Examples Of Grotesque Imagery In Chronicle Of A Death Foretold

No one can ever be sure what goes on behind closed doors, which is why it’s hard to forget that bad people, haven’t always been bad. In the novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Santiago Nasar, is murdered by Pablo and Pedro Vicario, because they believed that Santiago had taken their sister’s virginity. Although the Vicario brothers murdered Santiago, it is safe to say that they would have easily been the victims in the situation as well. Marquez portrays the Vicario brothers as victims, and the perpetrators of Santiago Nasar’s murder by conveying pathos through his use of grotesque imagery, imagery relating to scent, and dialogue, in order to showcase the theme that not everything is always what it seems, …show more content…

After Santiago’s murder, Pancho Lanao says, “What I’ll never forget is the terrible smell of shit” (142). The grotesque imagery within this quote, is shown with the description of the scent after the murder. Because the Vicario brothers murdered Santiago, their crime left a horrible imprint on the village. They are showcased as the perpetrators because not only was Santiago the victim of the murder, but the rest of the village was as well. The occurences stuck in the villagers minds, and it is something they can never erase. For Santiago’s mother, the narrator says, “Then she went out onto the balcony and saw Santiago Nasar in front of the door, face down in the dust, trying to rise up out of his own blood” (141). Though some villagers only heard about the murder and were still distraught by it, Santiago’s own mother saw his dead body moments after he had been murdered. Santiago’s mother was affected by the actions of the Vicario brothers. Because of them, Santiago did not get to continue his life, and had his relationship with his mother cut short. Santiago was not the only victim in this circumstance, his mother was too. While there is implicit evidence that the Vicario brothers are the perpetrators of Santiago’s murder, there is explicit evidence as well. For instance, when the brothers murder Santiago, the narrator says, …show more content…

One of the main reasons for the way the Vicario brothers acted is because of what they believed Santiago had done to their sister. The narrator says, ¨Angela Vicario, [..] had been returned to the house of her parents, because her husband had discovered that she wasn’t a virgin” (24). The brothers believed that Santiago had taken their sister’s virginity, and that is what made them murder Santiago. They wanted to protect their family’s name, and avenge their sister for what Santiago did to ruin her relationship. While the two murdered Santiago, Marquez portrays them as bother perpetrators and victims to show how someone can be both innocent and guilty at the same time. There is always an underlying reason for the way someone acts, and the actions one makes. While there are good people in this world, those good people could be doing horrific things behind closed