Family Pattern in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Family Pattern in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Emy Simeonova
12/5

Patriarchy and the Role of Women in The Stranger and Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Patriarchy is a part of human the human development that has existed in all societies at one point or another. However, as women start to emancipate, the patriarchic model starts to disappear and the two sexes have equal roles. In the novel The Stranger, the society that we look at is in its way to emancipation, but still not yet. As Marie Cordona, Mersault’s girlfriend acts as his equal and expects to get as much as he gets, Raymond’s girlfriend is treated merely as an object. On the other hand, Chronicle of a Death Foretold describes a society that is so completely patriarchic that women do not seem to have any rights at all. Despite this, strong women as Angela Vicario and her mother appear and gradually gain more and more rights and power.
The main character in The Stranger, Meursault, views women as lesser than men; which ultimately conveys how women were thought of in Africa for that time period. In the second chapter, the reader first begins to get an idea of Meursault character, and his feelings towards women. After swimming with Marie Cordona, who once worked as a typist at Meursault office, he invites her to the cinema. This is very inappropriate, as his mother had died only a few days earlier. During the film, Meursault proceeds to fondle Maries breasts, and eventually kisses her. Shortly after the movie, Marie comes with Meursault back to his flat. This shows that Meursault thinks that women are merely in his life for his pleasure.

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