Angela+Vicario


 * ** Character's Name: ** || Angela Vicario ||
 * ** Role in Novel: ** || Angela Vicario is the instigator of the plot. She is the one that is rejected by her newlywed Byardo San Roman on their wedding night after he discovers that she is not a virgin. She names Santiago Nasar as the one who took her virginity and that initiates the series of events which are the basis of the novel. Her brothers, Pedro and Pablo Vicario (the twins) want to kill Santiago Nasar in order to defend her honor.

After Santiago Nasar is killed, the Vicario family moves away and Angela eventually buys her own little house and lives alone. Years later, the narrator visits her and questions the truth in Angela’s confession as there is much evidence proving that Santiago Nasar was innocent. Yet, she insists that it was him by saying “don’t beat it to death…he was the one”. Thus it remains a mystery as to who really took her virginity.

Angela Vicario also experiences significant personality changes in the novel. Before her marriage, she is said to be “destitute of character” but after her night with Byardo San Roman she falls madly in love with him and she transforms into a mature and affable woman. The novel also provides interesting details of her life after the Santiago Nasar’s death and the subplot of her writing letters to Byardo San Roman urging for his return. ||
 * ** Significance of Name: ** || It is interesting that special attention is given to Angela Vicario’s name in the novel—she is considered “well named” by Bayardo San Roman and it is the first impression of her name that causes Bayardo to choose to marry her after seeing her from afar.

Her first name, Angela is derived from the same origin as the vocabulary word 'Angel' - angels being the messengers of God. The word " angel " is also used as an affectionate term for a good (or pretty ) girl. In Spanish, Angela literally means angel, and it can also mean charm. Her last name, Vicario is an actual last name which means "a vicar" in Spanish and Italian. A vicar is a member of the church who exercises a range of pastoral responsibilities and is usually a representative of the Bishop.

Angela Vicario is said to be the prettiest of her sisters, thus it is interesting that even in her first name she is implied as a beautiful girl. The religious connotations of both her first and last names are ironic because Angela is not a virgin, and thus not pure. She “profaned the symbols of purity” when she wears a veil and orange blossoms which are traditionally worn by female virgins at their weddings. “Angela” also means messenger from God, yet her message—that Santiago Nasar was the one who took her virginity--- is far from what would be a message from God. Her confession causes her brothers to seek revenge by killing Santiago Nasar, resulting in a violent tragedy which is not in the least holy or religiously acceptable.

However, Angela is to a certain extent, pure and righteous as her name implies. Angela is virtuous in that she did not feign virginity but instead, allowed herself to be found guilty. This characteristic of doing what is “right” is because her mother, Pura Vicario brought her up well so she could get married. ||