In what ways does culture influence the role of honour in Gabriel Marquez's Chronicle of a

Death Foretold?

"Very few of us are what we seem." Gabriel Marquez said in his book Chronicle of a

death foretold. Surprisingly, it did not describe Santiago, but it described a lonely man Xius.

He had lost his wife and his only memories were in his home. After he had to sell to Bayardo

San Roman, he died a few months later. Depression is a common mental disease that people

fight most of their entire lives. Xius fell into a depression that everyone can relate to. One of

the many reasons this quote from the book hits so close to home. The reader can empathise

for the old man, creating a character-reader bond. One would believe that Xius could’ve gone

into depression not because he sold the house, but the reason he did. In Colombian culture,

the man must keep his pride and tradition even in the face of major conflicts. Xius may have

felt guilty that he hadn't fought enough to keep his house. Thus, he lost his honour.

Throughout the narrative of the story, Marquez introduces obligations and codes of honour

men have to follow in order to be respected. He establishes this large group of people to take

honour to utmost importance. However, how does culture affect this gatekeeping of honour

in Chronicle of Death Foretold. Specifically Columbian/ South American culture, there are

factors like obligations of men, purity, machismo, and Catholicism, that play a role in

influencing the role of honour. Although many components of culture affect how honour is

perceived, how can know that other variables, that are not culture, affect it?

Machismo is a social behaviour pattern in which the Latino male exhibits an overbearing

attitude to anyone in a position he perceives as inferior to his, demanding complete

subservience. It is highly valued, especially in Latin American culture. In Gabriel Marquez’s

“Chronicle of Death Foretold”, it is observed that the behaviour of the male figures in the

story were driven by a sense of pride, strength, and machismo. It is used throughout

Chronicle of a Death Foretold. The theme of machismo is shown as a moral compass for the

society in the novel by replacing faith and creating expectations to the characters to prove

their masculinity. An example of this is when the Vicario brothers go and kill Santiago to

gain their family reputation back. The men were more superior than the women and had more

control over the households, while the women were just allowed to clean and cook. The

brothers decided they , as the men of the family, are expected to do something radical to

regain their manliness.

The Catholic religion is all about honour and has a belief that women’s virginity should be

kept preserved until marriage. Unfortunately, Angela wasn’t faithful in following her religion

and in turn brought shame on the entire Vicario family. Since the whole town was very

religious, the Vicario brothers were pressured by society to take up the responsibility to kill

the man who had dishonoured their sister and the family. It was stated by the Vicario

brothers, “‘We killed him openly,’ Pedro Vicario said, ‘but we’re innocent.’ ‘Perhaps before

God,’ said Father Amador. ‘Before God and before men,’ Pablo said. ‘It was a matter of

honour’’’ (Marquez 49). This quote connects to their religious beliefs, because they’ve

“killed” someone in the public,

Marquez sets up this family to have a reputation to take honour to the utmost importance.
Reputation is