How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I felt that I was the one who was going to die," my sister said. "But no matter how much they tossed the story back and forth, no one could explain to me how poor Santiago Nasar ended up being involved in such a mix-up." The only thing they knew for sure was that Angela Vicario's brothers were waiting for him to kill him. (1.38)
This is the narrator's sister, Margot, talking about her own reaction to the news that Angela was not a virgin. Her response tells us all we need to know about how serious Angela's crime is. She's not even involved, but she knows that the Vicarios are not going to treat such an assault to their honor lightly.
Quote #2
Even when it was less than two months before she would be married, Pura Vicario wouldn't let her go out alone with Bayardo San Roman to see the house where they were going to live, but she and the blind father accompanied her to watch over her honor. (2.38)
In case you missed it, a woman's honor is her virginity. And a man's honor is the virginity of the women in his family, we guess?
Quote #3
"Just imagine," she told me. "I would have been happy even if he hadn't come, but never if he abandoned me dressed up." Her caution seemed natural, because there was no public misfortune more shameful than for a woman to be jilted in her bridal gown. (2.43)
Which is worse? To be returned home for having premarital sex, or to be jilted at the altar? We're not sure. But even though Angela has lost all respect according to the rules in society, she still has some self-confidence that she won't let Bayardo San Román ruin.
Quote #4
"We killed him openly," Pedro Vicario said, "but we're innocent." "Perhaps before God," said Father Amador. "Before God and before men," Pablo Vicario said. "It was a matter of honor." (3.2)
In case you thought that this was just craziness that happens in fictional towns, we have some news for you. There are still many countries, not only in Latin America, where honor killings are considered totally legal. And there are many more where honor killings happen illegally, including the United States.
Quote #5
Still, in reality it seemed that the Vicario brothers had done nothing right with a view to killing Santiago Nasar immediately and without any public spectacle, but had done much more than could be imagined to have someone to stop them from killing him, and they had failed. (3.5)
Considering that the whole town knows what's up, why do you think no one else helps the twins retain their honor while abstaining from killing Santiago? Everyone in town knows that they kind of have to at least try to kill Santiago. So why did no one take them seriously?
Quote #6
"Now they haven't got anything to kill anybody with," he said. "That's not why," said Clotilde Armenta. "It's to spare those poor boys from the horrible duty that's fallen on them." (3.30)
Clotilde is a smart lady. It's easy to forget that Santiago and Angela are not the only victims here. Pablo and Pedro are also victims of the cult of honor and machismo.
Quote #7
At that moment they were comforted by the honor of having done their duty, and the only thing that worried them was the persistence of the smell. (4.11)
We were going to make a poop joke here, but we decided to be classy. Still, notice that it's better to be a murderer in jail than to be a free man who has had his honor sullied.
Quote #8
The twins' fear was in response to the mood in the streets. Revenge by the Arabs wasn't dismissed, but no one, except the Vicario brothers, had thought of poison. It was supposed, rather, that they would wait for nightfall in order to pour gasoline through the skylight and burn up the prisoners in their cell. But even that was too easy a supposition. (4.12)
What is this quote telling you about the sort of reputation the Arab people in this town have? Considering that they have never been known to be violent, why do you think this is the perception? How does that affect how the town might see Santiago?
Quote #9
It was inconceivable that they would suddenly abandon their pastoral spirit to avenge a death for which we all could have been to blame. On the other hand, no one thought about reprisals from Plácida Linero's family, who had been powerful and fighting people until their fortune ran out, and had bred more than two barroom killers who had been preserved by the salt of their name. (4.12)
If anything should tell you how little reputation has to do with facts, this quote should. Instead of worrying about of legitimate act of revenge from Santiago's family, everyone seems to think that the peaceful Arab people will suddenly become violent. Right. That makes sense. About as much sense as Santiago's murder.
Quote #10
He was aware of the prudish disposition of his world, and he must have understood that the twins' simple nature was incapable of resisting an insult. No one knew Bayardo San Roman very well, but Santiago Nasar knew him well enough to know that underneath his worldly airs he was as subject as anyone else to his native prejudices. (5.8)
This quote takes us into the mind of someone who has grown up in this community. For many of us who did not grow up in this kind of society, the events seem absolutely insane. However, the characters in the novel know the rules of their community. So in a way, the events are entirely predictable.