Chronological and Circular Events in Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Gökçen DOĞAR
12/B 179
Summer Assignment 1
Question 1: For what purposes does Marquez choose to follow a chronological circular sequence of events in this novel?
Chronicle of a Death Foretold Summer Assignment 1 "On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on." At the beginning of the novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, the narrator as first person immediately reveals the climax point of the plot which is the murder of Santiago Nasar; so it can be easily explored that Santiago’s murder is a predetermined event. Each parts of the novel as nameless chapters have their own time layout; so the novel does not chronologically continue. As the one of the purposes of Marquez, this unusual use of structure directly attracts readers’ attention with creating a mystery; so instead of just wondering the future, readers start to think and estimate possible pasts by looking from different perspectives because without any reason, there are just the reader and imagination. Apart from all these, readers usually try to plum events blow by blow and analyze them deeply by using clues, combining separate pieces that are lead the readers to draw conclusions. Marquez’s purposes with creating this kind of beginning and processing plot demonstrate a unique way for literature. The first person narrator in 5 chapters demonstrates sectional images, events and situations. In first chapter; morning day of Santiago’s murder which includes information about Vicoria’s virginity and plans of twins, meetings between friends and conversions with mother, servants are told to the readers together with mother-narrator conversations after 27 years later and father’s death 3 years before then Santiago’s murder day. Second chapter is all about meeting of Bayado, Vicoria, the weeding day of them and Vicoria’s compulsory confession. The third chapter mentions about night and morning after wedding day with
12/B 179
Summer Assignment 1
Question 1: For what purposes does Marquez choose to follow a chronological circular sequence of events in this novel?
Chronicle of a Death Foretold Summer Assignment 1 "On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on." At the beginning of the novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, the narrator as first person immediately reveals the climax point of the plot which is the murder of Santiago Nasar; so it can be easily explored that Santiago’s murder is a predetermined event. Each parts of the novel as nameless chapters have their own time layout; so the novel does not chronologically continue. As the one of the purposes of Marquez, this unusual use of structure directly attracts readers’ attention with creating a mystery; so instead of just wondering the future, readers start to think and estimate possible pasts by looking from different perspectives because without any reason, there are just the reader and imagination. Apart from all these, readers usually try to plum events blow by blow and analyze them deeply by using clues, combining separate pieces that are lead the readers to draw conclusions. Marquez’s purposes with creating this kind of beginning and processing plot demonstrate a unique way for literature. The first person narrator in 5 chapters demonstrates sectional images, events and situations. In first chapter; morning day of Santiago’s murder which includes information about Vicoria’s virginity and plans of twins, meetings between friends and conversions with mother, servants are told to the readers together with mother-narrator conversations after 27 years later and father’s death 3 years before then Santiago’s murder day. Second chapter is all about meeting of Bayado, Vicoria, the weeding day of them and Vicoria’s compulsory confession. The third chapter mentions about night and morning after wedding day with