Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Narrative Structure and Setting

Narrative Facts and Perspectives

The facts of the novel, like those of this fragment, are reconstructed from several perspectives. The narrator tells the facts in the third person, unlike the characters who feature in the first person. The language used in the third person is colloquial. (Notes indirect use made by the narrator in the passage).

Setting Details

Dialogue between characters and descriptions of places appear in the snippet:

• Riohacha: A small town in Colombia, with a port at the bottom of a river. From the top of the mountains, the sea is visible. It features colonial-inspired houses with white walls, slightly inclined roofs, and balconies carved from solid wood. There are several farms and ranches with livestock, fruit trees, and small gardens. The port operation is notably careless. Small alleyways lead from the town to the various estates in the hills and to the harbor.
• The House of the Widower of Xius: This is described as the most beautiful and spectacular home in Riohacha, purchased by Bayardo San Román to live with his future wife, almost forcing the elderly owner to accept the transaction. It boasts a beautiful, solid wood carved staircase and spacious rooms. A garden with fruit trees offering a view of the sea makes it highly desired, valuable, and spectacular.
• The Home of Santiago Nasar: This is a typical Colombian hacienda, featuring pens, piggeries, and stables for livestock, along with small spaces reserved for cultivating vegetables and fruits. It has a balcony overlooking the street from the plaza and both a rear and front door. It includes modest rooms for the more sophisticated service staff and owners.

Chronology and Location

Time Frame of the Story

The story develops from the wedding until the death of Santiago Nasar.

Novel's Space

The novel is set in the hometown of Gabriel García Márquez (Aracataca). References are also made to other places, such as Manaure and Riohacha. The village has a harbor, a specific location, and elements where the action takes place.

Literary Style and Devices

There is a mix of real journalistic style with the legendary style characteristic of magical realism. The prose is dense and poetic and incorporates metaphorical elements.

Narrative Characterization

Regarding the justification of the narrative text types and genre, this characterizes the fragment. The language is colloquial and popular, and there are several stylistic devices, including:

• Metaphor: "lights of the heavens" $\Rightarrow$ stars.
• Ellipsis: Removal of any term from the sentence that is understood.
• Hyperbole: Somewhat exaggerated praise.
• Epithet: Applied to someone.
• Irony: Expressing the opposite of what is being said.
• Comparison: Stated in the fragment.

Intertextuality Note

Hyperbole is a feature reminiscent of The Bohemian Lights by Valle Inclán due to its excessive grotesque humor and exaggeration, potentially suggesting an intertextuality of absurdity.

(Review: Exam Question)