Basic Plot Questions
Magical Realism and Irony
Time and Foreshadowing
Symbols, Binary Opposites
Historical/Cultural Connections and References
100
What are the occupations of the Vicario twins?
Pig butchers.
100
What two conflicting (and ironic) things does Santiago symbolize?
Jesus Christ, and pigs.
100
How does the author organize time in the book?
Marquez writes this book non-linearly. (time is organized in a spiral).
100
What two things are Santiago compared to during, and after his murder?
What are Christ and a pig
100
Why is the following bible verse significant when being compared to Santiago? "7 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." Leviticus 11:7-8
It is significant because throughout the book Santiago is compared to pigs as well as being alluded to Christ. The verse is describing pigs as unclean and dirty, which would make everything a contradiction.
200
What is Santiago's ethnicity?
Arabic
200
How does magical realism cause doubt in our mind of Santiago's guilt?
By having the villagers believe he is guilty, and by having magical realism in several spots to point towards his innocence, Marquez creates an uncertainty as to whether or not Santiago actually took Angela's virginity.
200
How is the death of Santiago most prominently foreshadowed in the book?
1. The title of the book: Chronicle of a Death Foretold 2. All of the people in the village learning of and talking about the Vicario twins'(s) plan to kill Nasar
200
What is the significance of a priest performing the autopsy on Santiago?
The autopsy is called a "massacre" meaning the priest had killed Santiago again.
200
Why is the Banana Massacre relevant to Marquez's writing style?
Because Marquez used the violence in his life to create the violence he had in his writings.
300
What is the name of the person who performs Santiago's autopsy?
Father Carmen Amador
300
What is ironic about the passage in which the town's people are 'pouring' in to testify?
They are trying to 'wash' away their guilt by helping to resolve the case, but the guilt of murder can not be washed away, as can be noticed by the smell of Santiago that won't leave the Vicario twins.
300
What is the cook, Victoria Guzman, doing while Santiago is drinking his coffee on the morning of his death?
She is butchering rabbits.
300
What does the narrator's wife, Mercedes, say that Pura Vicario seemed like?
What is a nun
300
How is the ongoing religious conflict in Colombia relevant to the story?
It connects to Santiago converting from an Arabic Muslim to Christian.
400
Why was Santiago stabbed under the armpit?
They murdered him as if he were a pig.
400
What is ironic about Santiago's nationality and faith?
He is Arab, and approximately 93% of Arabic people are Muslim. This is ironic because he is a Christian in the novel, and further, he symbolizes Christ, and he also symbolizes the pigs, which are a dirty and unholy animal in Muslim faith.
400
Why has the author returned 27 years after the murder to the town?
He has returned to re-investigate the murder. "I returned to this forgotten village, trying to put the broken mirror of memory back together from so many scattered shards."
400
How does rebellion in Colombian History tie into the work of Marquez?
It connects to the women rebelling against their gender roles of society.
500
What was the significance of Angela being returned?
It shows the irony from reversal of gender roles, which is demonstrated through Angela's mother and brothers switching expected behaviors.
500
How did Marquez's personal life heavily influence his use of magical realism in his novels?
Marquez was raised by his grandmother, who believed that the superstitious, supernatural, and magical were all parts of reality. It is quoted that she often made fantastic or improbable statements, and treated them as undeniable fact, which heavily influenced his use of magical realism in his novels.
500
Why is foreshadowing an important aspect of Marquez's writing?
There is no 'correct' answer; however, it shows his attention to details.
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