Chronicle of a Death Foretold

1. Chronicle of a Death Foretold • ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’ is a 1981 novella written by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez

2. The Trope… • What is a trope? • In literature a trope is a convention that will be recognised as it is used often… for example:

3. Most fiction relies on you not knowing what happens at the end… • Here we are told what happens in the opening. • The author still needs to create tension in the novel… so • Therefore the whole thing isn't about what happens at the end, but how it happens. The Whodunnit becomes a Howdunnit.

4. Trope - A real man is a killer • "Time was you sent a boy off to war. Shootin' someone fixed him right up. But there ain't even no wars no more, thank you very much Warren Christopher!” — Moe, The Simpsons

5. Trope - A real man is a killer • This is what the whole town supposedly thinks; the twins must kill Santiago to regain their honor. Prudencia, Pablo’s fiancée, even admits she wouldn’t have married him if he wouldn’t have killed Santiago.

6. Trope - an arranged marriage • In most instances where a formal Arranged Marriage is introduced into a plot, it will become a source of tension and contention. Most people don't really want to marry a total stranger and if that total stranger turns out to be a complete rogue and a cad, it may be necessary for the heroes to spring into action and rescue the hapless member of their group who is being forced to walk down the aisle.

7. Trope - because destiny says so… • "Destiny is unstoppable. Everyone has to give in... Give up—let life win.” Gravitation • A character accepts a prophecy or similar foreknowledge of future events as inevitable, and does everything in their power to realize said future events because of it. • The Hero will often continue the Training from Hell they are currently terrible at because they were named The Chosen One, Bad Guys will insist on destroying the world despite the harm it will bring to their loved ones because it is their karmic destiny. • Because Destiny Says So is also a common excuse for why The Chosen One is The Only One allowed to save the world, or what have you.

8. Trope - contrived coincidence • "Now let's explore the improbable chain of events that led to this amusing yet tragic farce.” — Ray Magini, The Simpsons • Contrived Coincidence describes a highly improbable occurrence in a story which is required by the plot, but which has absolutely no outward justification • In many an action/adventure show or movie, the protagonists are introduced to at the very beginning or portrayed to retain various gadgets that invariably play perfectly into a dire situation they find themselves in later on. It has the potential to be reasonable, such as bringing hiking equipment to a mountainous terrain mission, but more often than not it's just a flat-out riciculous. Honestly, what didn't Batman "just so happen to" carry in that little belt of his?

9. Trope - Convicted by public opinion • Usually when a person's guilt can't be proven (or has not yet been proven or disproven) in a court of law, it is assumed that he or she is innocent. But in the court of public opinion it tends to be the exact opposite. The public (or even the authorities) are convinced you're guilty; they just don't have enough hard evidence to prove your guilt. Now this doesn't necessarily means the person in question IS guilty mind you, It just means he/she has already been tried and Convicted by Public Opinion. The public can either be right or dead wrong. • Whenever someone is placed in the dock accused of "Crimes Against Humanity", you can be pretty sure this trope is in full effect.