1. Chronicle of a Death Foretold By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2. About the author  Born in Aracataca, Columbia in 1928  Grew up in a house with his aunts, uncles, and grandparents  The women told him tales of superstition and fantasy while the men kept him grounded in reality  Dropped out of college because of civil war and became a reporter for a newspaper  His best known work is One Hundred Years of Solitude  His writing reflects the influences of his grandmother’s stories as well as the myths, superstitions, and lifestyle of Latin America  Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982

3. A Brief Summary… Relates the events leading up to & following the murder of 21 year old Santiago Nasar Relates the events leading up to & following the murder of 21 year old Santiago Nasar He is killed by the Vicario twins to avenge the loss of their sister’s honor He is killed by the Vicario twins to avenge the loss of their sister’s honor 27 years later, the narrator returns to his home town to put back together “the broken mirror of memory” 27 years later, the narrator returns to his home town to put back together “the broken mirror of memory” The story is constructed from the fragmented & sometimes conflicting versions of events remembered by the townspeople and the narrator himself The story is constructed from the fragmented & sometimes conflicting versions of events remembered by the townspeople and the narrator himself

4. Historical Context Latin American Culture Derived from both European settlers’/conquerors’ customs as well as the traditions of native inhabitants Resulted from an intermixing of male immigrants and female natives Marquez blends elements of both cultures

5. Themes to look for… ► Honor  How does honor play a role in the events that take place? ► Revenge  Which characters seek revenge?  What type of revenge is enacted? ► Gender Roles  What is the difference between what is acceptable for men and what is acceptable for women? ► Supernatural  What kind of omens are perceived before the murder? ► Deception  Who is deceived by whom and how are they deceived?