Chronicle of a Death Foretold by
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Today:
 Discussion of themes
in Chronicle…
 Points of comparison
 Your
compare/contrast
topics
 Outline assignment
On your desk: all
your materials for
Compare/Contrast
Chronicle…

Structure
– Plot progression
– Timeline
– Chapters

Style
– Magical Realism
– Use of figurative language
– Narration/Voice
– Characterization

Message- Themes!
Themes in Chronicle… & Like
Water for Chocolate
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Personal freedom (& lack of…), Fate,
Predestination vs. Free will
Contradictions, ambiguity, deception, memory,
unreliability, illusion, secrecy
Cultural traditions, moral & social order, honor,
social pressures
Violence and Brutality
Gender Roles as prescribed by society (female or
male)
Religion and spirituality
In pairs
Find someone who has a similar topic as
you.
 Work together to complete the chart.
 Use your resources.
 You will use this page to create your
outline, for homework and on Wednesday
 Include page numbers for supporting
passages, when possible.

Structuring your Essay/Outline
1. Whole-to-Whole/Block
2. Point by point
3. Similarities to Differences
Both authors address the theme of limited
personal freedom, but they do it in
different ways.
FYI: (WEAK THESIS)
Structuring your Essay/Outline
1. “Whole-to-Whole”/”Block”/”Subject-to-Subject”
Intro
Literary Work #1
1st standard of comparison
2nd standard of comparison
3rd standard of comparison
Literary Work #2
1st standard of comparison
2nd standard of comparison
3rd standard of comparison
Conclusion
Structuring your Essay/Outline
1. “Whole-to-Whole”/”Block”/”Subject-to-Subject”
Intro
Like Water for Chocolate
rigid family/social rules
characterization of women
characterization of men
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
rigid family/social rules
characterization of women
characterization of men
Conclusion
Structuring your Essay/Outline
2. “Point-by-point”
Intro
1st Standard of Comparison
Literary Work #1
Literary Work #2
2nd Standard of Comparison
Literary Work #1
Literary Work #2
3rd Standard of comparison
Literary Work #1
Literary Work #2
Conclusion
Structuring your Essay/Outline
2. “Point-by-point”
Intro
Rigid Family/Social Rules
Chronicle of a Death Foretold examples
Like Water for Chocolate examples
Characterization of Women
Chronicle of a Death Foretold examples
Like Water for Chocolate examples
Characterization of Men
Chronicle of a Death Foretold examples
Like Water for Chocolate examples
Conclusion
Both authors address the theme of limited
personal freedom, but they do it in different ways.

Points of comparison:
1. Both are set within restrictive family and social
settings.
 Example from Chronicle
 Example from LWFC
2. Both portray female characters who are forced into
situations against their will.
 Tita/Angela- arranged marriages
3. GGM includes male characters who are forced into
situations against their will, while Esquivel keeps the
focus on female characters.
 Pedro & Pablo Vicario, Santiago Nasar
 Tita, Rosaura, Mama Elena, Nacha, etc.
So what????

What has this comparison showed us
about the ways in which personal freedom
can be affected by one’s environment?
Essays focusing on a theme
Both authors address __________ , but
they do it in different ways.
 Points of comparison:

– Both have _______
– Both do _________
– But one does ___________ and the other
does _________________.
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Then, “So what?”
Structuring your Essay/Outline
“Similarities to Differences”
Intro
All the similarities
All the differences
Conclusion
Structuring your Essay/Outline
“Similarities to Differences”

Intro

LWFC & Chronicle both have limiting family duties and
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social norms. Female characters are portrayed similarly.
Etc.
LWFC & Chronicle differ in that, in Chronicle, the main
characters are men, not women, and the men also suffer
from limiting social pressures…..
Conclusion
Structure
Chronicle…
Non-linear plot
 Warped timeline (not
chronological)
 1st person narration

– Omniscient point of
view

Chapter breaks- 5
times through the
story
Like Water…
Non-linear plot (past,
present & future woven
together)
 Semi-chronological over
course of book
 Starts with 1st person
– Follows Tita through 3rd
person
– Recipes
 Chapters- months, but not
consecutive in a year.
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Style- Figurative Language
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Imagery
– Chronicle: ghostly, surreal, dreamlike
– LWFC: food-related, sensual (all senses),
temperature (hot/cold)
Homework

Finish reading Chronicle of a Death
Foretold
Complete Grid for Compare-Contrast
Essay/Begin Outline. Follow guidelines in
C/C handout. DUE at the end of NEXT
CLASS: Please type if possible.
 Reminder: bring both texts to class until
we complete the essay process.
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