Honor

Honor is a theme found throughout the story. Initially honor is what causes Bayardo to return Angela to her family and end the marriage when he discovers on their wedding night that she is not a virgin. In the culture of the time, women were to be virgins until marriage and it was a great dishonor and disgrace to marry a non-virgin woman.

Honor is what leads to the murder of Santiago Nasar. Once the Vicario twins discover that it was Santiago that deflowered their sister, they feel that they have no other choice but to kill him to restore her honor. They did not have any desire within themselves to kill Santiago, but honor drove them to do so. It was the idea of honor that led to a man being murdered.

And it is honor that leads to the freedom of the Vicario brothers. They are...