Where Does Ultimate Responsibility Lie for the Death of...

Where Does Ultimate Responsibility lie for the death of Santiago Nasar, in Chronicle of a Death Foretold? â€Å"On the day they were going to kill him†[1], is the opening to Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel Marquez, is a novella written in the form of a pseudo-journalistic reconstruction;, in which the reader is told about the ‘murder death’ from the first line. Here comes the importance of the theme of responsibility; we, along with the narrator, work backwards to unravel the reasons and the mysteries behind the murder. However, we must differentiate between two opposite aspects of this theme; responsibility and action. Some characters were prominently conventionally responsible for the death of Santiago, through their actions.†¦show more content†¦However, they both determined, not to mention it to the latter. It could be perceived that she, as a young woman, just stepping into the world of adolescence, was not yet able define her feelings towards Santiago. The narrator comments that, â€Å"(Divina) didn’t warn him because she was not hing but a frightened child at the time, incapable of a decision of her own.† She was unclear about her feelings towards him and permitted her mother to decide for her. However, Divina’s main contribution to the theme of responsibility arises at the end of the novella. She led Plà ¡cida Linero, into locking the door, deeming believing that she had seen Santiago had gone up to his room. Yet, in fact the latter, was assaulted by the Vicario twins, in front of his house and the narrator comments that, â€Å"(he) only lacked a few seconds to get in when the door closed. (Marquez, P.119)† Despite, the fact that her illusion sounds implausible, Divina confirms that she had seen him come inside the house, â€Å"It was a very clear vision† (Marquez, P.118). We, as the readers are left with no option but to believe her. Two other characters; LeonardoLeandro Pornoy and Colonel Aponte can be both held responsible for the murder, they had equivalent chances to save Santiago’s life. LeonardoLeandro Pornoy, the policeman, was given first hand information, when the Vicario twins, informed him of their intent to kill Santiago. However, his ignorance prevented him from arresting them or even