Use of Magic Realism in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Chronicle of a Death Foretold Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a perfect example of a novel that showcased cultural and contextual elements. The technique that was the most interesting in Garcia Marquez’ novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, was his use of magic realism. One magical element in the book is the use of dreaming. Dreaming is a constant theme throughout the novel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold, presents the reader with characters that have dreams, as these dreams are the primary sources of events that come true.
Magical realism is portrayed through dreams which are used in the novel to see the predicted future, as in most cases, the dreams that we are presented with come true. Although dreaming is not something that is seen to be unrealistic, its the way the author provides truth to all dreams. Garcia Marquez allows the characters dreams to come true, which is the true source of unrealism. Another aspects was describing the upbringing of Angela Vicario and her siblings. Women are not allowed to get jobs or follow their own dreams; their lives are bounded by tradition and the expectation to get married and have families.
A woman’s worthiness as a wife was measured by her beauty. In those days, I believe marriage wasn’t based on love. Through this book we are engulfed in the Colombian culture that Marquez demonstrates. Another theme we become aware of is honor. Chronicle of a Death Foretold consists of many different themes that can be recognized by the reader. It was interesting when Raza brought up “Machismo”. Machismo is a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness, sense of power, or the right to dominate. This theme in turn can be related to the theme of moral responsibility.

In this novel the power to dominate is aimed towards women. Machismo, throughout the book is exaggerated to show the dominance of the male sex, and I believe the author felt that the sense of having a dominant sex, is purely based on culture, because in those times, women were considered to be inferior to men. Women were looked at as possessions. Knowing that women were forever to just get married, Marquez shows rebellion of the opposite sex by Angela Vicario showcasing her independence and breaking the barrier of the life she HAD to live, by not being a virgin.