"A Death Foretold" and Magical Realism in Latin American Literature
LATI 50
INTRODUCTION TO LATIN
AMERICA
A DEATH FORETOLD:
MOTIFS AND ALLUSIONS
TAKEAWAYS FROM VIDEO
Title: “Builders of Images”
Writer: Luis Rafael Sánchez
Issue: Social and Cultural Identity (in Puerto Rico)
Means: Theater, music, art (and cockfighting)
Themes: Celebration of popular culture and racial
mixture
Gabriel García Márquez
“MAGICAL REALISM”
Controversial term
Imagination>objectivity as path to human truth
Sublime>mundane, absurd>logical
Juxtaposition: massive scale in tiny places
Straightforward narration of preposterous people and
events
CHRONICLE: STORY LINE
Stranger (Bayardo San Román) comes to town looking for a bride, settles on Angela
Vicario
Discovers on wedding night that she is not a virgin, thus provoking crisis of honor
She names Santiago Nasar as “the perpetrator”
Her brothers set out to murder Santiago as a matter of honor
Ceremonial arrival of bishop that same morning
The whole town knows of brothers’ intentions—and no one does anything to stop
them. Warning message unseen.
Questions: Why? How? Who bears responsibility?
CHARACTERS (I)
Santiago Nasar
Plácida Linero (his mother)
Ibraham Nasar (father)
María Alejandrina Cervantes (madam)
Victoria Guzmán (cook)
Divina Flor (Victoria’s daughter)
Clotilde Armenta (storekeeper)
Flora Miguel (Santiago’s fiancée)
CHARACTERS (II)
Angela Vicario (bride)
Pedro and Pablo Vicario (brothers)
Purísima del Carmen [de Vicario] (mother)
Poncio Vicario (father)
Margot (narrator’s sister/nun)
Luisa Santiaga (narrator’s mother)
Prudencia Cotes (Pablo’s fiancée)
Father Carmen Amador (priest)
Cristo/Cristóbal Bedoya (friend)
Bayardo San Román (suitor/husband)
General Petronio San Román (father)
ON LOVE
“the pursuit of love is like falconry”
“A falcon who chases a warlike crane can only hope for a
life of pain.”
(Note: Santiago Nasar practiced falconry)
“Love can be learned too.”
ON GENDER AND SEX
“It’s time for you to be tamed.” (Santiago to Divina Flor)
“Any man will be happy with them because they’ve been
raised to suffer.” (Angela + sisters)
“The only thing I prayed to God for was the courage to
kill myself. But he didn’t give it to me.” (Angela)
ON RELIGION
Pomp and ceremony: “It’s like the movies.” (Santiago)
“For the love of God… Leave him for later, if only out of
respect for his grace the bishop.” (Clotilde)
ON HONOR
“I can imagine, my sons…. Honor doesn’t wait.”
(Prudencia’s mother)
“We killed him openly, but we’re innocent. … Before God
and before men, it was a matter of honor.” (Pedro and Pablo)
“I never would have married him if he had’nt done what a
man should do.” (Prudencia)
“affairs of honor are sacred monopolies, giving access only
to those who are part of the drama.”
ON PREJUDICE
Santiago an “Arab,” prompting fears of retribution from
Arab community
Pride in wealth “Just like all Turks.”
Angela disliked Bayardo thinking he was “a Jew”
Magistrate: “Give me a prejudice and I will move the
world.”
REFLECTIONS
Code of honor unquestioned
Coincidence or inevitability: “”It’s as if it already had
happened.” (Pablo to Pedro)
Guilt or innocence
Passivity, responsibility, and community
A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE?
Book published in 1981
Brutal military regimes in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and
Central America
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero assassinated in El
Salvador (March 1980)
Chronicle
a parable about political violence… and
allowing it to happen?
Delve into the intricacies of "A Death Foretold" and the concept of magical realism in Latin American literature. Discover the rich themes of social and cultural identity, the portrayal of popular culture, and the consequences of honor in a small town. Uncover the chronicle of events leading to a tragic ending and the array of diverse characters entwined in a narrative of love, honor, and fate.
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Presentation Transcript
A DEATH FORETOLD: MOTIFS AND ALLUSIONS LATI 50 INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICA
TAKEAWAYS FROM VIDEO Title: Builders of Images Writer: Luis Rafael S nchez Issue: Social and Cultural Identity (in Puerto Rico) Means: Theater, music, art (and cockfighting) Themes: Celebration of popular culture and racial mixture
MAGICAL REALISM Controversial term Imagination>objectivity as path to human truth Sublime>mundane, absurd>logical Juxtaposition: massive scale in tiny places Straightforward narration of preposterous people and events
CHRONICLE: STORY LINE Stranger (Bayardo San Rom n) comes to town looking for a bride, settles on Angela Vicario Discovers on wedding night that she is not a virgin, thus provoking crisis of honor She names Santiago Nasar as the perpetrator Her brothers set out to murder Santiago as a matter of honor Ceremonial arrival of bishop that same morning The whole town knows of brothers intentions and no one does anything to stop them. Warning message unseen. Questions: Why? How? Who bears responsibility?
CHARACTERS (I) Santiago Nasar Pl cida Linero (his mother) Ibraham Nasar (father) Mar aAlejandrina Cervantes (madam) Victoria Guzm n (cook) Divina Flor (Victoria s daughter) ClotildeArmenta (storekeeper) Flora Miguel (Santiago s fianc e)
CHARACTERS (II) Angela Vicario (bride) Pedro and Pablo Vicario (brothers) Pur sima del Carmen [de Vicario] (mother) Poncio Vicario (father) Margot (narrator s sister/nun) Luisa Santiaga (narrator s mother) Prudencia Cotes (Pablo s fianc e) Father Carmen Amador (priest) Cristo/Crist bal Bedoya (friend) Bayardo San Rom n (suitor/husband) General Petronio San Rom n (father)
ON LOVE the pursuit of love is like falconry A falcon who chases a warlike crane can only hope for a life of pain. (Note: Santiago Nasar practiced falconry) Love can be learned too.
ON GENDER AND SEX It s time for you to be tamed. (Santiago to Divina Flor) Any man will be happy with them because they ve been raised to suffer. (Angela + sisters) The only thing I prayed to God for was the courage to kill myself. But he didn t give it to me. (Angela)
ON RELIGION Pomp and ceremony: It s like the movies. (Santiago) For the love of God Leave him for later, if only out of respect for his grace the bishop. (Clotilde)
ON HONOR I can imagine, my sons . Honor doesn t wait. (Prudencia s mother) We killed him openly, but we re innocent. Before God and before men, it was a matter of honor. (Pedro and Pablo) I never would have married him if he had nt done what a man should do. (Prudencia) affairs of honor are sacred monopolies, giving access only to those who are part of the drama.
ON PREJUDICE Santiago an Arab, prompting fears of retribution from Arab community Pride in wealth Just like all Turks. Angela disliked Bayardo thinking he was a Jew Magistrate: Give me a prejudice and I will move the world.
REFLECTIONS Code of honor unquestioned Coincidence or inevitability: It s as if it already had happened. (Pablo to Pedro) Guilt or innocence Passivity, responsibility, and community
A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE? Book published in 1981 Brutal military regimes in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Central America Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero assassinated in El Salvador (March 1980) Chronicle a parable about political violence and allowing it to happen?
