Would you frankly remain silent about a murder that you knew was about to be committed? Your answer will most likely be “no”. Red Monday, the seventh novel by renowned Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez, published in 1981, is just that. This is the story of an honor killing that everyone knew was going to happen, but no one did anything to stop it.
The novel, which has had a shocking effect both in Colombia and around the world since its publication, tells the story of a murder that took place many years ago in the town where Gabriel García Márquez spent his childhood. What will happen to the hero of the novel, Santiago Nasar, how he dies, is clear from the very first lines. “Red Monday” is not only a murder story, but also a psychological novel about the usual behavior of people. This story, which you will read with bated breath until the end, is one of the works of the social determination of the soul.
Gabo, known by his full name Gabriel José de la Consiliacion García Márquez or in Latin America, is a Nobel Prize-winning Colombian writer, novelist, storyteller and playwright. Considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century, Marquez received two major awards: the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1972 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. The English title of Red Monday is “The Chronicle of the Foretold Death” and means “the date of the predicted death”.
Red Monday, whose opening sentence explains who dies where and where, is a work you’ll be reading with bated breath thanks to its fluent storytelling and detailed character analysis. Now, without wasting time, let’s get down to the analytical article “Red Monday”.
What is the theme of Red Monday?
Bayardo San Roman – a rich, respectable man, famous in his city, is about to marry a beautiful woman named Angel Vicario. While preparing for Bayardo’s wedding, San Roman finds out that Ángel is not a virgin. The groom, who does not take this situation well, informs the bride’s family about this. At the end of the pressure, Angel reveals the name of Santiago Nasar, the man with whom he lost his virginity, and the situation turns into a matter of honor.
According to custom, the bride’s brothers Pablo and Pedro Vicario must kill Santiago Nasar. Pablo and Pedro start looking for Santiago. Meanwhile, they announce to the public that they will kill the man who took their brother’s virginity, but the public does not take this situation seriously and does nothing. While the whole city is aware of what is about to happen, the only person who is unaware of the situation is Santiago Nasar. Click here to view and purchase the book.
Synopsis for “Red Monday”
Here is a summary of Red Monday:
Bayardo San Roman is a very rich man who has just moved to the city. One day, Angela sees Vicaro and informs those around her that she is going to marry him. But no one takes Bayardo seriously because he was drunk at the time.
Coming from a wealthy family, Bayardi marries Angela in a festive wedding, but this marriage lasts only 6 hours. In the morning, Bayardo takes Angela to her parents’ house with wedding gifts because the bride is not a virgin. Bayardi talks about this situation to Angela’s mother and siblings, saying that she cannot accept someone who is not a virgin.
Angela’s brothers, Pablo and Pedro, are very embarrassed by what has happened and ask their sister who did it. Angela says that it was Santiago Nasar who took her virginity, but despite pressure, she does not give details about the incident or reveal Santiago’s whereabouts. After that, Pablo and Pedro take two large butcher knives and go to kill Santiago.
The bishop will arrive in the city by ship early in the morning. He goes to meet her in Santiago Nasar, like everyone else. Angela’s brothers are also aware of this situation. The only place open at that time was the tavern of Clatilde Armante. The brothers are waiting in front of the tavern, thinking that Santiago Nasar will pass here anyway. Pablo and Pedro don’t really want to kill Santiago, so they tell everyone they’ve met so far about their assassination plan in case someone stops them. But no one takes them seriously. Until then, everyone knows except Santiago that he will be killed.
Learning that the Angela brothers are going to kill Santiago, the mayor goes to them, takes the knives from their hands and tries to dissuade them. Despite this, Pablo and Pedro buy new knives and continue to wait for Santiago in front of the tavern again.
Meanwhile, Santiago Nasar returns home with his best friend Cristo Bedoya. They then part ways with Bedoya. Before reaching his house, he invites his fiancée Santiago to join him. Upon hearing of the incident, he returns a box of love letters written to him by his fiancée Santiago to Santiago and asks him to leave. Santiago Nasar, unaware of the incident, is quite surprised and heads home again. Pablo and Pedro start chasing him. Santiago Nasar comes to his home. At this moment, her mother, seeing Pablo and Pedro running towards the house, and not her son, closes the door in fear. Unable to enter the house, Santiago is stabbed to death on the spot.
Analysis of the book “Red Monday”
To analyze Red Monday, the book is based on a real-life honor killing in the city where Gabriel García Márquez grew up. Marquez witnessed this murder as a child.
The piece is one of the best examples of how a society operates with a mentality. In the book, the situation where the public knows about the murder but does nothing is called the bystander effect. In this case, people avoid taking responsibility with the thought that someone will report or someone will do it anyway, and remain witnesses of what happened. When everyone has this mindset, no one does anything, and it happens.
Another point that Marquez criticizes in the book is honor killing. What is namus? Is it worth it to kill a person?
Red Monday Readers Review
“In addition to the content and style of the book, what impressed me the most was that it was based on real events. I was amazed at the reaction of people living in a small town to a murder that was about to happen.”
Red Monday Sour Dictionary review
“When I read this, it seemed to me that I was walking along these streets. I wanted to say stop it bro or don’t do it bro. This book captured me.”
Writer: cadet
“A simple yet delightful novel by Gabriel García Márquez where everyone knows everything but nobody does anything.”
Writer: semsipashapasha atheist
quotes from red monday book
“Evil is not in the world, but in the heart…”
“I hate smug men.”
“Society prepares a crime, the criminal commits it.”
“Give me bias and I’ll move the world.”
“You need to smile so beautifully that people are ashamed to make you cry…”
“I just didn’t want to accept the fact that life could finally be that much like a bad romance.”
“Fate makes us invisible.”
The book “Red Monday” tells about the blood-curdling honor killing and how no one lifts a finger, although the whole public knows about it. In this case, the novel means that if something is wrong, we must fix it ourselves, without waiting for someone else. Otherwise, as in work, it may be too late.
Angela’s older brothers, Pablo and Pedro, committed the Red Monday murder, but they told everyone they met that they would. Therefore, people who do not show a move are just as guilty as their brethren.
Yes. Red Monday is about a murder witnessed as a child by author Gabriel Garcia Márquez. Despite the fact that society knew what would happen with this terrible event in the city where he grew up, he remained silent.
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