whom Who is deceived by whom

and how are they deceived?and how are they deceived?