Chronicle of a Death Foretold

The narrator switches attention to Bayardo San Román, the man who called off the marriage to Angela Vicario. Bayardo arrived in the town in August. Six months later, his wedding to Angela took place.

Bayardo is near 30 years old, though he has “the waist of a novice bullfighter” (24) and gold eyes that make him seem younger. His purpose for coming to the town was to find a wife, and he seems to possess “endless resources” (26). Bayardo sees Angela when she is walking through the town with her mother. She is dressed in “inclement black” funeral clothes and carrying a basket of artificial flowers. He sees her again when she is “ringing out the raffles” (28) at a local event. Bayardo buys all the tickets, winning a music box. The box is decorated with mother-of-pearl. He sends the box to Angela as a birthday gift and, for the rest of her life, she never discovers how he knew the date of her birthday. Even when her brothers try to return the music box, Bayardo’s “irresistible charm” wins them to his side.

Angela is from “a family of scant resources” (30). Her father was a goldsmith, but the loss of his sight prevents him from doing the fine, intricate work. Angela’s mother Purisima used to be a schoolteacher but left her job when she married Poncio. As the youngest and “prettiest” member of the family, Angela is highly valued in her society. When Purisima hopes that Angela’s mysterious admirer will reveal himself, Bayardo introduces the Vicarios to “his whole family” (32). The San Roman family is wealthy. They drive into town in a car, a relatively newfangled invention and a symbol of wealth and status. Bayardo’s mother is named Alberta Simonds. She is a woman with a diverse racial background who was once hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Antilles. As well as his two younger sisters, Bayardo’s father is a famous soldier. General Petronio San Roman earned his fame as “a hero of the civil wars” (33) many years before.

Despite his wealth and status, Angela is reluctant to marry Bayardo. She claims that he is “too much of a man“ (34). They spend four months engaged. During this time, Bayardo tries to impress Angela. He asks her where she would like to live. Angela tells him that she wants the house which once belonged to Xius, a widower who owned a farmhouse on top of a hill, overlooking the marches which are covered in purple anemones. Though Xius insists that the house is “not for sale“ (35), Bayardo offers him increasingly huge sums of money. Eventually, Xius cannot bring himself to refuse the absurd offer. He accepts, but selling the house breaks his heart. Dr. Dionisio Iguaran claims that Xius “died because of that” (36).

Angela has a secret: She has had sex before being married. She tells her close friends, who assure her that “almost all women lost their virginity in childhood accidents” (37). They teach her “old wives tricks” (38) to fool Bayardo. In this time, Bayardo plans a large, extravagant wedding. The narrator claims that he and his brother Luis Enrique attended the wedding. Cristo Bedoya was also with the brothers, who all remember that Santiago Nasar was constantly in their presence during the celebrations. The four men are old friends, and the narrator does not believe that any one of them could have hidden a secret like an affair with Angela.

The narrator’s memory of the wedding celebrations is blurred. Among his scattered memories, he recalls that he “proposed marriage to Mercedes Barcha” (43) as soon as she is finished with school. They eventually marry years later. By 6:00pm, the time has come for the bride and groom to depart. They will travel to their new home. After their departure, the four men go to the brothel run by María Alejandrina Cervantes. Among the singing, dancing, drinking guests, the narrator notices that Angela’s twin brothers are present. The Vicario brothers are singing and dancing with everyone else.

Purisima Vicario retires to her bedroom at 11:00pm. She is woken from her deep sleep by “three very slow knocks” (46) on her door. When she opens the door, she finds Bayardo and Angela on her doorstep. Bayardo pushes Angela into the house, kisses Purisima on the cheek, thanks her, and leaves. Purisima is furious. She physically assaults Angela quietly, making sure not to wake the rest of the family. When Pedro and Pablo return home, Pedro asks who Angela had an affair with, and she gives him the name of Santiago Nasar.