The juxtaposition between men and women in Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia MárquezIn Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Márquez the narrator retraces the events surrounding the murder by Santiago Nasar. In the novel, the women exemplify the traditional role of women in Latin American culture. Women are expected to be submissive and raise a family. The men in the novel display a strong sense of masculinity or machismo. The emphasis on male masculinity leads to many injustices in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. The value of a woman in Chronicle of a Death Foretold is measured by her ability to manage a family. Marquez writes: “Girls were raised to marry. They knew how to do silkscreen embroidery, machine sew, weave lace, wash and iron, make artificial flowers and fancy candy, and write engagement announcements. (31) This shows the distinct role of women in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Women are meant to cook, clean and raise children. Women have no say in who they marry, and in fact marriage is the only way for a woman to advance in society. Compared to women, men have many more privileges and opportunities. Men have the ability to marry whoever they want, they have the ability to acquire wealth, and they have more freedom than women. In this Colombian culture the purpose of marriage is not to demonstrate love, but to show the wealth and power that men hold in this society. Bayardo San Roman said, “When I wake up,” he said [Bayardo San Roman], “remind me that I will marry her” (Márquez 29). This shows how Bayardo San Roman accepts the privilege of his role and regards Angela as an asset he is about to acquire. Another aspect that demonstrates male superiority is when... in the center of the card... there are Pablo and Pedro Vicario, who decide how to handle the situation. Due to their culture men are held to higher standards than women. In this small Colombian town, Márquez illustrated the juxtaposition between men and women and how double standards led to violence, the death of Santiago Nasar. Women are expected to meet society's expectations. The only way for a woman to rise in society is through marriage. Women are taught to be submissive and that "love can be learned", so they marry to defend their families' honor. The result of the numerous double standards present in this novel leads to the death of Santiago Nasar in Chronicle of a Death Foretold because it was a matter of honor. Word Count (1169) Works Cited Márquez, Gabriel García. Chronicle of a death foretold. Trans. Gregorio Rabassa. New York: Knopf, 1983. Print.