How is symbolism used in exploring Colombian culture in Gabriel García Marquez’s
‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’?
Symbolism in literature can reveal a lot about the culture in which the work is set. It allows us to
indirectly explore aspects of a culture that are vital to its structure, such as its traditions, values,
and institutions. In his novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel García Márquez depicts the
story of Santiago, who is murdered for allegedly dishonoring a young bride, through the
perspective of his close friend Cristobal who comes back to investigate the murder many years
later. Marquez masterfully employs symbols to convey the Colombian people's cultural values,
beliefs, and customs. The symbols serve as a window into the cultural psyche, highlighting the
themes of honor, machismo, and the power of religion in the lives of the people, providing
insight into the cultural significance of these elements in Colombian society.
A significant aspect of religious symbolism in Chronicle of a Death Foretold is the
characters' names. In the novel, many characters have names with religious connotations, which
serve as a reminder of the central role of religion in the lives of the people, but they also serve as
a way of foreshadowing what is to come for the characters. For instance, the name Pura creates a
sense of irony, seeing as her family has been dishonored due to her daughter's lack of purity, as
well as the fact that she tried helping her daughter deceive her new husband by teaching her
tricks women use to make their new husbands think they are virgins. "She was so distressed that
she resolved to tell her mother the truth so as to free herself from the martyrdom [...] They
assured her that almost all women lost their virginity in childhood accidents. They insisted that
even the most difficult husbands resigned themselves to anything as long as nobody knew about
it" (Marquez 38). Further names with religious connotations include the twins, Pedro and Pablo.
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These two names serve as a symbol for the two biblical apostles, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
Saint Peter is believed to be the rock on which christianity was founded on, a fact that is
reflected in the book through Pedro's actions, which the story revolves around. Throughout the
novel, it is shown that Pedro was the more assertive of the two, and was the one who was more
intent on murdering Santiago for taking his sister's virginity. "Pedro Vicario, the more forceful of
the brothers, picked her up by the waist and sat her on the dining room table" (Marquez 47).
Saint Paul, who was a devout Jew persecuting christians, experienced a conversion and became a
devoted follower of Christ. This can be seen in Pablo Vicario through his change in attitude
towards murdering Santiago. At first, it seems to the reader that Pablo Vicarion is in complete
agreement with his brother, however as the story progresses, he begins to experience doubt and
reluctance to carry out the murder.
In addition, Gabriel Garcia Marquez draws parallels between the character Santiago
Nasar and Christ, including their innocence and how they are both betrayed and killed. Santiago
is described as a saint-like figure, pure and undeserving of the violence inflicted upon him.
Similarly, Christ is known for his innocence and is crucified as a result of the treachery of his
followers. "On the contrary, she would recount it in all its details to anyone who wanted to hear
it, except for one item that would never be cleared up: who was the real cause of her damage,
and how and why, because no one believed that it had really been Santiago Nasar" (Marquez 89).
Further parallels are drawn between Santiago and Christ through his stab wounds, which
resemble the wounds inflicted on Christ, particularly the stigmata on his hands from the
crucifixion which are brought up in Santiago's autopsy. These parallels highlight Colombian
society's cultural values of honor, justice, and morality. The comparison between Santiago and
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Christ also reveals how religion and spirituality play a central role in people's lives and allows us
to gain a deeper understanding of how religion shapes their lives.
The novel's emphasis on a woman's virginity represents the cultural values associated
with female sexuality in Colombian society. Women are expected to maintain their virginity until
marriage, and a loss of virginity is seen as a loss of honor and reputation for both the woman and
her family. This is exemplified by the rejection of Angela Vicario by her new husband Bayardo
San Roman after he discovers she is not a virgin, and the subsequent actions of her brothers
Pedro and Pablo, who seek to restore the family's honor by killing Santiago Nasar. The reference
to flowers in the novel represents the ideal of female virginity, such as the artificial flowers
Angela carries the first time Bayardo San Roman sees her. "It had never been too well
established how they had met. The landlady of the bachelors' boardinghouse where Bayardo San
Roman lived told of how he'd been napping in a rocking chair in the parlour toward the end of
September, when Angela Vicario and her mother crossed the square carrying two baskets of
artificial flowers" (Marquez 28). The artificial flowers symbolize how Angela's virginity and
innocence are simply an illusion maintained to preserve the family's honor but are actually
non-existent. This is significant as it reinforces the cultural belief that a woman's virginity is a
valuable commodity, and the loss of it is a loss of honor and reputation. Marquez highlights the
societal expectations placed on women to conform to traditional gender roles in Columbia and
how patriarchal power structures are enforced by ingraining the idea that women's bodies and
sexuality are owned and controlled by men into the mentality of the members of the culture.
Machismo is another central theme of Chronicle of a Death Foretold and shows how
deeply the strong sense of masculinity and traditional gender roles are ingrained into Colombian
culture. The violence that ultimately leads to Santiago Nasar's death is depicted as a symbol of
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machismo, a manifestation resulting from the emphasis placed on virginity in the culture, as the
two brothers who kill Santiago are driven by a desire to defend the honor of their sister and
restore the family's reputation, leading them to seek revenge against Santiago Nasar. "They were
exhausted from the barbarous work of death, and their clothes and arms were soaked and their
faces smeared with living blood, but the priest recalled the surrender as an act of great dignity"
(Marquez 49). The Vicario brothers view violence as a way to prove their masculinity and assert
their dominance in society, which is in line with the cultural values of machismo in Colombia.
This is seen through the reaction of the priest, the person who is supposedly the symbolic
representation of Christ on earth, who views their act with great dignity, serving as a symbol that
shows the reader how deeply machismo is ingrained into Colombian culture. Their actions reveal
the cultural values associated with machismo, including a focus on honor and reputation, an
obligation to use violence to defend one's honor, and a belief in the importance of toughness and
aggression. This is also shown to the reader through the reluctance of the Vicario brothers to
murder Santiago. Even though there are instances in the novel where the Vicario brothers show
doubt, they never actually express it. On the contrary, they tell everyone they see that they are
going to kill Santiago as a way of reassuring themselves that they will actually commit the deed.
" 'We're going to kill Santiago Nasar,' he said" (Marquez 52). The fact that they tell everyone
about their plan shows their reluctance, as they know the people will most likely warn Santiago,
which would prevent them from committing the murder. This goes to show how deeply the
values of machismo and honor run in the society, since admitting that they do not want to kill
Santiago and restore their family's honor is viewed as unacceptable. The novel serves as a
critique of machismo, showing the destructive consequences of this cultural ideal and its impact
on both individuals and society as a whole.
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By examining the symbolism in Chronicle of a Death Foretold, one can gain a deeper
understanding of the cultural heritage of Colombia and the way that the people view the world
around them. Overall, the symbolism used by Maruqez reinforces Colombian society's cultural
beliefs and values of Colombian society with regard to female sexuality, religion, and machismo,
all of which come together to shape the worldviews and identities of the members of Colombian
society. Most importantly, Marquez reveals these truths about Colombian people to expose his
reader to a foreign culture and reveal the underlying values and beliefs of a society that is
different from what the reader is accustomed to. Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a powerful
example of how literature can use symbols to reveal the deeper meaning of culture and provide a
more complete picture of a society.
Word count: 1497
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Bibliography
Marquez, Garcia Gabriel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Vintage International, 2003.
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