Countless acclaimed novels gain prestige due to their esteemed authors' tendency to criticize their culture and historical period; these include Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Garcia Márquez. Garcia Márquez criticizes Colombian culture through an investigative representation of the events that led to the death of a fellow citizen in a small town in Colombia. Márquez incorporates tensions and contrasts in the first chapter with the aim of illustrating the flaws of Colombian culture, particularly through the relationship between Santiago and his servants, the role of the Vicario twins, and the community's relationship with the bishop. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay First, Marquez generates tension between Santiago Nasar, the protagonist who is brutally murdered, and his servant, Victoria Guzman. On the morning of Santiago's death, an altercation ensued between Victoria Guzman and Santiago because Santiago believed he was entitled to "have" Victoria's daughter, Divina Flor. Santiago “grabbed [Divina] by the wrist” (Marquez, 8) and concluded that “the time had come for [her] to be tamed” (8). This conceit was common at that time in Colombia due to the adamant machismo, which is the masculine pride of men. However, Victoria countered Santiago's request, "showed him the bloody knife" (8), and claimed that she would never have Divina "as long as [she was] alive" (8). The tension between them is clearly discernible and since Santiago is male and is her employer, Victoria's actions are very alarming. “Despite her age” (7) and her gender, Victoria is the only woman in this novel characterized as willful and resolute. Furthermore, Victoria is the only citizen who deals with the prevailing social norms and does not accept the illusion of machismo or the corresponding values ​​of her own culture and traditions. Victoria attempts to break the cycle in which “she had been seduced by Ibrahim Nasar” (8), Santiago's father, so that Divina would not be “destined for the furtive bed of Santiago Nasar” (8). Márquez critiques this society's blind acceptance of traditions and cultures through Victoria's disparate perspective and skill. Furthermore, Victoria's ability to resist the “inevitable cycle” indicates that Santiago's death may not have been inevitable, which further incriminates this city. Likewise, Vittoria is the only citizen whose reason for not warning Santiago is unequivocal, because “in her heart of hearts she wanted them to kill him” (11). Victoria's disgust and lack of “affection” (7) for Santiago may have indirectly caused his death, as she could have easily sensed it and prevented his brutal death. However, Victoria is neither the antagonist of this novel, nor is she chastised for her decision not to warn him, as she hated him for his machismo. The tension created between Victoria and Santiago is a vital element used by Marquez to criticize machismo, entitlement and the superiority of men. Furthermore, Marquez criticizes the society's unshakable faith in their traditions and religion, even though they have failed them on multiple occasions, through the disagreements in the city's relationship with the bishop. The city had prepared dozens of "gifts for the bishop" (15), shouted with "jubilation" (12), woke up early and piled up at the dock to wait for the bishop. The citizen's enthusiasm is contrasted with the "mechanical" movements, "without [...] inspiration" of the bishop (16). This contrast illustrates how rites and traditions are rooted in the nature of the community, since the city repeatedly bestows faith on the bishop, even if he never "comes downfrom his boat” (15). Márquez conveys how delusional the city is behaving, since they follow their traditions and beliefs so strictly, even though their faith has continually failed them. For example, even the bishop, who embodies their religion, has disappointed them because he is not passionate about his role in Catholicism and performs his obligations “mechanically”. However, the town continues to follow its traditions and beliefs without hesitation, to the point that an innocent man is murdered. Furthermore, Márquez conveys how absurd the city's conduct and attitude are through the irony that Santiago died because the city was too concerned with its own religious beliefs and "the bishop's visit to worry about any other news" ( 20). Likewise, the contrast between the city's infatuation with the bishop and the bishops' "[red] hat [of their] city" (6) highlights how nonsensical this community is. Furthermore, the bishop's hatred for the city could be interpreted as an abhorrence of its immoral and corrupt nature. Through the contrast between the city's reaction to the bishop and the bishop's reaction to the city, Márquez criticizes the city's belief in rituals and traditions and lack of consideration for the terrible consequences these traditions entail. Furthermore, Márquez criticizes society's contradictory and unethical expectations through the role of the Vicario twins and the conflicting statements that describe them. First, Pablo and Pedro Vicario are depicted as “tough but good-natured” (14), symbolizing their internal conflict over whether or not to kill Santiago for their family's honor. Being described as "tough" illustrates expectations that men are tough and masculine due to machismo, indicating that they are obligated to restore their family's honor. However, juxtaposing the above description with “good quality” highlights that they did not make their decision based on malicious intent, but truly believe their actions were justified. Likewise, they are first described as “devastated by so many hours of bad living” (14), implying their internal conflict over whether or not to kill Santiago, and, conversely, described as diligent and continuing to perform “their duty and shav[ing]” (14), which suggests their acceptance of the obligation to kill Santiago. Márquez criticizes the expectations and beliefs that arise in this society due to machismo by equating murder and shaving, since they are both expectations of the community. The contradictory descriptions portray the dilemma of the Vicario twins and create ambiguity as to whether they are immoral or not. Their reluctance is further motivated by the fact that they “looked at [Santiago] more with pity” (15) than with anger or hatred, and easily accepted Clotilde's request to “leave him for later” (14). Furthermore, Márquez's choice of the twins as murderers is significant because they behave like people with a split personality, as they never arrive at a final decision, which summarizes their internal struggle. This highlights the flaws of a patriarchal community, since their machismo forced them to commit this crime. The twins are conflicted between what the community and the church expect of them, to the point that their internal sense of right and wrong is clouded. In fact, the twins embody the entire town, because everyone in the town is complicit in this crime since they were aware of the twins' motives and decided not to warn Santiago. More specifically, the twins' internal conflict is reflected in the town, as everyone was aware of the twins' misdeeds, and yet did not want to be responsible for preventing.