Dom Casmurro by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, and Chronicle of A Death Foretold by
Gabriel García Márquez
Works Cited Not Included
Religion is supremacy, perfection and spirituality. A typical Latin
American religious community heavily relies on religion to provide a
moral framework to guide and protect its citizens. However, projecting
religion in the light of perfection is superficial. In actuality, it
often contains flaws underneath its idealistic teachings. The
inadequacy in maintaining the idealistic doctrines is deeply rooted in
society. Such notion is reflected and commented upon in the novels Dom
Casmurro by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis and Chronicle of A Death
Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In both novels, the authors
effectively criticize religion through their satiric portrayal of
religious authorities and other characters' attitudes towards
religion.
The two novels reveal the practical result of religion in a critical
light. The ideal doctrine of religion adjusts itself to the imperfect
world in ways that some times do not command respect. The actual
practice of the doctrine allows flexibility, which is often abused. In
Dom Casmurro, Bento and Jose Dias imagine that a journey to see the
Pope will undo Dona Gloria's promise to God. Eventually they settle
the matter much more conveniently by resorting to the local church. As
shown in Escobar's speech, the characters are constantly manipulating
with the power of the religious authorities: "Consult the protonotary
about it and if he hesitates, we'll speak to the bishop" (171). This
implies that the people often seek and take advantages of the plot
holes in religion.
The concept of religion as an obligation becomes obvious through...
... middle of paper ...
...o to mirror the Church's failure to
uphold high moral standards and use their authority effectively and
seriously.
Through the subtle and detailed portrayals of the characters in the
novels Chronicle of A Death Foretold and Dom Casmurro shed a
criticizing light on the hypocritical Church present in the community.
Bento's repulsion to be religiously devoted bluntly reveals the
blemishes in the practical result of religion hidden underneath
seemingly deep devotion. The tragedy of Santiago Nasar explores the
other defects of religion, one that is present in the Church itself,
and how failure to uphold moral standards in Church upsets the
community. Of course the authors do not write solely to condemn
religion, they also bring forth the concept that people must adjust
their attitudes toward religion and then irrational, old values set by
the past Church.
The matriarchal structure of Juan and Lupe’s families are key factor in the molding of each of them into each a unique person that just so happen to fit with each other perfectly.
The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado are two stories written by Edgar Allen Poe in the 18th century. Both of these stories are primarily focused on the mysterious and dark ways of the narrator. Since these stories were written by the same author, they tend to have several similarities such as the mood and narrative, but they also have a few differences. For instance, the characteristics of both narrators are different, but both stories portray the same idea of the narrator being obsessive over a certain thing.
The Killings by Andre Dubus Plot is defined as, "the authors arrangement of incidents in a story it is the organizing principle that controls the controls the order of events (Meyer,64). " The element of plot is heavily relied on in the short story, "The Killings" by Andre Dubus. The plot which is completely made inside the imagination of an author (Meyer,64), gives the audience important insight to people, places, and events in the story (Meyer,64) . "The Killings" provides a somewhat conventional plot pattern, where the character is confronted with a problem and is then led into a climax, which late leads to the resolution of the story (Meyer,65). The conventional plot is easy to follow and serves as a basis for movies and other forms of fictitious entertainment (Meyer,65).
and "The Masque of the Red Death." I intend to fine wether or not the author of
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George Perkins and Barbara Perkins. 9th ed. vol. 1. New York: McGraw, 1998.
The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes Carlos Fuentes, author of The Death of Artemio Cruz, has used his novel to show how Mexico has been transformed and molded into its present state through the use of his character Artemio Cruz. Fuentes uses Cruz to bring together a historical truth about the greedy capital seekers, robber barons, if you will, who after the revolution brought Mexico directly back into the situation it was in before and during the Revolution. Fuentes wrote the novel in nineteen sixty-two, shortly after the Cuban Revolution. Fuentes is able to express his disappointment from the Mexican Revolution, the revolution by the people of his native land. The revolution seemed to change nothing for the average person in Mexico; the change that took place was merely a shift in power.
A Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel-Garcia Marquez. The book "A Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel-Garcia Marquez is about a murder in a small South American Village. It is based on an actual murder that took place in 1951 in the town of Sucre, Colombia. This novel provides a detailed insight to the culture of Latin America as it pertains to many aspects of an individuals life. Instances such as religion, marriage, death, and justice and interactions due to the concepts of honor and gender.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque Of The Red Death." Bridges: Literature across Cultures. Eds. Gilbert H. Muller and John A. Williams. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994. 495-498.
Gabriel García Márquez story, Big Mama's Funeral, is a story filled with fantastical scenes and events much in line with Don Quixote and Candide. The introductory paragraphs of Big Mama's Funeral and Candide sound so similar in voice the two authors could be mistaken for the same. In Candide, one finds a series of episodes that are so far from the truth and yet perfectly explainable. The story of the fate of Dr. Pangloss, the death and resurrection of Cunegund and of her Jesuit brother, and the story of the old woman with one buttock are farcical in the same way as the episodes in Big Mama's Funeral. In Don Quixote, we find a man, for the most part average, who wishes to become a knight-errant. In his quest is as series of happenings so ridiculous they are nothing short of tabloid-style sensationalism, or drug induced hallucinations.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." Selected Tales, New York: Vintage Books,
Poe and Hawthorne are two American writers who have defined literature as we know it today. Both brought the standards for short stories to a whole new level never seen before. Poe’s writing style sought out to leave the reader with a single effect and or message conveyed through the story. However Hawthorne placed more emphasis on the authors view of the world around him. These forward and evolutionary thoughts changed the way people today appreciate the languages present in the writings. Hawthorne and Poe were so evolutionary because of their use of different themes, symbols, characterization and most importantly the settings of the stories themselves. The coolest part about these authors is how they each uniquely presented romantic and gothic themes differently in the same short story format.
García, Márquez Gabriel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Gregory Rabassa New York: Knopf, 1983. Print.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a horror story about revenge and murder that occurred half a century ago. Through the haunting confession of the narrator, Montresor, the reader is able to feel what Fortunato had endured half a century ago. In this tale of revenge and murder the dark, damp, and bone-filled catacombs provide a contrast to life during the “madness of the carnival” (553).
The biblical references throughout the Chronicle of a Death Foretold help identify the characters, Bayardo San Roman, Maria Cervantes, Divina Flor, and the Vicario children, and add depth to the death of Santiago. Without the many religious symbols such as, the Divine Face, the murder of Santiago, the cocks crowing, and the characters, there would be little weight placed on the reactions of the townspeople towards the knowledge of Santiago’s impending death. The religious symbols solidify the idea that Christ has come again in many different forms and ideas, yet dies to renew the people’s covenant with the Lord. “Give me prejudice and I will move the world” (Márquez 100).
Gabriel Garcia Collected Novellas: Chronicle of A Death Foretold. New York[:] Harper Collins Publishers, 1990.